Tuesday 17 November 2009

In the dock basin

14:30 Cloud, showery 10 o C. Wind SW 15mph. Humidity 77%. Pressure 1003mB. Visibility poor. High tide today11:10, 9.25m

Dock gates closed

Feeling much colder, water quite choppy.

25 black-headed gulls on the water in the dock basin
Another 10 black-headed gulls sat on the wall
1 cormorant on the boom

Monday 9 November 2009

15:00 Sunny 6 o C. Wind SSE 3mph. Humidity 80%. Pressure 1019 mB. Visibility moderate. High tide today 15:59, 8.23m.

Lock gates closed

A cold, crisp bright day. There is ice in the lock, along with the bue-green algae.



20 black-headed gulls in the dock basin, 10 performing aerobatics around the moored boats.


2 Cormorants passing overhead.

Saturday 7 November 2009

11:30 Light showers 8 o C. Wind SSW 9mph. Humidity 82%. Pressure 992mB. Visibility moderate. High tide today 13:55, 8.09m.

Lock gates closed

The weather has turned much cooler in the last few days.

35 black-headed gulls in the dock basin, a further 5 performing aerobatics, circling and swooping down over the water surface. The female black-headed gulls migrate to Spain in winter, and the males can get quite lively left to their own devices.

In the garden
Goldfinch x 2
Blue tit x 2
Great tit x 1
Dunnock x 1
Chaffinch x 1

A beautiful mature male chaffinch, showing off the colours of his plumage to perfection.

The garden feeders attract many small birds. It is important to keep feeding the birds regularly in winter. There is much less food, such as insects or berries, available for them and they will have become used to visiting the garden feeders.

Wednesday 4 November 2009

14:00 Showers 10 o C. Wind SSW 9mph. Humidity 89%. Pressure 981mB. Visibility moderate. High tide today 12:44, 9.37m.

Lock gates closed



November has started with sunshine and showers, mostly showers today and much cooler.

20 black-headed gulls in the dock basin, 10 sat along the top of the dock gate.
2 cormorants passing overhead.

The garden feeders are attracting a mix of blue tit, great tit, goldfinch. greenfinch, sparrow, starling and wood pigeon, with occasional magpie.

I'm hoping my elephant hawk moth caterpillars will survive and pupate.

Saturday 31 October 2009

Samhain

15:30 Sunny 16 o C. Wind SW 9mph. Humidity 79%. Pressure 1018mB. Visibility good. High tide today 21:34, 8.74m.

Lock gates closed

A mild autumn day for Halloween, and a promise of clear skies later.

Around 12 black-headed gulls in the dock basin.
10 black-headed gulls and 3 cormorants passing overhead.

Friday 30 October 2009

16:00 Cloud 15 o C. Wind SSE 16mph. Humidity 70%. Pressure 1017mB. Visibility moderate. High tide today 20:55, 8.35m.

A much greyer day, the water in the dock quite choppy, occasional spots of rain.

Albert Edward Dock

Mute Swan x 2
Black-headed gull x 50
Lesser black-backed gull x 1
Mallard x 20
Coot x 12

Thursday 29 October 2009

14:00 Sunny intervals 16 o C. Wind SE 10mph. Humidity 89%. Pressure 1020mB. Visibility moderate. High tide today 20:10, 7.91m.

Lock gates closed

A pleasant autumn day, still some colour on the trees although the weekend's gales stripped many of the leaves.



4 black-headed gulls in the dock basin, 10 sat on top of the dock gates.

Around 100 gulls on the sandbanks in the river, mainly black-headed with a few lesser black backs.

Saturday 19 September 2009

14:00 Grey cloud 16 o C. Wind SW 6mph. Humidity 77%. Pressure 1016mB. Visibility moderate. High tide today 12:21, 9.67m.

Lock gates open.

A few yachts, a narrow boat and a couple of motor boats passing through the lock into the marina today.

In the dock basin
Black-headed gull x20
Coot x 1

There were upwards of 10 goldfinches jostling for position on the garden feeders today. It looks like all this year's young have fledged, the sparrowhawk notwithstanding.

There's something peaceful about taking time out to watch wildlife, it's good for the soul to lose yourself in nature. A twitcher might take a look in the dock basin and say 'nothing there', a birder will happily watch the gulls' behaviour for a while.

Friday 18 September 2009

15:30 Sunny intervals 17 o C. Wind S 6mph. Humidity 62%. Pressure 1017mB. Visibility good. High tide today 23:47, 9.87m.

Lock gates closed.

After a chill grey morning the sun has finally broken through.

Both swans, several mallards and coots, plus the usual mix of black-headed, herring and lesser black-backed gulls are sunning themselves on the pontoons in the Albert Edward dock.

The dock basin is almost deserted.
Black-headed gull x 4
Coot x 3

Wednesday 16 September 2009

14:30 Cloud 17 o C. Wind NE 7mph. Humidity 65%. Pressure 1027mB. Visibility good. High tide today 22:25, 8.99m.

Lock gates closed.


Teasels on the Bullnose

In the dock basin

Black-headed gull x 16
Coot x 1
Mallard x 11

Tuesday 15 September 2009

14:00 Sunny intervals 17 o C. Wind NE 8mph. Humidity 57%. Pressure 1027mB. Visibility very good. High tide today 21:38, 8.32m.

The east wind feels somewhat chilly, but still a pleasant dry Autumn day with plenty of sunny intervals.

Lock gates closed.

In the dock basin

Black-headed gull x 15
Coot x 2
Mallard x 11
Cormorant x 1
Moorhen x 2

Thursday 27 August 2009

14:30 Cloud, 19 o C. Wind SW 10mph. Humidity 60%. Pressure 1010mB. Visibility very good. High tide today 16:48, 7.82m.

Lock gates closed.

Very quiet around the dock today, no trains & the showery weather seems to have kept the walkers away.


In and around the dock basin today:
Coot x 1
Mallard x 1
Cormorant x 3
Black-headed gull x 20

Monday 17 August 2009

14:30 Sunny intervals, 18 o C. Wind W 12mph. Humidity 78%. Pressure 1013mB. Visibility good. High tide today 21:37 8.20m.

Lock gates closed.

Feeling much warmer today without the strong, gusty winds of the last few days.


It has been a rare privilege to watch the terns fishing in the dock basin this summer, at times just a few metres away. It's not often one gets such a close look.




The gulls in the dock basin are almost invariably black-headed gulls. The other gulls fly and circle overhead, but land there only occasionally, usually when the gates are open.



In the dock basin today
Black-headed gull x 50
Common gull x 2
Common tern x 2
Coot x 2
Mallard x 15
Swallow x 5

Sunday 16 August 2009

14:00 Dull and cloudy, 18 o C. Wind W 17mph. Humidity 73%. Pressure 1012mB. Visibility good. High tide today 20:22 7.66m.

A woodland walk

There are a surprising number of green spaces around the dock and alongside the railway line, with some pleasant paths to enjoy.

The trees and shrubs provide both cover and food for the blackbirds, bluetits and other birds. The flowers encourage moths and butterflies.



This path runs from the bullnose up to Strand Road







It follows the railway line for part of its length








A handsome willow










Attractive as they are, I don't think these shiny berries are native species. They may be garden escapees from nearby homes or offices.

Saturday 15 August 2009

14:00 A day of sunny spells, gusty winds and torrential rain showers, 19 o C. Wind WSW 18mph. Humidity 77%. Pressure 1006mB. Visibility good. High tide today 18:50 7.47m.

Lock gates closed. A very windy day, difficult to keep my balance at times and almost impossible to hold the binoculars steady.


Ribble Steam are having a 'Friendly Engine' day today at the museum, with hourly train rides up to Strand Road. The engines are kitted out with smiley faces, though this one looks slightly sinister to me.



In and around the dock basin today


Swallow x 3
Common tern x 1
Mute swan x 1
Coot x 1
Mallard x 11
Black-headed gulls x 40
Common gulls x 2 - flying over