Wirral

Goosanders, West Kirby

I've been waiting until the midday high tide at Liverpool to go over to check the wader roost at New Brighton. Ironically, once I was there there was literally nothing sitting on the pontoons, not even a gull. Ah well. There was a lot of herring gulls and black-headed gulls elsewhere on the marine lake and more pigeons than you could shake a stick at.

There were a few gulls, mostly black-headed, bobbing round on the sea but most of the action was taking place on the breakwaters.

New Brighton Lighthouse

The breakwater running out to the lighthouse was busy with turnstones. A couple of dozen each of oystercatchers and herring gulls loafed out on the far side with a couple of cormorants. Closer by half a dozen dunlins dozed until they were scared off by a frisky spaniel.

Turnstones and dunlin, New Brighton

Dunlins hiding from a spaniel, New Brighton

Cormorants, herring gull and great black-backed gull, New Brighton

The far end of the breakwater jutting out towards the docks was wall-to-wall cormorants, standing room only with a little room on top of the storm cones. Jammed in the middle of the crowd was a big male great black-back.

Purple sandpiper and dunlin, New Brighton
Not like in the bird guide books

It was the third breakwater, over by the Floral Pavilion that finally turned up trumps with a lone purple sandpiper asleep on top of one of the blocks with a dunlin.

I had a bit of a wander, adding nothing to the day's tally, then headed over to West Kirby to see if there were any brent geese about. I just missed one train and they're running a reduced schedule so the sun was low when I arrived.

Dee Estuary, West Kirby

The tide was well out, too, so most of the waders I could see from the top end of the marine lake were just dots on the horizon. There were plenty of herring gulls and black-headed gulls about, I searched in vain for anything exotic about them. As I set off for a walk round the lake a dozen goosanders could be seen near the path on the seawall. By the time I got there they'd floated over to the South Parade. A couple of rather skinny youngsters made me look twice but they were all goosanders, not a red-breasted merganser amongst them.

Herring gulls, West Kirby

Goosanders, West Kirby

There were plenty of redshanks fossicking round in the mud near the sailing club. As usual, the curlews and oystercatchers were further out. Beyond them were upwards of a hundred shelducks dabbling in the mud. No brent geese today, though.

Goosander, West Kirby

Goosander, West Kirby

I had the consolation of quite a nice sunset with the goosanders drifting over a watered silk pool of gold.

Goosanders, West Kirby

Goosanders, West Kirby

Goosanders, West Kirby