Dunlin

Burton Mere wetlands on the Wirral is always a good place to birdwatch. There is always a good variety of stuff about, from woodland to wildfowl and a smattering of the not so common birds. Recently there have been good numbers of waders dropping in, and as I can't resist staring at waders for hours, I took myself along to check them out.
It wasn't long before a small flock of Dunlin flew into view, accompanied by one single Ringed Plover.

A Dunlin in front of some Shoveler ducks. 

Enjoying the sunshine.

Along with the Dunlin, there are four other species in this picture. How many can you see? 

Linnets

A bird that was in good supply at Spurn was the Linnet. There were several large flocks around and it was good to get quite close to a few of them. They are a very flighty bird, and usually when they see you coming they are off and far into the distance. The males are stunning looking birds, and for me underrated. Quite often their name is preceded by "Oh it's just a". Not for me though. Fascinating birds to watch.

The rather dull looking female, but actually a nice looking bird.

Catching the morning sunshine at the breakfast table.

Little Egrets - Kilnsea

While at Spurn last weekend, we visited Kilnsea nature reserve. A great little wetland spot with plenty of scrapes, pools and grassland. For such a good site, it's a shame that there is only one small hide available. There was a queue to get in on both occasions that I visited last weekend. Having said that, the birds are the most important thing and they are still there in good numbers, largely undisturbed.
There were a few Little Egrets knocking around in front of the hide. I always find them fascinating to watch as they make their way through the shallows looking for food.

In front of (and below) the Egrets were a couple of Knot, foraging.

Spurn - Migration Festival

It has been a while since I've been out and about. School holidays and other commitments do get in the way some times, but I try to make the most of the time I have when I can get out with the binoculars and camera. Last weekend was one of those special days, when weather, company and birds all come together in one place to make it memorable.
A 4:30am start saw my friend Phil and I heading to Spurn on the East coast. Arriving just after 7am we found our first good bird within minutes. A Spotted Flycatcher, which was joined briefly by a Redstart in the hedge.
Overhead was a constant stream of hirundines and hundreds of Meadow Pipits. Warblers were in very good supply, with Reed, Willow, Whitethroat, and Sedge in various places.

Some good sea watching turned up a couple for the year list in Black Tern and Red-throated Diver.
A Mediterranean Gull in a field was nice to see and there were plenty of waders on the mud flats. One that got away though was a Wood Sandpiper that was taken by a Peregrine moments before I could get into the hide. With 70 different species seen in the day though, I couldn't really complain, but I did feel a bit gutted about that Wood Sand. :(

This Sedge Warbler was in hand after being ringed and soon after released.

A Small Tortoiseshell butterfly was one of many seen on the day.

Starlings were starting to gather on the power lines. A sure sign that Autumn is just around the corner.

A small party of Northern Wheatear were in this ploughed field at Kilnsea.

Willow Warbler

A Yellow Wagtail spent a lot of its preening in the sunshine.