Trip reports

THE SEFTON COAST

Wednesday, 12 August 2009

An interesting wader had been reported visiting RSPB Marshside on migration so this was our first port of call; sure enough there it was pottering about in the shallow water of the Junction Pool. A few words describe the wood sandpiper (Tringa glareola), delicately built, dainty and elegant. Its olive-brown mantle was boldly speckled and it had a clear white supercilium. Its head, neck and breast were finely streaked, fading into a buffish-white underside. I've seen a wood sandpiper a couple of times before, but never so closely observed. Also on the pool there were two dunlin feeding and a snipe resting among the vegetation. On the walk to the Sandgrounders Hide members saw a sparrowhawk being driven off by a mob of swallows. From the hide we watched a curtseying common sandpiper and noted c40 Canadas, 12 greylags and c100 black-tailed godwits.

We crossed a busy Marine Drive to overlook Crossens Marsh just in time to see a juvenile or female marsh harrier in leisurely drifting flight. It was a good day for raptors, peregrine and merlin perched on posts with a kestrel eating a prey item whilst resting on a fence. A heron passed overhead. At one point there were 4 kestrels hovering in the air at once, probably a family party. House martins and swallows were overhead, with meadow pipits on the derelict site of the old sand-winning plant. To a pipit this area must appear to be like as a desert, with rocks, tufts of rough grass and sometimes pools of water. The scene was softened by patches colourful Oxford ragwort, evening primrose and soft waving tamarisk.

Our next viewing point was the platform overlooking the Fairclough Pool situated at the extreme southern edge of the reserve. When we arrived at first it didn't look promising, with only a few woodpigeon and a pair of moorhen about, but things soon perked up. A bobbing common sandpiper flew in, a ringed plover and a wheatear shining in the sun. Tom pointed out a gatekeeper butterfly as we left.

The next target was St Luke's Church, Formby then along Lifeboat Road to the car park for Formby Point. Before setting off seawards we had our lunch at the picnic tables, giving me time to find a low growing pink petalled centaury flower. After tramping through the dunes to the shore, we found the tide at its height and a carpet of c2000 red knot at the tide's edge, some of them still in their red-russet summer plumage. There was a great number of common and sandwich terns, the sandwich being recognised in flight by their hoarse grating calls. Three little terns were also found in the flock. Gulls were scattered along the beach, a few common, black-headed, herring, lesser black-backed, with great black-backed standing high above all the others. We spotted a single Mediterranean gull with a heavy rich-red bill, noticeable white eyelids, also the absence of black wing tips. A party of oystercatchers were on the tide-line, with little groups of sanderling scurrying about like clockwork toys. Time was spent searching for passing Manx shearwaters skimming the waves and plunging gannets fishing far out at sea. The occasional single cormorant flew past.

Article by Graham Tonge

Library photograph: sparrow hawk