A Dip and a Year Tick. Hoylake to New Brighton, April 3rd & To Belfast April 4th
Friday
3rd April
Out
into the rain early to try for the surf scoter, it meant leaving
everything at the hotel and walking a mile plus out to the water's
edge. Walking across the flat sands of Hoylake, it was clear that the
chances of the surf scoter were very slim and so it proved. On
reaching the sea the scoter were still a long way off in sporadic
groups and there was no way I was going to see the special one.
I
did see very close sanderling though and I videoed a distant flock of
waders as they proved to be about 750 oystercatchers as they flew
past and beyond towards Hilbre Island. A youtube moment.
With
the tide coming in I backtracked all the way to the seawall and sat
in a shelter there hoping that the rain would stop. It did to some
extent but then the fog came in!
After
collecting the bike and stuff and having seen no improvement in the
fog, I decided to cycle to New Brighton. At least I should get the
laughing gull that had been there for a very long time.
Cycling
there was easy as a cycle path went along the top of the Wirral the
whole way. I did stop a couple of times; once to photograph a lone
purple sandpiper and then to look at a dead guillemot.
Arriving
at the marine lake at New Brighton I scanned the water and pontoon
where the laughing gull was supposed to be practically a full time
resident.
It
wasn't there.
I
texted friends.
Sit
and wait.
I
did.
Well,
no I didn't. I cycled around the lake to look over the Mersey and the
Fort area. High tide, almost no beach and fog so thick you couldn't
see the other side of the estuary. On occasions you couldn't see one
end of the marine lake from the other.
I
sat by a cafe.
Someone
put out some chips.
Laughing
gull on the year list!
It
landed on the pontoon and walked through the large flock of roosting
waders. The waders were 50:50 redshank and turnstones with 8 purple
sandpipers in one corner.
Replete
with photographs and videos of the laughing gull, bird number 176, I
cycled to Seacombe and found the B and b I had stayed at back in
2010. It didn't seem to be in business anymore and I ended up cycling
back through the rain to the Travelodge over looking the marine lake
at New Brighton.
Saturday
4th April.
Now
why couldn't yesterday have been like this? Sunshine came through the
window of my hotel room and the sky was clear and blue. The laughing gull was there again, sitting amongst the waders. A group of people were releasing an injured cormorant onto the marine lake to stop any dogs from harassing it. They'd just found it floundering about on the beach. A couple of the men then stripped off! They were about to have a swim in the lake.
A
quick cycle along the Mersey with wonderful views of Liverpool and
down to the Stena Line ferry. With the bike quickly stowed away, one
had to get on a double decker bus to get onto the ferry. That was a
first.
A
cabin with ensuite. I am being a bit indulgent this time. So after
watching the sea as we went out into the Irish Sea I went and had a
shower and a couple of hours kip. Interesting how it was only common
gulls out at sea around the Mersey mouth.
Now
I had hoped that the Wifi onboard would give me the opportunity to
catch up with everything. No chance, it was slow and intermittent.
Dinner
on board with views over the bow as we passed the Isle of Man. The
sea was almost flat, just the smallest ripples and birding was a bit
slow; just a few guillemots, mostly in pairs with a few manx
shearwaters and kittiwakes. There was also the odd adult gannet.
Off
Copeland there was few harbour porpoise and then a number of eider as
we turned in towards Belfast Docks. A couple of great northern diver
flew past and a few black guillemot and shag were nearby.
Belfast!
How good to see the huge mural on a large block of flats, Vernon
House, across from the first traffic lights you come to on the Shore
Road, of a balaclavaed paramilitary man has been removed since my
last visit but a shame that Vernon House's sign of welcome has also
gone. More of a shame to me though was a huge mural on a building
nearby. Just concentrate on the left and forget the right.
Now
please have a look at my Facebook page -
https://www.facebook.com/bikingbirder2015
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