Sefton coast

Wheatear, Blitz Beach 

It occurred to me that I should go for a proper walk. It also occurred to me that I'm shy of waders in my birdwatching lately so I headed off to the coast, aiming to walk the stretch of the coastal path between Hall Road and Hightown, having a wander round Crosby Marine Park as an appetiser and, time and legs permitting, a visit to Marshside for afters. A grey and cool August day is good walking weather.

Herring gulls, black-headed gulls and lesser black-backs 

The sun was threatening to come out as I got off the train at Waterloo and walked over to Crosby Marine Lake. The soundscape was dominated by the funfair by the entrance, reminding me how close we are to Bank Holiday Monday (and to put red flags against some plans for next Monday). Black-headed gulls loafed on the parched grass by the funfair, a couple of dozen herring gulls loafed on the parched grass by the pond. There were more of both with a lot of lesser black-backs sharing the pond with coots and mute swans. A lot of mallards hugged the shelter of the bank with a few tufted ducks. Canada geese were notably absent, still elsewhere in their moulting flocks.

Mute swans

Out on the lake there were a few black-headed gulls and lesser black-backs dotted about and a great black-back loafed on one of the rafts. A couple of cormorants fished near the sailing club and half a dozen little egrets stalked the far bank below the crow-littered dunes.

Crosby Beach 

High tide was on the ebb and the beach was busy with lunchtime revellers. Herring gulls and black-headed gulls followed the retreating tideline, lesser black-backs bobbed about in the water. One group of black-headed gulls had a common gull in tow. At least eighty people were in the queue for the jacket potato stall, they must be damned good potatoes as the high street with its cafes, snack bars and food shops is only ten minutes away.

Carrion crows 

About three dozen carrion crows had congregated in the near corner of Seaforth Nature Reserve, most of them sitting on fenceposts as they waited for the tide to go out. This probably explains why only the one rabbit was grazing out in the open.

Small heath

A few small butterflies fluttered about deep in the dune grasses on the outside of the fence. Most were small heaths but I also found a couple of small coppers. I don't see either nearly often enough these days, small coppers used to be one of the high Summer reliables round my way on waste ground but there's not a lot of that left these days.

Small copper 

The saltwater pool on the reserve wasn't terribly busy. A dozen or so shelducks dabbled amongst similar numbers of redshanks and lapwings. A spotted redshank had been reported on the pool but between the glare off the water and the shimmering haze I was doing well to tell the silhouettes of the redshanks from those of the lapwings at this distance. A group of curlews loafed on the far bank.

Perhaps a hundred oystercatchers loafed on the island opposite the hide in the company of gulls, Canada geese and cormorants. A couple of juvenile common terns were busy fishing.

The nature reserve 

I dropped back down to the lake and wandered over to the nature reserve. A Cetti's warbler was practising singing from the depths of a bramble and for all that I was less than six feet away I could see no sign of it. The mixed tit flock was considerably easier. At first it seemed to be made up only of blue tits and chiffchaffs then a large posse of long-tailed tits erupted from the willows bringing some great tits along for the ride.

The only whitethroat of the day was making rude noises at the travelling public from the brambles by the track at Waterloo Station.

Starlings

I walked down from Hall Road to Burbo Bank where the usual flock of starlings were busy tidying up after other people. The tide was on full retreat and more starlings joined the gulls and curlews on the beach. The sun had retreated behind heavy clouds and the view over the damp sand was more glare than light.

Looking out to sea from the coastal path

Looking inland
The West Lancashire Golf Course is beyond them there hills.

It was good walking weather so there were plenty of walkers on the coastal path though it never got oppressively busy. Inland it was quiet — a few carrion crows, magpies or starlings with the occasional gull or woodpigeon passing overhead.

Dunlins

The beach was very busy. The groups of loafing herring gulls gave way to curlews, dunlins and ringed plovers. They were all distant silhouettes against a bright grey glare and I gave up any dreams of identifying anything unusual. 

Dewberries 

Everlasting pea 

The pathside was parched, the evening primroses and ragworts gone over but the straw was interspersed with field bindweed and the first of the Michaelmas daisies and nearly everywhere there were dewberries looking very tempting but not reliably unsullied by dog pee. Here and there there'd be a patch of everlasting pea, the magenta flowers joltingly vibrant on a grey day. The cloud and the cool wind was putting off any butterflies, the only one I saw along the stretch to Fort Crosby was a painted lady which fluttered by then nestled itself into the shelter of some ragwort.

Shelducks, dunlins and ringed plovers

The beach was getting busier but no easier to look at. Shelducks and redshanks joined the dunlins and ringed plovers. A small curlew passing by was worth a second look and I glad I took it as it was actually a whimbrel. Bloody-mindedness rather than any hopes of decent pictures led me to take a lot of very bad photos of distant dots. A flock of a couple of hundred knots billowed in but didn't settled long. They rose like a cloud of smoke and I looked for the cause but found none, even the redshanks just stood and watched them on their way.

Knots

Starlings

The boundary between land and beach was becoming defined by the rubble of "Blitz Beach." Flocks of starlings and linnets rummaged about, invisible until they decided to move on to the next pile of bricks. 

Linnet

Something called from the rubble, almost but not quite like the scold of a stonechat. A wheatear bobbed up, struck a pose on a boulder then disappeared again. A flurry of movement a bit further along was another wheatear. They looked like bright-coloured juveniles but I don't get too cocky about it this time of year.

Wheatear

I carried on along the rough path by the coastline. I was approaching Hightown Dunes when my eye was caught by one of the redshanks on the wet mud. I couldn't work out why it felt different and the bird didn't help by deciding to stand stock still with its back toward me. I managed to shuffle round to get a profile view and the bird shuffled round uncooperatively. A passing curlew made it move out of the way and I had me a spotted redshank with its tapering, drooping bill.

Hightown Dunes 

The shelter of the dunes provided a welcome bit of cover for the butterflies, adding wall and common blue to the day's tally as they fluttered about the harebells and asparagus. Anytime I found myself disoriented by the winding paths through the dunes I followed the sound of firing practice on Altcar.

River Alt at Hightown 

The half a mile of dune walking took its toll on the joints, I'd been doing well up till then. I had a sit down and considered the options. I wanted to move on to Marshside but realistically I didn't have the legs on me to enjoy the walk and make the most of it. Three weeks' relative idleness have definitely taken the edge off the joints. Or put them back on or something. Anyroad, I wasn't eager to spoil a good day so I walked into Hightown, got the train into Southport and went home. I felt tired in a good way, and it had been a very nice walk.