Gayton sands RSPB

On Sunday the primary focus was retail therapy at Cheshire Oaks. From here we headed down to Gayton Sands (http://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/g/gaytonsands/) another big RSPB estuary reserve. The tide was quite a way out but luckily there was room in the Boatman Inn (not cheap but very good quality) for 2 for lunch, the IPA was awesome!

Feeling both heavier and lighter we walked along the perimeter of the reserve as long as the path would allow and then headed back along the Wirral Way, back to the pub. We then trekeed in the other direction although this was alongside the main road and less pleasant. There were a large number of Little Egrets around, including this one which flew past, quite close by:















As we headed back to the pub car park before heading back to our hotel, this Mistle Thrush was showing very clearly, despite the appalling light:

The song of a Mistle Thrush is very similar to the Blackbird, using the same 'voice' but the alarm call is much more distinctive. The RSPB were hosting a raptor watch on the Estuary that evening, we hung around for a short while, long enough to see a Little Owl emerge from it's nest a couple of times, but the Hen Harriers had moved on in February it appeared... so time to head back to the hotel.