I was really chuffed when Bernie said she'd accompany me to the Mersey this morning in the hope of getting a couple of Leach's Petrels and perhaps a Sabines Gull.
The weather had been perfect over the past couple of days and although there hadn't been many Leach's around, there had been plenty of other seabirds, several of which are rarely seen in Lancashire waters.
Unfortunately, the wind had veered westerly and so when we got to New Brighton, we found that nothing was being seen in the mouth of the river nor out to sea. We stayed until 11 (an hour before high tide) and decided to try watching from Leasowe as birds would make their way out of the bay that way. We watched there for an hour an a half for two Kittiwakes, two Fulmars and a few Sandwich Terns. Then came the news - Wilson Petrel at Seaforth and Sabines on the beach at Hoylake. Though the former was tempting we thought it might be on the move but half an hour later, with no further news we headed for Hoylake.
We were delighted to find a group of birders looking at the beach at a large flock of waders and there, at the end of the flock, was a lovely juvenile Sabines Gull that we enjoyed for ten minutes before it headed off towards Hilbre. Sorry, no pictures.
We returned to New Brighton and then to Crosby, but to no avail.
The weather had been perfect over the past couple of days and although there hadn't been many Leach's around, there had been plenty of other seabirds, several of which are rarely seen in Lancashire waters.
Unfortunately, the wind had veered westerly and so when we got to New Brighton, we found that nothing was being seen in the mouth of the river nor out to sea. We stayed until 11 (an hour before high tide) and decided to try watching from Leasowe as birds would make their way out of the bay that way. We watched there for an hour an a half for two Kittiwakes, two Fulmars and a few Sandwich Terns. Then came the news - Wilson Petrel at Seaforth and Sabines on the beach at Hoylake. Though the former was tempting we thought it might be on the move but half an hour later, with no further news we headed for Hoylake.
We were delighted to find a group of birders looking at the beach at a large flock of waders and there, at the end of the flock, was a lovely juvenile Sabines Gull that we enjoyed for ten minutes before it headed off towards Hilbre. Sorry, no pictures.
We returned to New Brighton and then to Crosby, but to no avail.
Comments
Post a Comment