Another old haunt

Gadwall

I managed to revisit another old haunt when I was back in the Uk: Seaforth Dock Pools in Liverpool.

You need a permit to get in these days and the reserve has seen better days and is just about clinging on. It is surrounded by new buildings and a lot of the birds seem to have gone. It used to be famous for Little Gulls but we couldn’t find any this day.

There were a few common ducks around like the above Gadwall and lots of Shelduck (I’ve only ever seen one in Japan).

Common Shelduck

There were also a few common waders around: Dunlin, Red Knot, Eurasian Curlew etc.

Avocet

Avocet

An Avocet at Marshside, Southport last week. This species was very rare in the northwest of England when I was a kid but now they are everywhere.

Marshside is near where I grew up and was one of my favourite local birding spots. It is now an RSPB reserve and I managed to get in 3 visits when I was back. There were 2 pairs of Mediteranean Gulls in summer plumage, numerous Black-tailed Godwit, Little Egret (another recent colonist), Ruff, Pink-footed Goose, Shelduck, Gadwall, Shoveler, Little Grebe, Common Redshank and Oystercatcher.

At the nearby reserve of Lunt there were more Godwits as well as Cettis Warbler, Blackcap and 2 Black-necked Grebe, a UK tick for me.

Iceland Gull

Iceland Gull

The best bird I saw on my short trip back to the UK was this Iceland Gull.

Iceland Gull

It was in Sefton Park, bang in the middle of Liverpool. A mild sunny day, this bird looked a bit out of place.

Iceland Gull

The only other time I’d seen this species was on another visit back to England 9 years ago. I think it has been lumped together with Thayer’s Gull though-a species I have seen several times in Hakodate.