With poor weather expected, the high tide of 10 metres at 12:35pm, on the Wirral, posed problems for most of the birding group and only two of us dared the predicted high winds. Ironically, we often say that a high tide is disappointing because there was not enough wind blowing the water towards land to make it a “spectacular” but, when such conditions are predicted, we often decide that we will not go birding because of those very same conditions. On the other hand the weather was very dramatic so perhaps those that did not go were right all along. It depends on your view.
As it worked out, we started at Meols Parade but the sea was still a long way out and the high winds were making it difficult to stand up. We made a plan B and went to New Brighton Marine Lake where it was not any less windy and the waves were already crashing over the sea walls. We fought against the wind to get some cover near the pontoon and there were all the target birds for the site, huddled tight against each other. There were lots of Dunlin and a mixture of Oystercatchers, Redshanks, Turnstones and Purple Sandpipers. The wind was so strong that there weren’t many birds in the air at all.
We left there about 12pm – before high tide and it was probably as well as the following videos of the promenade and esplanade show.
We left there about 12pm – before high tide and it was probably as well as the following videos of the promenade and esplanade show.
We left New Brighton before conditions got much worse and avoided the scenes above but at Hoylake the weather wasn’t much different. By shortly after noon the sea was all the way up to the promenade and there was just the slightest triangle of sand left at the corner of King’s Gap on which were massed a huge numbers of Knot and plenty of Dunlin and Sanderling. The usual Oystercatchers were also huddling against the wind and a few Pied Wagtails and a single Ringed Plover were among the mass of other birds.
It was a struggle to stand up but very atmospheric with thousands of waders flying low over the waves. A flock of Brent Geese were flying along in what seemed like slow motion as they flew against the wind.
We continued on to Riverbank Road which was entirely under water and looked like open sea.
At Parkgate the water was all the way up to the old baths walls with a few voles running for their lives among the wrack. It was too windy for birds of prey but the Egrets, Great and Little and the Grey Herons were all taking advantage of the voles along with the gulls. The entire marsh population of Pipits and Skylarks were crammed on to a few floating islands of wrack.
Despite the very high winds, apart from 2 minutes of hail at Parkgate, it was sunny and dry all day.
I would have taken some video of the various dramatic scenes for other members of the birding group to view but the wind was so strong that, struggling to get into my coat at New Brighton, my phone launched itself from my inside pocket and slid right into the middle of the road where numerous trucks drove over it before I could find and recover it. !!