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Perfect timing | John Dempsey Birdblog
Timed my visit to see the White-winged Black Tern on Crossens Outer this afternoon to perfection, coinciding with a torrential deluge of biblical proportions. On the upside it meant there was no problem parking up as most sensible folk had left before the rain, on the downside it was like watching the sprite through a…
Bits and bobs | John Dempsey Birdblog
Called into Southport Marine Lake in the rain and failing light of an early autumn evening, to see if any of the lingering Shags were about. One was out on the breakwater, preening and watching the world go by, when not getting harassed by Herring Gulls (it's behind you!!!) or larger Cormorants. Dodgy video grab…
Gatecrasher. | John Dempsey Birdblog
722, 723....WHOOSH!...(sigh)...1,2,3... Dashing as hunting Peregrines are, they are a pain in the pip when you're in the middle of surveying the feeding and roosting waders at the mouth of the Alt. This youngster made a few clumsy passes at the Blackwits, Barwits and Grey Plover before pitching down on a sandbank in the drizzle…
Left or right of the broccoli tree? | John Dempsey Birdblog
Can we just pander to my advancing years for a few minutes and refer to them as Fan-tailed Warblers? After all, the tiny stubby brown streaky warblers making history at Walberswick NNR this summer are unlikely to be confused with the gorgeous Basileuterus that lurks on the Pacific slopes of Central America and has assumed…
What it should look like… | John Dempsey Birdblog
Huge thanks to Phil Boardman for sending me these two images of the Montagu's Harrier at Marshside - saves me subjecting you all to my awful blurs! No surprise that given Phil's patience, fieldcraft and expertise over the years, his images are superlative. Count those four pointy fingers... Thanks again Phil - "A Harrier House…
Bank Holiday bonus | John Dempsey Birdblog
Breathtaking views of the young Montagu's Harrier as it sailed over the saltmarsh below the RSPB car park at Marshside yesterday morning. I'd only just got out of my wheels when the beauty drifted by, buoyant and graceful, stalling and twisting low over the vegetation and making half-hearted passes at a Meadow Pipit. Far too…
Bouncing up & down the Beaufort Scale | John Dempsey Birdblog
In the face of beasterly easterlies gusting to 40mph, three trips out of St Mary's with the justly renowned Scilly Pelagics on Friday, Saturday and Sunday (August 15-17) took me out onto the swells of the Atlantic in a search for quality seabirds. Headed down to the Isles of Scilly with Neill Hunt, Rob Pocklington…
Pseud’s Corner | John Dempsey Birdblog
I was attempting an arty-farty picture of the hirundines gathered on the wires by Ainsdale Discovery Centre (they do this each August, but in annually decreasing numbers) when a Sand Martin photo-bombed the frame. I wasn't too bothered - the result was far better than if I'd tried to capture any hirundine in flight with…
Our friends from the north | John Dempsey Birdblog
Much as expected for a July survey, but the coast north of Burbo Bank often presents the odd surprise amongst the reassurance of old friends returning from the north. Two Whimbrels were trilling about above the high tide and dropping in to feed before the waves swamped favoured areas and they rose into the air…
Big field, small bird. | John Dempsey Birdblog
Pleasant enough afternoon watching a Hobby scorching up and down the set-aside on Plex Moss, while a Quail sang from deep within the fields between Gettern's and Plex Moss Farm. Plenty of butterflies on the wing (a few Walls along the verge) with a handful of Corn Bunts still singing and Skylarks rising and falling…
Plug ugly? | John Dempsey Birdblog
I am no oil-painting (not even if it was a blue period Pisacco), but with that staring red eye there's something equally plug-ugly about juve Black-necked Grebes. Which is odd, as winter birds are crisp and smoky, and summer plumage adults are stonkers, so there you go. Even so I nipped up to the marsh…
The Wetlands weren’t. | John Dempsey Birdblog
The shrill calls of a trio of Common Sandpipers rock-hopping along the training wall at the Alt during a survey on Friday got me all autumnal. It was all it took to send me east to Spurn for a couple of days, away from work, the bleached summer dunes and basking Sand Lizards. I pulled…
Branching out | John Dempsey Birdblog
The street gang of Jackdaws noisily descending on the bottom of the garden at Dempsey Towers was a clue - either this year's Tawny Owl young were "branching" or a Buzzard was trying to roost in the birch trees. A stroll answered the question yesterday - two Tawny youngsters, the bigger of the two playing…
Trainspotting | John Dempsey Birdblog
Swirling vortexes of speeding air currents occasionally flushed it as the high-speed Lime Street to Euston trains whooshed by, threatening to suck the bird into high quality screen splatter, but the Woodchat Shrike at Daresbury seemed happy enough. Not seen one for a few years (the 2021 Aith bird on Shetland seems to be my…
Fancy footwork | John Dempsey Birdblog
When there's a male Dotterel at the end of the line the trek across the breach at Spurn on a bright, breezy afternoon is no hardship. My latest trip east for three days on Wednesday started off with a highly motivated forced march down the Point. A late Fieldfare whizzed past me heading north at…
State of grace | John Dempsey Birdblog
With a tail that goes on forever, crisp cap and sharp pearly plumage, Roseate Terns take some beating in terms of grace and elegance, so it made sense to pop up to the marsh at teatime for the bird found by Martin Campbell this afternoon. A gorgeous thing, the tern spent much of its time…
Evening gloop | John Dempsey Birdblog
Spent a pleasant couple of hours at Marshside this evening, finally getting round to having a look for the Temminck's Stint. No sign on the Junction Pool when I arrived, so I strolled down to Nels Hide for a quick scan before the RSPB's Wes locked up for the evening. A Wood Sandpiper was feeding…
The long and short of it | John Dempsey Birdblog
Spent a bit of time pondering Dunlin races and bill lengths (as you do at this time of year), while surveying on the training wall at the Alt mouth today. Hard light put a salty shimmer on visuals close to the water's edge as the tide came in, but watching them settling to roost, bickering…
Spurn sunshine | John Dempsey Birdblog
A chipper Kentish Plover (found by Colin Bushell) was a late afternoon bonus at a hot and sunny Spurn yesterday, sparking a dash to Kilnsea Wetlands. Superb views in the bright sun, as it scurried about feeding right in front of the hide. Can't recall seeing one with a complete breast band before - a…
Mega alert | John Dempsey Birdblog
Been at least six years since a House Sparrow graced Dempsey Towers to my knowledge. This female made several visits in the evening shadows tonight - hope she returns and brings more with her when she does. Those with regular spadgers will be perplexed, those whose gardens are devoid of 'em will understand the thrill...
Feelin’ chatty | John Dempsey Birdblog
To be honest I've felt let down by Whinchats this spring with no sign (so far) at my fave stakeout spot for them on Ainsdale LNR as they pass through. Two on the reserve last week were even rude enough to drop into a neighbouring slack rather than the area I usually spend time in.…
Being watched | John Dempsey Birdblog
I was being outfoxed by a particularly sneaky Ring Ouzel in the dunes at lunchtime (they don't get any easier), when I became aware of being watched. Turning my head slowly to the left as I lay behind a dune ridge I saw a black beady eye staring back at me from a metre away,…
April’s cold shoulder | John Dempsey Birdblog
Too breezy and too cold this morning at Marshside so you couldn't blame the adult Little Gull for refusing to take flight, preferring instead to pick invertebrate goodies off the surface as it bobbed about. Poor video of the bird at Junction Pool on YouTube here. The common warblers all gamely singing on despite the…
Been awhile… | John Dempsey Birdblog
While the sea always asks the most searching questions, and the wind was coming from completely the wrong direction, a fine bit of rain always helps, so I gave it 50 minutes over the high tide at lunchtime. Inbetween the heavy showers, visibility was nice and crisp, and the sesh flew by quicker than a…
Inside No. 9 | John Dempsey Birdblog
A crisp Pennine breeze was blowing right up me Oswaldthwistle as I enjoyed a very peaceful hour with the Red-necked Grebe at Clowbridge Reservoir (I'd not really heard of it either until this winter) above Burnley this afternoon. No hardship heading to East Lancs on the backroads though when everything is shiny new and vibrant…
Finding their voice | John Dempsey Birdblog
Blue sky Groundhog Day by Groundhog Day the Willow Warblers are getting louder on Ainsdale Local Nature Reserve. I had my first birds just over a week ago - three scattered around the grazing enclosures, singing tentatively, but by today nine or ten were in the same area, loud, proud and sparking off each other,…
Submerged | John Dempsey Birdblog
Another few hours at Marshside over the high tide today. While a single Swallow dancing north past the Sandplant mid-morning wasn't that much of a surprise given the calm conditions, there wasn't much else to hint at spring passage, although as the day warmed up and the tide crept in things picked up a bit.…
Something in the water? | John Dempsey Birdblog
A leucistic Sanderling was glaring in the gorgeous morning warmth during surveying duties north of Burbo Bank today. Just when you thought the clockwork toys couldn't get any shiny whiter in the hard sun... I watched the weirdo in a small roost of Sanderling with Dave Hardaker and Ralph and Heather Jones before getting the…
When all else fails… | John Dempsey Birdblog
Frustratingly chilly and decidedly unspring-like on the marsh this morning. Regulars largely present and correct, but no sense of early passage, so after a gawk at the remaining Pinks, Marsh Harrier and Spoonbill and a good chat with Trops and Mike, I popped up to have a look at the most visited Little Owls in…
Light and shade | John Dempsey Birdblog
That cold north easterly was doing no-one any favours this morning as the sun skulked behind a stubborn bank of cloud while I gave Marshside a once over, and cursed the fickle weather of early spring. Less than 24 hours before Commas and Peacocks were tottering about in the garden at Dempsey Towers. Any butterfly…
Shake a leg. | John Dempsey Birdblog
M'learned friend Mike Stocker informs me that the Little Ringed Plover I bumped into at Marshside this lunchtime (a Wheatear-aspiration fuelled detour on the way to a job), was 11 days earlier than the first bird last year. The LRP was pattering about on the big mudbank off Sandgrounders Hide just before 1pm - there'll…
It’s the little things… | John Dempsey Birdblog
In an upended world, it's the little things that keep us going. So there I was in Somerset again this morning, scouring Steart Marshes WWT for the tiniest wader on the planet, so diminutive it's apparently even teeny weenier than the combined wit, intelligence and humanity of the current residents of Pennsylvania Avenue (well, Least…
The Least I could do | John Dempsey Birdblog
More hours on the tarmac, this time down country to Somerset, long before dawn broke on another cold, grey day. Elvis channelled by a Belfast postman - keep driving. Some type of non-linear time epiphany while stuck in the inevitable M5/M6 rush-hour log-jam (Yam Yam carbon monoxide levels'll do that everytime) - keep driving. Waving…
Expectation & reality | John Dempsey Birdblog
I'd looked forward to a lovely quivering orange tail, black mask and big white wing-flashes set off by a charcoal body, vibrant enough to brighten any murky January day. The male Black Redstart at New Brighton had all those features, but all too briefly, as it swept up into an alcove on the hulking massif…
Sticky fingers | John Dempsey Birdblog
My battered old p900 has shed some of its plastic grips leaving just the adhesive that once held things together, meaning sticky fingers as I tried to snap the drake Ringed-necked Duck at Victoria Park in St Helens this morning. We're all losing bits as the years advance I guess, until we eventually fade away.…
A slight thaw | John Dempsey Birdblog
The Snow Bunting was still signing autographs on a busy Southport beach this morning - I left her doing her thing and headed up to Crossens. Although temperatures had rallied, the creeks and channels were still choked with ice at Marshside and numbers of birds were correspondingly low. A Barnacle Goose was with Pinks, but…
Deja Poo | John Dempsey Birdblog
Another two days staking out the fragrant vistas of Ham Hill water treatment works in Kent on Friday and Saturday failed to yield the hoped for results. Alders and settling tanks walls devoid of Yellow Warbler will take some time to dissolve at the back of my optic nerve, and the sensation of sub-zero numbed…
Barley Sugars | John Dempsey Birdblog
When I was a tiny little fella many moons ago I would hide in the gap between the fridge and the kitchen wall whenever priests came to visit the house (a normal occurrence in those far-off days). My Nan, although a devout lady, clearly approved of my tactics and would reward my skulking with a…
Almost | John Dempsey Birdblog
A few white flecks short of summer, this Black-headed Gull was looking dapper on Crosby beach this morning, despite the fierce north westerly ripping across the sands as the tide turned. A colour-ringed individual, "248L" is a local, ringed as a four-year-old bird last year at Ainsdale, and encountered a few times there, but I…
Let sleeping Scaup lie. | John Dempsey Birdblog
Dozing amongst the Tufties at Junction Pool, this young male Scaup was a diversion on a quiet afternoon. Merlin and Great White Egret through, and while the reserve was quietish north of Marshside Rd, a pleasing roost of 1,500+ Goldies, with 600 or so Lapwings, Ruff, Curlew, Blackwits and Dunlin was like a blast from…