Spring tides on the Dee Estuary were shown as straddling the New Year. With Covid restrictions being reviewed on the 30th December it seemed that this date would be a good bet in case the area became 'out of bounds' - as indeed it did, moving in to Tier 4 on 31st. First good decision.
Armed with information about the presence of Snow Buntings in the area but with scant information about where they might be along the 20-odd mile coast-line it was definitely 'fingers crossed'. After a blank at one of yesterday's reported locations it was off to a look at the incoming tide at Hoylake. As I stepped out of the car another birdwatcher said "they are here". And indeed the Snow Buntings were. Good decision number two
Here is a winter-plumage male with extensive white in the wing and a black-tipped yellow bill. In summer it is a stunning black and white bird with a darker bill. I am not sure of the provenance of the grain(?) but it did the job attracting seven (some said eight) birds to the area.
Another male. The birds were remarkably tolerant of people walking on the beach less than 20 yards away.
A reflective view of a male. As far as I can recall Norfolk 1984 or 1985 was the last time I saw this species so I was well-pleased to see them and especially to see them well. Saves having to climb Cairngorm - their only UK breeding site.
Here is a female. She has very little white in the wing. The yellow-brown flanks will go white and the other areas will darken but retain a mix of brown and black during the breeding season. The bill will go dark.
Another view of a female.
Two females.
This pipit popped up while I was photographing the buntings and the camera was not ideally set up. Its dark legs mean it is either a Rock Pipit or, just possibly, a migrant Water Pipit wintering from Scandinavia. Much reference to my Field Guides led me to conclude 'just' a Rock Pipit largely by the density of the streaking on the breast. Still it is my first in the UK this year.
This was rather worrying: the legs certainly do not look black! As my field-guide puts it "sometimes not-so-dark reddish-brown, never pink as in Meadow Pipit".
The Dee Estuary birding web site often records interesting ducks on West Kirby Marine Lake. Whenever I look it seems to have a few Black-headed Gulls and nothing much else. I did find a group of roosting winter-plumaged Dunlin.
Probably over-enlarged but this shows that they are not fully asleep. Many birds sleep with one half of the brain active and are constantly peeking to check for danger.
Towards the top middle of the group is a lone Redshank. Its legs are hidden but it is slightly larger and the plumage less marked.
