Merseyside

I don't know why I bother planning days out based on the weather forecast according to the Met Office app. When I set off the Merseyside coast was scheduled to be grey, dull and windy, which was better than the pouring rain forecast for Greater Manchester. It was so wet and windy at Crosby Marina that the skylarks were staying firmly on the deck for their singing.

Skylark, Crosby Marine Lake

The wild and woolly weather put everything off the marine lake and even on the boating pond the ducks were generally hugging the sides. Most of the mute swans and all the Canada geese were feeding on the grass accompanied by oystercatchers and a dozen black-tailed godwit. Nice to see three goldeneye — a drake and two ducks — amongst the tufties. A few redshank and a single turnstone flitted also round the pond.

The gulls' favourite loafing pontoon was underwater so they had to make do with lounging round on the grass and keeping an eye out for passing dogs. Mostly black-headed gulls, with a few herring and common gulls, joined by meadow pipits, pied wagtails and eighty-odd starlings.

I used the sand dunes as a wind break for ten minutes' seawatching. A lot of herring and black-headed gulls with a few great black-backs but strangely no cormorants. Dunlin and sanderlings fed along the tideline while a few dozen redshanks were peppered across the beach with a couple of curlews.

After ten minutes I called barleys and sloped off for the train. I decided to have a look see if the purple sandpipers were still at New Brighton. Sadly, no joy there and the only waders on the pontoon on the marine lake were about fifty redshanks and a turnstone.

Redshanks, New Brighton Marine Lake

Lots of black-headed, common and herring gulls about and a first-Winter lesser black-back flew along the beach. A couple of great black-backs were on the lighthouse but strangely there were no cormorants here either. There had been reports of little gulls earlier in the week so I worked my way through all the gulls being blown about in the wind. No little gulls but a kittiwake passing by a hundred yards out was a nice surprise.

Home time and the sad discovery that Northern's new trains are no more reliable than the old Pacers.