22/09/2018 Crosby Marina Lake, Sefton, Merseyside

Grey Phalarope: This morning I woke up to the news that Pete Kinsella had found a very showy grey phal on his local patch only to have a full schedule.

Today was my sisters baby shower in Chester, so I thought I would have no chance and no luck at seeing this bird, I thought by the time I was done it would have been spooked off and flown back out on to the Mersey.

But after filling my face with some lovely cake and hummus finger sandwiches as part of the afternoon tea and playing some dubious baby related games I was thrilled to hear the bird was still there.

Not only on the marina lake but on the small boating lake beside the gigantic one!

I've seen plenty of grey phals but not like this, this bird was swimming right past my lens, my face even, in many cases it was almost too close, if there is such a thing!

Grey Phalaropes are remarkable birds that spends its winters out at sea, feeding around cold current upwellings, where there will be plenty of food. Their migration is entirely over the sea, unlike the other two species of phalarope, which will migrate across land.

And its during the strong windy, stormy weather of September these little birds get blown off course and close to shore and sometimes into marina lakes, ponds and estuaries.

Such a super little bird, especially one so confiding!

16/09/2018 Skippool Creek, Thornton Cleveleys, Lancashire

Semipalmated Sandpiper:  Despite the really poor images I was thrilled to tick off the semi-p down at Skippool Creek, a weird place where small fishing boats are moored on the muddy tributaries which lead into the nearby River Wyre like a boat graveyard.




This is a bird that is notoriously difficult to see its famous wedded feet and is often confused with Least and Western Sandpipers

But upon closer inspection the birds non-breeding plumage with its light grey and very pale lighter belly and black distinguishing this bird from the yellow-legged Least Sandpiper.

Tricky little bird overall, but a very smart one.



(Bottom image courtesy of Damian Young)

Spurn Migration Festival

Common Rosefinch: Spurn MigFest is a real highlight of the my year, top birds, top company at a top place.

And this year was no exception....well the birds may have been lacking a little, with the odd spot redshank, pied fly and redstart scraping the bottom of a poor bird list barrel.

But the star of the weekend and a brand new bird for me was this common rosefinch. Not the  distinctive male with their brilliant, rosy-carmine heads but an otherwise dull, brown, little bird.

Yet still very much the star bird.

For me Spurn MigFest is always remembered by laughs and drinks we have on the Saturday night in the Crown & Anchor with some good friends. However this year I will remember sleeping in my cramped car as my tend got severally flooded out, oh and the rose finch, of course.