I planned my trip to the Dee Estuary on on Sunday but nearly pulled out because of the very strong winds.  I drove to the New Brighton Marine Lake first as.  The high tide was around 10am.  My first date was with the Purple Sandpiper which shelter on the pontoon an hour before and after the high tide.  They were accompanied by plenty of Redshank, Turnstone, Dunlin and a single Knot.  Also present on the Marine Lake were Herring Gull, Black-headed Gull, Lesser Black-Backed Gull and a Common Gull.  A dark duck flew in the distance, a probable Common Scoter.  Thanks to the two East Lancs birders, Ian Walker and Gavin Thomas for pointing out the Kittiwake, Little Gull and Guillemot and also letting me people through your scopes! 

The Purple Sandpiper and Little Gull were firsts for me.  A great start to the day!

I moved onto Neston Old Quay to see if I could manage to add another first for the list - the Water Pipit.  After about an hour I gave up.  A Pipit which could have been a Wipit or a Ripit (Rock Pipit) flew past but to fast to get any good idea of which it could have been. 

Then onto BMW - not the car but the Burton Mere Wetlands.  Over the last week there were Bean Geese, Jack Snipe, Spotted Redshank and a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker.  A Glossy Ibis had stopped by, a number of Great White Egrets were also present and a Spoonbill had dropped in recently.  However, none of these exotic beauties would have been as exciting as the 4 listed before them as they would have all been firsts.  I had seen the 3 long-legged beauties at other locations both abroad and also in England. 

The only bird I did see was the Great White Egret.  The strong winds would have meant the birds would have gone for cover.  Next stop was Burton Marsh where we saw 2 Short-eared Owls.   That was the end of the day.