Harsh….but probably fair 😂😂

Another quiet windy evening #patchbirding Wigeon, SWIFT 🥳, 2 Avocet, 2 Whimbrel, 25 Sanderling, 3 Cattle Egret, Marsh Harrier, 3 Cetti’s, 2 Stonechat, 13 Wheatear, 2 Tree Sparrow, 3 Yellow Wag. Increase in hirundines, but otherwise tough going….

Slow evening #patchbirding 200 Pinkies, 4 Avocet, 4 Cattle Egret, 4 Rook, 3 Sedge, 7 Reed Warbler, 20 Swallow, 8 House Martin, 4 Cetti’s, 3 Stonechat, 17 Wheatear, 2 Tree Sparrow, 4 Yellow Wagtail. Heavy cloud rolled in and the SE wind picked up making it chilly again 🤦‍♂️

Dawn #patchbirding 58 Pinkies, 28 Avocet, 2 Whimbrel, Greenshank, 4 Cattle Egret, GWE, 2 Peregrine, 10 Rook, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, Whinchat, 2 Stonechat, 16 Wheatear, 2 Tree Sparrow, 4 Yellow Wagtail, Tree Pipit, 3 Siskin. Getting a little better…and calmer finally!! 😁

Also had this interesting very grey flava-type this morning on #patchbirding. Presume it is a Channel Wagtail, but the hybridisation is making it more challenging each year 🤯 Step away from the Wagtails…..

Dawn #patchbirding 67 Pinkies, 19 Avocet, Whimbrel, Cattle Egret, GWE, Marsh Harrier, 2 RN Parakeet, 2 Rook, Sedge, 8 Reed Warbler, 10+ Cetti’s, 14+ Whitethroat, 3 Stonechat, 18+ Wheatear, 4 Yellow Wag. Seems so slow at the moment?! Or am I being impatient?! 🤔

Return evening #patchbirding 530 Pinkies, 40+ Avocet, Whimbrel, 2 Cattle Egret, 3 Marsh Harrier, Peregrine, Rook, 2 Reed Warbler, 3 Cetti’s, 6 Whitethroat, 2 Stonechat, 25+ Wheatear, 2 Tree Sparrow, Yellow Wag. Nice to see some sunshine…be even better of the wind dropped 🤪

Hi Laurie. Invariably they’re using the area in the red box to feed at lower tides, so distant without a scope. Don’t often come closer for some reason, presumably the composition of mud/sand/rocks for feeding?

Blustery (again!!) dawn #patchbirding 213 Pinkies, 42 Avocet, YLG, Cattle Egret, 3 Rook, 4 Reed Warbler, 5 Cetti’s, 8 Whitethroat, 2 Stonechat, 9 Wheatear, 4 Redpoll….didn’t feel like much moving or new in, hopefully more over the coming days 🤞😁

4 Seasons evening #patchbirding 112 Pinkies, 48 Avocet, 3 Whimbrel, 1w Iceland Gull, Cattle Egret, Peregrine, Sedge, 2 Reed Warbler, 5 Swallow, ♂︎ Redstart, 16 Wheatear, 2 Tree Sparrow…thankfully it did clear after the storm, but was proper blustery again 🙄

Thought I’d missed the opportunity of any white wingers on #patchbirding this year, but just picked up a 1w Iceland Gull flying W past the Lighthouse. Now roosting to the W on sandbanks 😁

Great to see the forecast was bang on for #patchbirding as ever…..after some midday rain, nice bright and sunny for the rest of the day. Oh look, a bloody massive thunderstorm, torrential rain and hail…..it’s ‘meant’ to move through quickly but not holding my breath! 🙄

Dawn #patchbirding 415 Pinkies, 22 Avocet, Cattle Egret, 3 Rook, Gropper, Sedge, 2 Reed Warbler, 11 Willow, 16 Chiffchaff, 5 Cetti’s, 4 Whitethroat, Stonechat, 17 Wheatear, 2 Tree Sparrow, 32+ White Wag, Yellow Wag. Mixed weather 🌦️ and cold wind….eased off as leaving 🤦‍♂️

WINDY morning #patchbirding Sandwich Tern was only half decent bird. 315 Pinkies, 2 Tufted Duck, Golden Plover, Whimbrel, Marsh Harrier, 2 Rook, Sand Martin, 3 Swallow, 4 Cetti’s, 4 Whitethroat, 10 Wheatear. Really need this wind to die down to find anything….

Cold pre-work dawn #patchbirding 216 Pinkies, 67 Avocet, 8 Grey Plover, 2 Whimbrel, 4 Cattle Egret, GWE, Marsh Harrier, 3 Reed Warbler, 12 Swallow, 5+ Cetti’s, 4 Whitethroat, Stonechat, 3 Wheatear, 4 Yellow Wag, Tree Pipit, 2 Redpoll. Certainly picking up now 😁 #SpringBirding

Evening scoot round #patchbirding 1.5k Pinkies, 2 Barnacle Geese, 4 Avocet, 2 Whimbrel 🥳, 6 Med Gull, Reed Warbler 🥳, Willow Warbler, 3 Cetti’s, 2 Whitethroat 🥳, 6 Wheatear, Yellow Wagtail 🥳 Wish I’d been able to get out earlier….felt like there was more to be found!

Unexpectedly awesome afternoon #patchbirding 30 Avocet, 2 LRP, Black Necked Grebe 🥇, 2 Marsh Harrier, Red Kite, Peregrine, Willow Tit 🥉, Swallow, House Martin, Willow Warbler, 4 Cetti’s, 3 Stonechat, 11 Wheatear, Siskin. Strong SE’ly made it hard looking for migrants tho 💨

A VERY long overdue #patchbirding lifer!!!! A breeding plumage Black Necked Grebe on the Mersey E of the Lighthouse!! 😎 Video will probably be trashed on here though….not that it’s that good 🙄

Well singing Willow Tit was certainly not on my #patchbirding bingo card for the day! My first for absolutely yonks! Boom 💥

I’d be happy with that at the moment 😂

Woohoo! Iggy had a good number late evening at CLP last night…none this morning, but won’t be long now 😁

Cold but calmer dawn #patchbirding 2.5k Pinkies, 3 Tufted Duck, 220 Golden Plover, Barwit, 2 Peregrine, RN Parakeet, Willow Warbler, 3 Nuthatch, Fieldfare, Stonechat, 2 Tree Sparrow, 2 White Wagtail, 2 Siskin….surely only a matter of time before the floodgates open 😁

Cold blustery dawn #patchbirding White fronted Goose N over Within Way, 2k Pinkies, 58 Grey, 241 Golden Plover, LRP, 7 Sanderling, 2 Cattle Egret, 5 Sand Martin, Willow Warbler, 2 Nuthatch, 5 Cetti’s, Stonechat, Wheatear. Mersey was much quieter than hoped for….

Cold dawn #patchbirding 3.5k Pinkies, 12 Avocet, 70 Golden Plover, Com Sand, YLG, 2 L Grebe, Peregrine, Willow Warbler 🥳, 15 Chiffchaff, 6 Cetti’s, 2 Nuthatch, Stonechat, Wheatear, Redpoll, 4 Siskin. See what my namesake #StormDave brings…..

Migrantless dawn #patchbirding 2 White fronted Geese S over Halebank Park, 5.5k Pinkies, 64 Avocet, 300+ Golden Plover, Knot, 10 Chiffchaff, 6 Cetti’s, 2 Fieldfare, Stonechat, Siskin….all in a chilly breeze. it IS spring isn’t it?

Beautiful early Spring day…just not by the time I got out 🥶 5.5k Pinkies, 42 Avocet, 104 Golden Plover, 5 Chiffchaff, 3 Cetti’s, Blackcap, 7 Fieldfare, Siskin….and not a single migrant. Wake me up when it starts properly…..🥱

The greatest April 1st prank of all….Belted Kingfisher in Staffs. Only got back from India that morning, saw the message and assumed it was a prank and went to sleep….wasnt impressed when I woke up to find it wasn’t a prank 🤦‍♂️ Only took me another 16 years…..

Up in the north end visiting the folks so rude not to pop into Marshside/Marine Lake. Snow Goose showing unbelievably well….2 Pintail, 30 Avocet, 1k Golden Plover, 8 Ruff, Marsh Harrier, Peregrine, 2 Cetti’s, Water Pipit not a bad return 😁 #alwaysbirding

Evening #patchbirding 7.5k Pinkies, 46 Avocet, 19 Kittiwake W up the Mersey, 2 Marsh Harrier, 3 Chiffchaff, 2 Cetti’s, 14 Fieldfare, 3 Stonechat, Wheatear, Tree Sparrow….got to be one of my worst starts to a Spring in a long time! At least it wasn’t as windy…..😂

Afternoon #patchbirding once the rain had cleared through - 3.5k Pinkies, 30 Avocet, 87 Golden Plover, Com Sand, Peregrine, 2 Rook, 3 Chiffchaff, 2 Cetti’s, Nuthatch, 3 Wheatear, Yellowhammer. Looking forward to this wind dropping and some S’lies!!