Water, Water, everywhere...

It's my first chance to get the new years list started.
Fiddlers ferry, Penketh, SJ5786. A new site for me. Gulls are the quarry today, and and our gull identification has to be up to scratch. The weather isn't kind here, with only a few minutes of dry weather in the time we was there. Farsands of gulls are on an exposed sandbank of all kinds. Our first sweep turns up nothing special. Start again, more consentration needed. Alan spots the first special gull. Iceland gull. This largest, all white gull, stands out like a sore thumb the second time. It's size equals a Herring gull. While looking for the larger version of the Iceland gull (Glaucous Gull). I challenge Alan to change my positive ID of a Ring billed gull. Alan who has seen farsands of these, looks stunned, and says 'That is a Ringed Billed Gull'. ( I knew it was), not what was recorded here. I try taking some record shots, but the weather is against me, and they turnout rubbish. We get six species of gulls, and a soaking, and we head for a reserve with some hides.
Pennington Flash, SJ6499, It's like summer here. Dry, and several coats warmer than Fiddlers, also theres a lot of water about. We decide to have breakfast in the worlds best hide, (Bunting hide). My jaw drops as the floor that is usually flooded in finches and buntings, is just that..Flooded! and a couple of Mute Swans are swimming around feeding on the grain. You just don't prepare yourself for a couple of Swans at a feeding station for Bunts and finches - Weird.
The golf course has has been closed through surface water for 11 days now, and with the forcast of 7 more days of rain, the feeding station may attract Sea ducks.

Crosby Marina, Merseyside

Easter Monday, I am at the mouth of another estuary. This time it's the Mersey. Crosby Marina, is well known to birders for the variety of gulls that are attracted here. It's list include gulls from the Americas, Scandinavia as well as below the Mediterranean sea. Today i have come to see one of the most delicate of gulls native to Britain. Little Gull. Noticeably smaller than the Black headed Gulls. With a pink flush to it's breast, and its distinctive black under wings, it has a butterfly type flight. About 50 Little Gulls are present today, in varying plumage's, and ages. If you are lucky, you may see the Ring Billed Gull - an American gull. I was not. Still cant' get them all, can you? While you are here, you must see the life sized sculpures of men on the beach. All the sculptures are planted all over the beach. All looking out to sea, as if there is something better out there. Awesome. At Hale, a Ring Ouzel, was present. This species is more commonly found on the moors. Also known as the Mountain Blackbird. Well that was a very busy Easter for me. What did you get up to?

New Little Gull, Turnstone, Swallow, Ring Ouzel.

Total : 112