Liver Bird

Or should that be lifer bird?

Chasewater was looking very wader-friendly yesterday. The water is being drained out to prepare for essential maintenance work to the dam. Extensive shingle and mud is now exposed and apparently plans are to drop the water level by another metre for the next two years. Hopefully good things to come for Chasewater.

Whilst we couldn't find Saturday's Little Stint, the shingle spits were crawling with Ringed Plover and Dunlin, always nice to see a bit of wader passage here in the Midlands. Also two Oystercatchers.

Next stop Blithfield. It was bloomin' cold and windy there. We started to walk towards Blithe Bay before beating a hasty retreat when it started pelting down; choosing to watch for passing Arctic or Black Terns from the comfort of the car. A Turnstone was on the dam wall and a couple of Oystercatchers present, but the only Tern spotted was one Common Tern. Lots of Swifts, Swallows and Martins came down in the rain.

We saw Martyn here too, although only briefly as we decided to head up to Seaforth to try for the Pallid Swift that's been around for a few weeks now.

Pallid Swifts usually breed in the Mediterranean, so this one has overshot just a tad and must be a bit bewildered to end up on Merseyside. Many of my W Midlands blogging colleagues have been to see this bird and enjoyed crippling overhead views. I wish I could say the same, however the Swift remained elusive, despite waiting hours by the fence separating Crosby Marine Park and Seaforth LWT. Eventually the Pallid Swift was picked up in the scopes of other birders over the other side of the Marine Lake. The light wasn't great, but when the Pallid Swift dipped in front of buildings it's lighter colour could be seen. Lifer 258 for me, but unfortunately Max didn't manage to see it. There were hundreds of Swifts around and checking them all sent you dizzy.

Other highlights of the afternoon were two more year ticks in the form of two 1st summer Little Gulls and a few Sandwich Terns. There was a raucous Common Tern colony on Seaforth and it was a shame I forgot my camera as photo opportunities were missed with close encounters with Wheatear and Dunlin and it would have been nice to get a picture of the Iron Men of Crosby Beach.