After we had been to Hoylake for the high tide we had a little bit of time left and we fancied a cup of tea. Rather than just go to a cafe we decided to pay a flying visit to Burton Mere Wetlands. It was very crowded in the main hide as there were a couple of minibuses of people from a care home on an outing. This meant that it was all a bit chaotic and not exactly quiet but we had our cup of tea and got our usual Black-tailed Godwits and some Dunlin but not much else.
There have not been many high tides this year and at 9.6m (at 1.15pm) this wasn’t a particularly high one either. Nevertheless this can sometimes be enough for a good experience at Hoylake and so it turned out. With no wind the weather was nice (until it rained) but the lack of wind keeps the sea further out. This didn’t stop us having very nice views of the Terns; one person expressed pleasure at seeing all four common species of Tern on the beach at once but I am afraid we did not manage to convincingly see any Arctic Terns.
The majority of the Terns we saw were Sandwich with just a few Common Terns joining in as the tide came in and then eventually we started to see some Little Terns. Seeing all three together makes you appreciate just how small Little Terns are.
As the tide came in a bit more some Dunlin started to appear and mixed in with them were a few Ringed Plovers. To the right side of the beach a flock came in that comprised a smattering of Sanderling and a single Knot. Oystercatchers were as reliable as usual and there were lots of Cormorants flying around. There were also plenty of Great Black-backed, Herring and Black-headed Gulls. At one point a small group of Bar-tailed Godwits flew in but they didn’t stay long.
As usual the spectacle was disturbed by dog walkers; it being a Sunday there were lots of them around. In all honesty, though, it did seem that more than usual had decided to keep their dogs on leads as they neared the birds. Perhaps the RSPB efforts in this area have worked.
Anyway, another good Hoylake experience despite the lowness of the “high” tide. We decided to drop down to Burton Mere Wetlands just for a quick look in the reception hide and to grab a cup of tea.
