Early Morning Rush

The vis was a little more interesting this morning at Rossall Point but it didn't last long. It was like a "tap being turned off" as Ian commented. There were clear skies this morning and 10-15 mph southeasterly wind. I won't beat about the bush; the vis was as follows (all southish):

Meadow Pipit - 66
Chaffinch - 52 (all very high and only just visible)
Siskin - 3
Greenfinch - 26
Alba Wagtail - 9
Linnet - 24
Skylark - 13
Reed Bunting - 4
Brambling - 1
Carrion Crow - 9

As expected in a southeasterly the sea was very quiet, and similar to yesterday I had 15 Eider, 23 Common Scoters, 10 Pink-footed Geese and 2 Auk sp. Grounded migrants were limited to a single female Stonechat and not a Wheatear was in sight.

The waders showed well as they were pushed right up to the sea wall on the 9.8 m high tide. I had cracking views of 153 Turnstones, 125 Sanderling and 87 Ringed Plovers. 

Ringed Plover

Sanderling

Turnstones

A shingle spit develoing at Rossall. We'll need to kick the fishermen 

off though!

As I was leaving Rossall I could hear some Long-tailed Tits calling from the direction of the cemetery. I looked across at the trees in the cemetery and I could see 15 Long-tailed Tits and they were calling quite agitatedly. All of a sudden they 'exploded' into the sky and started climbing calling incessantly, and headed off.

I had a quick look in Fleetwood Cemetery but it was quiet other than a Goldcrest and a party of 6 Coal Tits that dropped in with some Blue Tits.

I decided to call in at Fleetwood Marsh Nature Park on my way home. On the pools were 26 Coot, 15 Tufted Ducks and 2 Pochards. Across the main pool I could hear a Water Rail calling and a couple of Reed Buntings moved through the reeds. I decided to have a walk towards the estuary and a flock of 37 Goldfinch fed on seed heads along the edge of the Nature Park.

 Coot

Tufted Ducks

The high tide had completely covered the saltmarsh and I had a displaced Rock Pipit fly over calling. Similarly displaced was a Little Egret that drew some attention from a passing Herring Gull. Little Egrets aren't that common yet on 'this' side of the estuary so the Herring Gull probably wondered what it was.

 The Wyre Estuary from Fleetwood Marsh Nature Park

These wrecks are actually on the saltmarsh!

The wind is swinging round easterly tonight so it will be interesting to see what effect it has on this side of the country over the next few days.