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Birkdale beach and dunes (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter COLG
- Start date
David Smith
Warrington Lancs
Not an area I know but your photos have whetted my appetite.......can you tell me where you park/walk etc.
Thanks
Thanks
Hi David , Sorry for the delay in responding but I'm in Scotland at the moment .
If you come to Southport via the M62 & M57 you will end up on the A565 Formby bypass. Follow this road until you pass Woodvale Airport on your left and turn left at the next set of traffic lights on to the Coastal Road. Follow this road through the roundabout by Pontins ( with the aeroplane sculpture on ) to the next roundabout at Birkdale , which has lots of carts & horse statues on it, where you turn left onto the beach. You can normally park here for free. When you have parked look out to sea and then go off to your left past the horse paddock . Basically , you can wander over the dunes if you wish but I tend to follow the path which takes you across two small wooden bridges towards an area known as Taggs Island . There's lots of bird-friendly shrubbery around all the area and lots of slacks that dragonflies frequent. Obviously like any trip out an element of luck is involved in what you see and with the dunes and beach you can walk as far as you wish since it's such a large area .
If you come to Southport via the M62 & M57 you will end up on the A565 Formby bypass. Follow this road until you pass Woodvale Airport on your left and turn left at the next set of traffic lights on to the Coastal Road. Follow this road through the roundabout by Pontins ( with the aeroplane sculpture on ) to the next roundabout at Birkdale , which has lots of carts & horse statues on it, where you turn left onto the beach. You can normally park here for free. When you have parked look out to sea and then go off to your left past the horse paddock . Basically , you can wander over the dunes if you wish but I tend to follow the path which takes you across two small wooden bridges towards an area known as Taggs Island . There's lots of bird-friendly shrubbery around all the area and lots of slacks that dragonflies frequent. Obviously like any trip out an element of luck is involved in what you see and with the dunes and beach you can walk as far as you wish since it's such a large area .
David Smith
Warrington Lancs
Are you saying you are not guaranteeing I will see all those birds:C
Thanks for that detailed info' we (me & OH) will go on the next decent day.
chris23565
Well-known member
I worked in Southport for about 5 yrs when I lived in St Helens, whenever I passed the dunes area I was always looking for a Elenora's Falcon after the area had the 1st for Britain many years ago, one day someone will get lucky
Mostly Autumn
Well-known member
Are Hobby's nesting in North Merseyside because in the Liverpool Echo blog they're regularly sighted? I always saw them as a Southern bird.
Not sure if they're actually nesting in the area but they've been seen quite regularly recently around Birkdale beach ( check BIRDBLOG , John Dempsey's excellent regular updates on what's happening between Seaforth and Birkdale) and they've also been around Marshside , Mere Sands Wood and Martin Mere over the last few months .
Jaff
Registered Member
If they are (I strongly suspect some are starting to breed somewhere in the NW) then the info's being kept very quiet and I wouldn't expect to see it revealed on a public forum and with good reason.
chris butterworth
aka The Person Named Above
Hobby are nesting throughout the northwest now. They are regularly seen from the old East Lancs road on the way to Ormskirk. Have you managed to catch up with the Short-winged Conehead, Dune Tiger Beetle and Dune Helleborine - all Sefton coast specialities - yet Colg ( as well as sand Lizard and the ubiquetous Natterjacks ) ?
The answers "NO" to all of these Chris and I think it might be too late in the year for me to rectify the situation regarding a few of them but I'll certainly give them all my full attention as soon as possible. I haven't really had a chance to wander along the beach in the last few days but here's a sanderling and a wagtail that I encountered last week .
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With Mondays and Tuesdays being my only days off I was determined that the persistent rain wouldn't stop me from going out . So , dressed in my all-weather gear , I got the train to Ainsdale and walked along the beach to Birkdale . There was a reasonably high tide so a number of waders were within close viewing distance . There was also large roosts of Cormorants and Oystercatchers . I was a bit disappointed that the Snow Buntings that are supposed to be about didn't put in an appearance but I was pleased to see three Little Egrets on the Birkdale Green Beach .
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Got two sightings in St Helens this year plus regular sightings at Inner Marsh Farm and they are both in the NW. Plus the regular sightings from Risley Moss and surrounds.
We heve a pair locally but I think I have only ever seen one bird. They are quite secretive birds and as much as I would love to get good views of our local Hobby pair, I would not want to bring attention to them.
Do Hobby nest in Cumbria ad Scotland yet?
Pitvar
Well-known member
Here's a shot of it from Sunday when it flew right down the prom in the wind and rain and past me at about head height!
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