RSPB Marshside 3

I had arranged to meet up with Bassist on Thursday at Marshside near Southport. There has been recent sightings of Curlew Sandpiper, Little Stint and a drake Garganey we were both keen to see.

Due to a prior appointment with my dentist and then good old British Rail, it was 12.30pm by the time I got there. Bassist had called me while I was on the train to say that the Curlew Sandpipers were right outside Nels hide and I should go straight there.

I jumped in a taxi at Southport Station and high tailed it down Marine Drive.

I walked in to Nels hide and there was Bassist with the birds already sighted in his scope, so I had great views straight off - he'd forgotten his camera! so I rattled of some pics and then got my gear set up.

Perhaps I'm getting lazy, but wouldn't it be great if you could get a call telling you where the birds were, then arrive and be presented with good views of them all of the time!!? - or maybe this would take the fun out of birding?

We took a walk down the beach path as far as we were able to look for waders, but it was not to be, there was 1 or 2 Ringed Plovers and some unseen calling Oystercatcher. All along the path there was calling Skylarks, flying into the air on rapidly beating wings before descending again, and several Meadow Pipits and we think we had an unconfirmed Linnet too.

Walking back to Marine Drive and the reserve, the waders were noted to be way, way off to the left, unidentifiable at this distance!

Back at the reserve we had a scout about and ended up at Polly's pool where there were Redshanks, Lapwings, Oystercatchers and around 40 Shelduck.

Bassist had to leave after about an hour, so I had a scout about on my own for a bit.

I found the Avocet pair with 3 chicks, watching over them as they fed in the mud and seeing off any other bird that came too close. There was a nesting Mute Swan - I had seen at least 40 Mute Swans on Southport Marine lake from the taxi as I made my way to the reserve.

I ended up back in Nels hide and got some more pics of the Curlew Sandpiper. There was also around 30 Black-tailed Godwits, quite close and giving good views, I found a solitary Dunlin feeding in amongst them.

There was quite a few calling Lapwing and I observed one with 5 chicks, teaching them to feed and constantly calling to them. Every now and then a couple of the chicks would go over to her and she would raise herself up to let them snuggle underneath. It was a delight to watch.

I headed home around 4.30pm, quite pleased with the days birding!

Our sightings for they day were:

Curlew Sandpiper
Lapwing
Shelduck
Avocet
Redshank
Mute Swan
Swift
Swallow
Meadow Pipit
Skylark
Mallard
Teal
Oystercatcher
Gadwall
Greylag geese
Canada geese
Starlings
Ringed Plover
Black-tailed Godwit
Coot
Moorhen
Woodpigeon

On the train home I recieved a text from Bassist to say that the drake Garganey has been spotted at Marton Mere in Blackpool for the last 2 days - thats 10 minutes from my front door!!!!!!

I've put some pictures in my Marshside album.

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