All Quiet on the 'Northwesterly' Front

Before I report what I did or didn't see at Rossall School this morning I want to have a short rant about dog walkers. I have permission to bird and ring at the 'obs' and I had to write to the headmaster and explain what ringing was all about, and what the aims and objectives of birding and ringing at the 'obs' would be. Those fuckwits with the dogs don't need to do anything like that, what they do is trespass. You cut a hole in the fence and you're in walking your dog. No need to get any official permission, just arm yourself with a dog and you can legally trespass wherever you want! What am I doing wrong?

 "Trespassing - not me mate. Cut a hole in the fence - not me mate"

The reason for this rant is that at 6.00 a.m. when I arrived at the 'obs' there were already four different dog walkers trespassing over different areas that can be quite good for migrants, particularly chats, but not this morning!

 Looking Inland at the Sunrise from the 'Obs'

The wind was the wrong direction and the wrong strength to be of any use. It was a 10-15 mph northwesterly and it put paid to any vis. Funnily enough I did toy with the idea of doing some ringing this morning but decided that it would be a bit of a chore to then go on to work afterwards, so I just stuck with birding.  It's a good job because there would have been no way you could have put nets up in that wind.

There were a few Swallows and House Martins around first thing but they were probably all breeding birds from the school. The House Martins nest on the school buildings and the Swallows occupy some of the old farm buildings. Starlings headed north, presumably dispersing from their roost in Blackpool, and the only raptor I had was a male Kestrel.

The only 'real' migrants I had this morning were 4 Wheatears that were feeding around the walls of the old swimming pool. This high concrete wall faces south and is a real suntrap attracting lots of invertebrates which is a perfect place for Wheatears to feed. I walked the dunes, through the reedbed, along the hedgerows but it was very quiet.

 What Could be Lurking in Here? Bugger all actually!

I had quick look on the sea and had a reasonable count of 238 Common Scoters and other than 2 Sandwich Terns north that was it.

It was time to head off to work but not before a bacon, egg and cheese bagel from McDonalds.