(Sunday 12th April, 2026)
Over to Wirral Country Park at Thurstaston this morning where we experienced sunshine, wind, rain and hailstones during our brief excursion!
The morning began well enough with a moderate temperature of 12°C which felt much warmer when the sun came out. However, the south-westerly wind was very gusty, particularly as we traversed the exposed part of the path near the cliffs. But at least it was dry at this point.
Mallard drake
Unfortunately, there weren’t a great deal of birds about, which we put down largely to the weather: the occasional crow or gull that was brave enough to take to the air was swiftly blown off course by the wind. Any other birds witnessing this spectacle would have had second thoughts, I’m sure.
Looking towards Welsh side of the Dee Estuary from Thurstaston, at low tide. (You can just make out Point of Ayr Lighthouse, Talacre, on the top right, next to the wind turbines).
We also happened to arrive at low tide – this doesn’t mean that birds aren’t feeding, but because the estuary shoreline is farther out any birds that are feeding are themselves farther out and dispersed along the vast area at the edge of the water. So, further away from us and spread out wide too. If you look at the photograph (you may need to zoom!), you can see some wading birds, Oystercatchers mostly, and crows to the left of the two boats. We did hear the distinctive sound of a Curlew calling from somewhere on the beach, but we didn’t actually locate it visually. Still, it’s reassuring to know that there are still some about here, despite numbers declining (Curlews are on the Red List of Birds of Conservation Concern).
In the park itself, we saw a Wren skipping along the low branches of a hawthorn bush, but it was reluctant to have its photograph taken this particular morning. Likewise, we saw a Long-tailed-tit a little further along which didn’t hang around long enough for a photograph either. It was unusual to see one of these birds by itself – usually, you see several together chattering excitedly to each other as they flit about, but this one was alone.
Luckily, it was business as usual for the Canada goose and the three Mallard drakes who were all pretty much unconcerned by the weather, happily swimming around in the little ponds of the park.
The important stuff
We went to Flissy’s Coffee Shop on Station Road and sat outside while we waited for our refreshments. It was quite pleasant because we were out of the wind now but, seemingly out of nowhere, we were deluged by a combination of hailstones and rain. We adjourned inside to dry out and finish our customary cappuccinos and Bakewell slices. Squelch!
