The answer to the legendary A Team, the B Team consisting of myself, Craggy and Craig Bell or should I say more likely Z Team managed to make a trip first to Burton Mere Wetlands in Cheshire and then onto Ainsdale.  The temptation of 12 Spoonbills which have been present for a few weeks at Burton Mere and a Tern roost consisting of thousands as well as Gulls at Ainsdale proved too much. 

First stop was Burton Mere but on the day we decide to go 7 of the 12 Spoonbill decide to depart and the remaining 5 play statues behind feral Canada Geese.  We did wait a while to see if they would move and give better views but in the Avian stare down we lost.  It did feel a bit disappointing that they were not close as I viewed them in July and having them do fly by's but how often do we see 5 Spoonbill not even 50 metres away in the North West of England?  Usually they were a white blob on the Ribble Marshes or the Eric Morecambe Complex. 

On the wader front things were quite different.  Black-tailed Godwit, Ruff, Lapwing, Ringed Plover, Dunlin, Greenshank, Redshank, Snipe, Curlew, Curlew, Curlew Sandpiper and best of a Little Stint with it's "braces".  Craig managed to pick out a Pintail in the throngs of Canada Geese, Greylag and Mallard.  Buzzard and two Marsh Harriers entertained on the raptor front. 

There were some Green-veined Whites as well as quite a few basking Dragonflies.  We could have managed a 13th Wader that day in the form of a Green Sandpiper but it had gone into hiding!  Oddly, one species sadly missing

After a bit of a snack we decided to head to Ainsdale although once getting close to Southport we realised we had an obstacle - the Southport Air Show. We managed to access Ainsdale Beach and head North to the roost.  We managed to see 6 species of Gulls - Great and Lesser Black-Backed, Herring, Common, Black-headed and a single Mediterranean Gull in winter plumage picked out by Craig Bell.  It had a green colour ring with the letters AKUT.  Craig managed to get the bird's history and what an interesting one indeed!  We managed to see three species of Terns - Sandwich, Common, Arctic and added some more waders - Bar-tailed Godwits, Sanderling, Oystercatcher and Knot and two Little Egrets.

Next we headed to Marshside to see if we could add Cattle Egret which would be a British first for me and a lifer for Craggy and any other waders passing through.  We got some cracking views of a juvenile Starling, some more Little Egrets and a blob which I was sure was the Cattle Egret but it was very brief and it did not reappear.  Oddly, the Cattle Egret has now mved to Burton Mere!