Return to Southport 27/05/12

I went back to Southport with Jack and Bryn this morning. We set off earlier to avoid the crowds but that was still only around 9:00am. It was hot with a strong easterly breeze and the light was very harsh but we still managed to get a few decent photographs between us.

The first bird to greet us was a Meadow Pipit carrying food and judging by the food load this bird is feeding large young. You can generally gauge the age of a brood by the quantity and size of the food items the adults are carrying.


Meadow Pipit (Anthus pratensis)


A very confident Carrion Crow put on a bit of a performance and seemed to be mainly feeding on insects and other invertebrates.


Carrion Crow (Corvus corone corone)


A few Sedge Warblers were singing and showed better than yesterday. One of my favourite birds.


Sedge Warbler (Acrocephalus schoenobaenus)




Sedge Warbler (Acrocephalus schoenobaenus)

 The tide was well out and even though we walked around 2 miles to the tide line I only managed to get photos of a couple of waders today.


Jack and Bryn, the only waders photograped.

One of the pools in the dunes held 3 freshly emerged Four-spotted Chasers. They were hyperactive with the heat and the wind but settled occasionally.

Four-spotted Chaser (Libellula quadrimaculata)

Four-spotted Chaser (Libellula quadrimaculata)

There was little or no passage today with most of the hirundines and Swifts seen likely to be local breeding birds.