Photography Practice and Avocets at Marshide

Avocet at RSPB Marshside, Southport

As the weather has been so good this week we went for a quick walk to RSPB Marshside, Southport, to see if we could spot the Avocets and chicks that have started breeding on the marshes in recent years. As per normal we took almost every piece of optical equipment we owned assuming the birds would be miles and miles away.

Shock of shocks! There birds were on the rapidly drying up pond as close to the road as they could possibly be so our walk quickly became a good excuse for me to practice with the Canon EOS 450D I purchased a couple of months ago. The chicks were to far away to get a good photo but I managed to get a few others.

Although I prefer the top image of the Avocet it was a tough decision as the reflection of this other one and the birds profile go together so well.

Black Tailed Godwits being boisterous in their summer plumage.

After spending some time just watching the birds from the hides at the reserve we walked round the old sand reclamation plant where I did my best to take a few photos of the smaller birds that seemed to tease us where ever we went, eventually getting a shot of a male Linnet in the evening sun. I tried to get a few photos of the young rabbits but they were just too fast – even though there seemed to be hundreds of them.

After driving past the sands works so many times it was great to walk round it for a change. The amount of birds, animals, grasses and flowers that thrive on the marshes in the area is astounding and I’ll bet most people who drive past have no idea of the fantastic diversity on their doorstep.

Sometimes something as simple as grass can make an impact. Looking towards Blackpool in the distance.

Even more grass - I like the vibrant green vertical stems on this one. Camera practice - adjusting depth of field.

Early Morning Smoothhound Hunt

The 'Rock Channel', low water a mile past the 'T' Groyne, Wallasey

Just how fantastic has the weather been this past week?

I’ve never walked our local River Douglas so much, nor seen so much wildlife – from Arctic Terns flying up the river searching for fish to Painted Lady butterflies ‘dancing’ in the evening sun, it’s just been magnificent.

I’d been looking forward to giving the ‘Rock Chanel’ a go for years and now that I’d finally got some decent chest waders from Scierra I set off at 7am Sunday morning, armed with peeler crab as bait, to meet up with a few of the guys from wirralseafishing.co.uk at on Kings Parade, Wallasey, in front of the ‘T’ Groyne. Our target was to be the early summer run of Smoothhounds, we knew they’d caught a few from the boats in the area we were to fish although obviously further out. It was going to be big fish or blank.

The trek to this mark needs to be experienced first hand, it’s not nick-named ‘The Long Walk’ for nothing. It starts off as you wait for the tide to ebb enough to get across a deep gully that will give you access to what will become a sand bar bar running about a mile and a half out towards the far horizon. We managed to get across with inches to spare from the top of our chest waders then slogged through knee to waist deep water or soft sand to the end of the sand bar for about 1/2 hour – it felt like years and I was absolutely knackered by the time we got there.

Just a quick safety note here: Chest waders are essential and you need to pack up fishing and leave an hour after low water – the tide floods quicker than it ebbs and where we were fishing you wouldn’t be able to see it coming in behind you.

Looking NW from The "Rock Channel'. Not a soul in sight - perfect...

We launched our crab laden 3/0 hooks into the rapidly appearing channel and waited…

And waited…

And waited some more. As the sun beat down on us I was thankful that I’d brought a few cans of pop to drink and that my waders were breathable – some of the guys had full rubber or neoprene waders – how the hell they managed in the 25°C heat I’ve no idea.

If the Smoothhounds had of been there we should have caught almost straight away according to Kev, who’s had them (with photographic evidence) and an hour after low water we packed up and headed back.

As we got nearer the ‘beach’ where the sun had attracted a horde of people it was good to see the life-guards getting people off the bank and warning them of the incoming tide, most of whom would have been swimming to get back to shore an hour later.

So, no hounds yet but they’ll be here soon, and when they are I’ll be doing the ‘long walk’ once again to get them.

Formby Bank Holiday Bass Hunt

Pumping for Black Lug, Formby

The call went out to all like minded fools (I mean sea anglers) that Kev was going down to Formby Point, Merseyside for a Bank Holiday Bass hunt. I didn’t need much encouragement although getting up at 4:45am so that I could have breakfast, make a flask of coffee  and load the car before arriving at the Lifeboat Road car park did make me wonder at the state of my sanity.

The foolhardy few that woke to the sound of the dawn chorus just starting up made our way on to the beach and proceeded to pump up some Black Lugworm which was to be the bait of choice. Throughout the morning we would keep getting Lug as the tide pushed us up the beach so bait was as fresh as it could possibly be.

We knew that we were pushing it to get a Bass as they don’t usually show for about another month at Formby but the weather forecast was good and it beat watching bank holiday TV or fighting through crowds of tourists to get wherever you needed to go.

The method is to cast out then keep moving backwards until you see the gully behind you filling up, then you can either cross the gulley paying out line as you go, or wind in and cross the gulley then wait for the tide to fill it enough so that it’s fishable. The Bass travel up the gulleys that run parallel with the beach as these are where the water is deepest, and the food items they are searching for end up.

The Worlds Smallest Flounder

Our predictions of it being to early were correct and the only thing caught was a very, very small Flounder in about six hours of fishing but were we disappointed?

Not really – it was a long shot at best but as the saying goes “you’ve got to be in it, to win it”

We left the beach at noon, just as the numbers of day tripppers started to get unbearable.

One great thing was that I ‘tested’ by new Scierra breathable waders / boots combination – wow – what a fantastic thing these are, they weigh nothing, are fully waterproof, ‘breath’ so you don’t sweat and since you are wearing proper boots are comfortable to walk in.

I wish I’d bought some years ago and I expect they are going to make my fishing a lot better this year as they will allow me to fish places I’d previously been unable to reach. Hopefully Wendys’ will arrive this week to give her time to test them before we go to Anglesey.

A Long Rest From Blogging

Small Whiting

Well… that was a bit of a long gap between posts, I don’t know what happened or why I stopped but I guess it was something to do with the the fact that we haven’t really been fishing properly since last summer. We’ve dabbled a bit but I think we were both a bit run down after the disappointment of our Devon trip and just couldn’t get motivated. But thats all over now!

The tackle has been cleaned, line replaced on the reels and all those bits and pieces you loose either while fishing or down the back of the sofa have been replaced.

Our first venture of the year was to Anglesey during the first of the May Bank Holidays in search of Bass where we stayed at Ty Cristion Holiday Cottages. As it happens we we’re too early even though May has been one of the hottest on record the proceeding months hadn’t been warm enough to encourage the Bass to move up the coastline to North Wales.

Wendys' first Turbot

We had a fantastic time though – the weather and countryside we fantastic and although the bass didn’t show up we managed to snag a few fish, one of which was Wendy’s first ever turbot. We’ve already booked another weeks visit for later in the year.

My latest fishing trip was a bit of the spur of the moment thing with a few of the lads from wirralseafishing.co.uk and involved a quick drive down to Formby. Once again Bass were the target but as I couldn’t get down to the beach in time to gather some black lug for bait I purchased some from our local tackle dealer, Waynes Tackle, Preston, which as usual was very good quality.

I arrived about 2 hours after lo-water to see a group of about 12 intrepid anglers eagerly awaiting a bite. After the usual banter I was offered more fresh black lug than I have seen in a long time – the bait collection by the guys had been stunning and I beleieve Dave W managed to get over 100 in about an hour.

Quickly setting up I joined them as the tide gradually pushed us back up the beach, filling in gullies behind us. This is why when fishing here it is essential to go with a group and preferably wear chest waders – there have been many cases where people have been cut off by the incomming tide and safety is much more important than anything else.

A Formby Bass for Kev

As per usual (how does he do it) Kev was the first into a fish, a Bass of just under 2 pounds caught on peeler crab.

As darkness fell it was starting to look as though this was to be the only fish caught until, to our left, we spotted Shaun playing a similar sized fish in the surf.

Hi-water arrived and still only 2 fish between 12 anglers – it wasn’t looking good until I spotted a slight knock on my rod. I waited a while, saw it bounce again and struck into the fish.

After the initial pull on the line it it went ‘light’ and I thought I’d lost it. I kept winding in, hoping against hope that a nice shiney Bass was running towards me, eager to see that glint of silver in the beam produced by my light.

Finally the fish became visable, a lowly Flounder, but a fish is a fish and it saved a ‘blank’. First outing in a long time, was it worth it for only 3 fish amongst a dozen anglers? Damn right it was!

A Flat Formby Flounder

It’s fantastic to be in good company, on a beautiful clean beach with the prospect of a fish or two.

I’m fired up ready for a week on Anglesey soon so look out Bass, here we come.

Magnificent Marshside – Birdwatch

RSPB Marshside

The weather forecast yesterday was horrific with almost 40mph winds and heavy rain so we cancelled our sea fishing trip and hence didn’t get any bait. Imagine my frustration on waking this morning to a light breeze and glorious sunshine – oh well, British weather, what can you do?

Not wanting to waste the fine weather I went walking around the Marshside RSPB reserve, near Southport, Merseyside. The drive took about 15 minutes and as I approached the car park down the coastal road I spotted a few bright white shapes on the seaward marsh. I quickly parked the car and raced back to the spot and got out the binoculars in time to see 4 Little Egrets, a first for me! To far a way for a good photo – I took a few but the birds were far to small in the images to make out.

Ducks Hiding

I slowly walked back down the coastal road, enjoying the huge flocks of Lapwing and Starlings until I got to the nearest hide. By now the wind was getting stronger (thank goodness I wasn’t fishing after all) so it was good to be in some shelter for a while.

Marshside is an amazing place if you stop for a while and look carefully at what you perceive to be empty fields. Most people will see the flocks of Lapwing flying overhead and the Pink-footed geese arriving in huge numbers to feed but look carefully and you will see thousands of small ducks; Widgeon, Teal, Pintail and Shoveler to name a few.

I spent a good hour just watching, being somewhat overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of winter visitors to our coastline.

Godwits at Marshside

At the second hide, which is about 500m further down the coastal path, the land is more open shallow water with the odd island. This is a favourite roosting patch for the many wading birds that visit our shore line as it provides a good safe refuge when the tide is too high for them to feed.

Again the area was covered in small ducks with many of the larger Shelduck present but as the tide reached it maximum height for the day huge flocks of Black-tailed godwits arrived. These will stay here until April when they travel to continental Europe to breed.

There are, however, a few breeding pairs that stay in the UK, three pairs on the Fylde Coast on the River Ribble estuary at Newton Marsh. These are the most northerly breeding birds in the UK out of a total of about 50 so are nationally very important to the species.

I made my way back to the car after a very enjoyable couple of hours doing nothing but watching birds – great!

I’ll leave you with a couple more shots just to tempt you into a visit.

Black-tailed godwits arriving as the tide pushes them off the beach.

A mixed flock of Lapwing and Starlings.

Winter Approaches and a Few Cod Arrive

Autumn Colour

With it being the Guy Fawkes celebrations during last weekend we didn’t get out sea fishing or fell walking as we spent a very enjoyable time at my parents.

I did manage to go out on Sunday with my father, his two labradors, my youngest brother and his girlfriend. We went for a gentle stroll around Beacon Fell which as always was wonderful while Wendy and mother prepared a feast for our return. A very relaxing weekend.

There have been some signs in both Lancashire and Merseyside that the cold weather is finally bringing the Cod and the larger Whiting down from their Northern summer feeding grounds with Cod up to about 3 pounds being caught around Fleetwood and a few almost the same size coming out of the River Mersey in last weekends sea fishing matches.

Hopefully next time we’re out I’ll be writing about Cod and chips!

Cod Expedition – Saturday Night, Crosby, Merseyside.

We’d planned to go up to Rossall, Fleetwood last weekend but the wind direction and strength played havoc with our plans so I arranged to meet a few friends at the venue known as Hall Road which is basically the sea front at Crosby, Liverpool.

This venue can throw up some good fish but needs an onshore wind so with the wind blowing up to 20 miles per hour left to right (Southerly) our chances weren’t good but we managed to find a space and launched our lugworm baited rigs into the night. We soon found that the Cod were not in and all either myself or Wendy could manage were a few tiny Whiting of about 6″ long. We heard that a larger fish had been ‘lost’ while bringing it over the promenade railings but no-one we know saw it.

So not a very good start to the winters Cod fishing but we’re still waiting for a major drop in temperature. That should bring the Cod and the larger Whiting in. Good to be out though and like they say, “If you haven’t got a line in the water, you’ll never catch a fish”.

Water, Wetlands and Wildlife

As BBC’s Autumn Watch came to an end last week, and what a fantastic series it was, I trawled through the internet to find a few relevant websites.

WWT, The Wildlife and Wetlands Trust
The UK’s only specialist wetland conservation charity and home of Martin Mere, the location of Autumn Watch.
The RSPB, The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
Working to secure a healthy environment for birds and wildlife which helps create a better world for us all.
The Mersey Basin Campaign
Helping improve water quality in the rivers and waterways of England’s Northwest and encourage high quality waterside regeneration.
National Trust, Formby
Offering miles of walks through the woods and dunes. One of the last places in England where visitors may catch a glimpse of the rare red squirrel.
Red Deer Research on Rum
One of the star attractions of this years Autumn Watch was watching these magnificent animals in such beautiful surroundings.

Plus a couple of new sea fishing ‘blogs’

Seaforth Sea Fishing
A new website designed for north west sea anglers. Through the months there will be pictures and reports on what is caught and where.
East Anglia Sea Angling
A blog by Ian, who lives in Norfolk, recounting some of his sea fishing experiences.

Southport Beach, Merseyside and a Few Links

Southport Beach

This week we’ve not been sea fishing or walking at all as we’ve been replenishing our supplies of gear that has either been used up or lost over the past few months.

We did manage to get out to Southport yesterday where we bought a new pair of binoculars from Waddington Photographic small enough to stuff into a rucksack so that we can take them wherever we go.

As the weather has been so grim over the past week I’ve been doing a lot of ’surfing’ so below are a few websites or articles that I came across.

RSPB purchase 170 hectares in wetland project
This is great news for the area and is only a 10 minute cycle ride from my house, an RSPB reserve at Hesketh Out Marsh, on our doorstep, fantastic!

A couple of websites for the avid bird watcher in the North West;
Dee Estuary Birding
A great resource for all things avian around the River Dee (between North Wales and the Wirral)
Another Place…Birding the South Sefton coast
All the birding news from the South Sefton Coast

Henry Gilbey – Worldwide Fishing Pictures
Henry is a sea fishing addict and a great photographer- the images on his website are amazing. Henry can also frequently be seen in action on Discovery Reel Time.

Seacombe Promenade, River Mersey

Seacombe Fishing Mark

Last Sunday (24th Sept.) was the first match of the WSF (Wirral Sea Fishing) Winter League held in conjuction with a BLAS (Blackpool and Layton Angling Society) match, held on the Wirral side of the River Mersey along Seacombe Promenade.

We met up at 9am to sign in for the match which, considering it was the first of the season, had a good turnout of about 50 hopeful anglers. After making our way to our chosen mark and getting set up the shout went up and we all cast our baits seaward.

Myself and Wendy weren’t expecting much but we were hoping to get a few Dabs close in on frozen lugworm and squid as we’d always done quite well using this tactic in the past.

But then the heavens opened, and I mean it hammered it down constantly for about an hour. The forecast had been light rains so thankfully we’d packed waterproofs but even we weren’t prepared for thunder and lightening. As the first bolt struck 50 anglers stepped smartly away from their rods which remained exactly as they were until the storm past about an hour later.

Seacombe, Wirral

Modern rods are about 13 foot long, made of carbon fibre and are excellent lightening conductors!

Then the sun came out. It was like a different day and everyone was busy changing baits regularly to try and catch a few fish and get an early lead in the league.

Unfortunately no one told the fish we were having a match and only about 10 were caught in four hours by 50 people (a few Dabs, Plaice, Flounder and undersized Codling and Whiting) – not a good start.

Wendy and I came in joint last – with about 40 others! At this time of year it is difficult to fish the Mersey as the summer species have moved out and the winter fish have yet to arrive so those that caught fish did very well.

We did get some excellent views of Liverpool across the river, where you can see all the famous landmarks.