15/03/2017 Eccleston Mere, St Helens

Scaup: Thanks to Damion Young for the heads-up and gen on this bird.

Eccleston Mere isn't a regular spot of mine, I think the last time I was here I was watching a Black Tern.
Damion told me the bird was favouring the part of the mere closet to the boats, however when I arrived it was way out in the middle of the mere.


The bird eventually came close after a power boat came speeding around the mere flushing all the birds which took shelter at the far end of the mere.


Wednesday was a beautiful hot sunny day, particularly in the mid-morning when the Chiffchaffs were singing and the Great-crested Grebes were chasing each other.








Unfortunately I had a bird survey to carry out that afternoon so I couldn't spend long at Eccleston.

I came back on the next day (Thursday) hoping the bird would be a little closer and I could get some nicer images, but the bird had moved on and is no longer there. However it was good to get my first two Sand Martins of the year.