High Tide at Hoylake : 2nd August 2015

High Tide at Hoylake : 2nd August 2015

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.

Bird Sightings : Hoylake