LANCS: All quiet on the estuary.

After a rather uninspiring mid week visit to Brockholes I decided I'd take a look at the Ribble Estuary at the weekend. Strong winds from the westerly direction had driven a few Storm Petrels inshore at various points off the Lancs and Merseyside coast this weekend. Fairhaven is just about as close I get to proper 'open sea' on the estuary and although most sensible local birders would've rushed out to Rossall or south shore Blackpool, thoughts started to drift back to a couple of Decembers ago when several Leach's Petrels could be seen from the seawall at Fairhaven Lake.

The tide was coming in when I arrived but the wind had veered round to the north west (I had the Leach's on south westerlies). Nevertheless I stuck it out but a Fulmar was about the best I could find. Lots of Swifts and a few House Martins pretending to be stomies over the lake but little else of note there. A count of 47 Eider (mostly juv's) plus 288 Black-tailed Godwts out at Granny's Bay but little to get the pulse going.

Dropped Mrs B. off in Freckleton later that evening and sneaked a quick look Newton Marsh where a juv Little Egret sprang from the entrance pool. Blowing a right gale though.

Summer finally arrived today so me and Mrs B. took a stroll along the prom' at Fairhaven and Lytham. Nice walk, shame about the birds. A couple of Bar-tailed Godwits, 50+ Dunlin, 6 Ringed Plovers and 4 Sandwich Terns just about crawled into the notebook.