I tried to ignore the south easterly and constant drizzle at Ainsdale at lunchtime as no one likes wasting a good high tide, although I might have been better grilling the roosts to the north today.
Plenty of Sandwich Terns, waders and gulls up past Shore Road, but good numbers of terns were still fishing over the tide south of Shore Road too and I was hoping for something out of the ordinary (Sooty, Sweep or Royal would all have been just dandy).
As it was I had to settle for Commons, two Great Crested Grebes and the distant scatter scoter clan – about 200 birds in the murk out there.
On the upside the rain and murk meant the roosting birds were enjoying a bit more peace today than the frequent human disturbance they’ve suffered through this week’s mini-heatwave.
This kind of hammering inevitably results in exhausted and dying birds like this Knot brought in to us earlier in the week.
This ones’ migrating days were well and truly over.
Bugger.
Bring on the wind from the west and the wild Atlantic waves…
John Dempsey Birdblog 
A bird survey that was reported to have taken place on a managed grouse moor in the Pennines has been widely quoted in the media recently.
The report arising suggested that 800 pairs of Lapwing, 400 pairs of Curlew and 100 pairs of Golden Plover were present, and that 89 species of bird were seen. These results have been used as evidence that moorland managed for grouse shooting is good for birds.
These figures have been attributed to the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), but this claim is erroneous. This fieldwork was not carried out by the BTO and did not use the rigorous statistical methods employed by BTO in order to produce accurate estimates of this type.
The organisation wishes to make it clear that the quoted figures should not be attributed to the BTO.
BTO is a charity dedicated to providing scientific information to inform decisions about birds and their habitats. Whenever possible we make our evidence available for use by all stakeholders.
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Shame about the Knot, is there no way of creating a fenced off area on the beach like in some places? They might get a bit of respite then as I think most people do it out of sheer ignorance. Admittedly there would still be some people who would walk over it and put them up as it is their right to do whatever they want! Just a thought, cheers Chris.
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Educating folk rather than fences is the answer I believe Chris, although sometimes it feels like using drips of water to erode a mountain….
I should perhaps point out that disturbing roosting birds like this whether you are a dogwalker, horserider, birder or photographer is a criminal offence against the Wildlife and Countryside Act and on paper could carry a fine of up to £20k, were it ever to be enforced.
The coastline is also protected by a raft of legislation, is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, Special Area of Conservation, a RAMSAR site etc etc, yet some people appear unable to treat the flora and fauna here with any respect, fences or otherwise…
Keep on enjoying the birds…
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Just had a Nuthatch on my bird feeders.
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There are also Council Byelaws displayed at the beach entrance that regulate what visitors and their dogs can do. Of course nobody reads ’em and the Rangers who might have been able to enforce them have become the victims of austerity cuts.
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