The RSPB Liverpool Local Group

            SURFS UP !


  Day started with lovely adult summer plumage mediterranean gull outside surgery window first thing this morning. With about 20 black headed gulls, mostly still in winter plumage, on school playing fields next to Speke Health Centre.


   Afternoon off, got away by 2pm so decided to whizz over to Pensarn to look for Surf Scoters. Very easy to get to, off A55, car park on sea front.

    Couple of other birders there. Very quickly picked out 2 male Surf Scoters among long line of 1000s of common scoters 3/4 way out to wind farms. Surf Scoters pretty easy to find with their white heads standing out,  2 males that stayed together all the time. There were reports of 5 but could only find the 2 together. Something then spooked scoter flock which all took to the air, a great sight but no sign of any velvets and they settled a lot further out to the west of the wind turbines.

    Also present at least a dozen red throated divers, a few great crested grebes, red breasted mreganser and a nice great northern diver that drifted across in front of the scoter flock.

    2 fly over ravens as I came past Frodsham on the way back. Good end to a quick twitch.


    Sean.