Today wasn't a classic.

A check of the weather forecast last night was a total waste of time. Met up with Malc for a trip around NW, with Downholland Moss, Marshside, Ainsdale, Crosby/Seaforth then probably Sandbach to end all on the agenda. The forecast for today was fine & dry, well it was bollocks it was wet & miserable. Decided to call at Birchwood en-route for fuel and the reported Waxwings, fuel was no problem even tho the sneaky bastards are slowly increasing the pump prices, the Waxwings on the other hand were no where to be seen but that comes as no great surprise. Downholland Moss failed to produce not only any Pinkfeet but no Corn Buntings either ? So off to Marshside for the ever present GWT. Driving along the coast road i noticed something i have never seen in my 37 years of living ? THE SEA. It was spring high tide and now i would rather be at Parkgate Marsh ... ah well. Oh yeah, no sign of the resident GWT. Peregrine was as good as it got on the marsh. Ainsdale beach proved fruitless and we totally sacked Crosby/Seaforth off and went to Sandbach to check the gulls. The rain was still falling and it was cold, around 150 gulls were present on pumphouse holding nothing that jumped out at you. There was a brute of a Herring type gull present. Head had a flat crown with a steep forehead, yellow bill was large with thick dark band,red gonys and tip had a grey/green tinge to it. Eye on first appearance was small and dark but as the light improved showed a pale iris but eye was small. Could'nt see the legs nor the primarys but the mantle was same as argentaus. Probably just a normal Herring after all it is a gull. Cold and wet we decided to call it a day, did manage to see the salt pile thats been in the news recently, hardly a highlight in fact on a whole today wasn't a classic.