Beach Walk 22 6 2007 I

We walked from the head of Fairhaven Lake to Pleasure Island in St Annes this evening. Here is the view looking back from Pleasure Island. The habitat is dune, shingle marsh & mudflats. Cora loves it!

This Stonechat was very much in evidence on the return leg of the walk. It allowed quite a close approach before fluttering off a few yards. (Sue has asked me to point out that she saw the Stonechats first and called me over to see them - Ed.)

This (Lesser? will check) Whitethroat was skulking in the same plant as the Stonechat but lower down and partially concealed by the foliage. Update: It isn't a lesser Whitethroat. It has a clear white eye ring, which is one way of distinguishing between the two. If its legs were visible they would be paler rather than dark, and the primaries have darkish brown edges.

Here is the Stonechat again with I believe his mate. In the distance Southport is a hazy blur.

Beach Walk 22 6 2007 II

The Viper's Bugloss was beautiful in the evening sunshine.

The backlighting here reveals a very distinctive profile.

I was surprised at how orange the dying flowers of the Evening Primrose had become.

I came accross some kind of Alium which looked more like a wierd plant-bee hybrid.

We saw a Cinnabar moth skulking in the undergrowth, Glasswort on the marshes seems to be ever on the increase, and a Skylark flew up from almost under my feet toward the end of the walk. A really super evening. Oh and there are two black rabbits amongst the wild ones on Stanner's Bank.

We saw White and Pink Campion and Sea Holly on the dunes, a small puffball and another nondescript fungus.