Crosby coastguards,
A couple of hours seawatch over the high tide did not produce the hoped for Leach's petrel. With several to the north and one south off red rocks I'm sure tomorrow will be better. 3 manxies, a sandwich tern, and a razorbill was the best of it.

Spurn,
With the brown shrike departed,we gave Flam a miss and gave Spurn a try today. A clear sky the night before was not good. The first stop was the cemetry in Easington. A yellow browed warbler was calling and was seen as it flew across the cemetry but with still lots of leaves on the sycamores it was difficult to see well. We then moved down to sammies point with 3 pied flys, lots of goldcrest and song thrush, and a couple of whinchats on show there. Spotted flycatcher and blackcaps at the crown and anchor. At the triangle 2 red backed shrikes showed fairly distant with whinchats and stonechats on the posts. Onto the piont and great grey shrike, Shore lark, spot fly, chiffchaffs and willow warblers, and wheatear were the best of it. The bacon buttie and cup of tea at the cafe was welcome break. A 20 minute seawatch at bluebell produced 2 red throated divers, a few gannets and scoter, and 120 pinkfeet south . A porpoise of some sort arched its back close in .

Seaforth NR
Not quite a brown shrike but the yellow browed warbler was a delight to see as it showed well near hide B late afternoon.

Catchdale moss,
A flock of 20 pink feet with a probable snow goose was seen from Burrows lane at 08.30 . They were over the A580 heading east in the coach road area.Another flock of about 50 pinkfeet shortly afterwards in the same area heading west. The pink feet were calling and a similar sized white goose with dark primaries was with them but they were distant and it would need seeing at closer range for comfirmation of a Snow goose.There was a big arrival of pinkfeet in the marshside area today ( see John Dempseys blog) so hopefully it will stay in the area a while.
Brown Shrike at Flamborough today!

Catchdale moss,
My first pink feet of this autumn with 50 over the east lancs road area. 1 skylark, 1 grey wagtail,6 swallow, 5 red legged partridge and 4 common buzzards.

Seaforth NR,
Lots of birds moving through south today. Meadow pipits and swallows were the largest numbers with smaller numbers of skylarks chaffinches and siskins. Also of note was the constant movement of herring gulls moving south. 2 kingfishers, a common sandpiper, a yellow wagtail, 1 wheatear, and 2 curlew sandpipers also.

Prescot reservoirs,
Very queit today. Green sandpiper and 3 common sandpipers , 5 common buzzards, 3 chiffchaff, 3 pochards and a couple of swallow were the best of it.

Prescot reservoirs,

A good selection of birds today with a few new birds in . A marsh harrier over no 3 reservoir . 2 redstarts and a couple of spotted flycatchers were showing well in the ranch with a chiffchaff, whitethroat and a reed bunting. 4 snipe flushed from here and 2 ravens on the pylons. 14 mistle thrushes, 1 wheatear, 1 blackcap and 3 pochard also. The red breasted goose was with 60 barnacles on no3.

Seaforth NR,

An superb days birding at Seaforth today. With a south easterly breeze I was hopeful of a migrant or two . I arrived about 8.15 am and a wheatear was the first migrant on show. Whilst walking along the path to hide C a little brown job flitted out of an elderberry bush but quickly disappeared ahead of me. Alarm bells started to ring and I thought possible wryneck but I had only seen it for a nano second flying away from me. So at the clump of bushes near hide C was where I stood for the next hour. 2 chiffchaffs and a willow warbler were showing and after a little pishing a garden warbler showed very well. I then walked back down the path just to see if anything was there but nothing. When I got back to the bushes a medium sized bird flitted into an elderberry bush . I could just see a fraction of the bird but there was no doubt it was a WRYNECK. (9.30 am)It preened for a while and then fed on the mounds but frustratingly I did not manage a photo before it disappeared into cover. I then alerted everyone. It was not seen again until 2. 30pm despite constantly searching for it. It then showed well on and off but was a little flighty. I was just relieved others had seen it and photos taken of this cracking bird. I know its not a rare bird on the east coast but finding a local wryneck in Merseyside is just great.

I left at 3.30 and just missed a Honey buzzard flying SE over the reserve. What a day!

Also today a supporting cast of 3 curlew sandpipers, a little stint, a little ringed plover,42 golden plover, a few bar tailed godwit ,50 black tailed godwits, adult med gull, a juv yellow wagtail, a white wagtail, another garden warbler,2 songthrush, great tit, 2 chaffinch, 3 wheatears and a wall brown butterfly to cap off an absolutley brilliant days birding.

Seaforth NR,
And then there were 3. The juv little stints were showing well on the causeway with a lrp. An adult med gull also today.

Seaforth NR,

The sun was shining early on and a chiffchaff was singing as I arrived and a greater spotted woodpecker flew over. The mist and fog then set in but the visible migration was very evident. 200 swallows, 50 house martins, 300 mipits, 15 skylarks, 14 grey wags, 1 yellow wag flew overhead in 2 hours.11 snipe flew in onto the causeway and a wheatear was near the mound.
Best birds today were 2 little stints feeding on the causeway with a little ringed plover

Seaforth NR,

An afternoon visit produced a lovely juv little stint on the wader scrape next to hide A. Its bright rufous tones and tiny size make this a very beautiful bird. An adult and 1st winter med and a second winter little gull , also today.

Prescot reservoirs,
A whinchat was still present in the wetland meadow today. A spotted flycatcher in the ranch. also 60 barnacle geese and the red breasted goose flew over. 1 chiffchaff, 1 bullfinch, a siskin over, 1 wheatear, 2 common sandpiper, 3 grey wags, 1 kingfisher around no4 res, 18 great crested grebe, 1 drake pochard, 20 coot and 20 tufted duck. The tufted duck are only a fraction of last years record count in september of over 300. Also 4 redwing over but they didnt call so not a 100% sure. Anybody else had any redwing?

Hale marsh,
An eclipse drake garganey showed well with 80 teal ,7 shoveller, 4 wigeon, 1 bt godwit, and a curlew. Being close to Speke airport and the southport airshow on I was treated to my own personal display as the fighter jets came back from the show to land at Speke. A eurofighter screamed overhead and then went straight up vertical dissappearing into the clouds right above me. Exciting stuff.

Seaforth NR,

Plenty to see today at seaforth. 3 juv greenshanks, 3 common sandpipers, 1 drake scaup, 1 juv ruddy duck, juv black tern, juv artic tern, 1 little gull, 1 chiffchaff , 3 whitethroat, 1 spotted flycatcher, 1 yellow wag, and 4 wheatears. Also an osprey mid morning seen by others.

Prescot Reservoirs,

The juv grey phalarope was still showing well today on no3 res. A delightful little wader and a joy to watch as it picked tiny flies off the waters surface. A green sandpiper , green woodpecker calling and an adult yellow legged gull also today.

Prescot reservoirs,
Juvenile grey phalarope was present today in torrential rain on no3 res . This first for St Helens was found yesterday by Bill Crooks. An adult black necked grebe was still on no 4 . 3 wheatears also.

Watercolour of juvenile White winged black tern at seaforth on 31 August 08.
I've tried to capture the grey rainy day that seems to produce black terns from nowhere.