Sunday 4 September 2011

A Very Pleasant Sea Watch

After a plod from the lighthouse round the moat and back, finding only 2 Common Whitethroats, 4 Yellow Wagtails over and a few Swallows and Sand Martins on the move a sea watch was the order of the day.
DW was already at the fishing boats and had had Shearwaters and Skua's. I was there from 09.30- 13.30 the last hour in the car.
Arctic Skua's were on view virtually non stop though probably only about 20 individuals were involved as they were cruising up and down beating up the terns. 3 Bonxies W and 1 E, at least 3 Balearic Shearwaters were feeding off shore (DW had a Manx earlier), a super flock of 9 Greenshanks and 2 Sanderling W, 2 Little Gulls, 1 Shag o/s, 3 Barwits N, 20+ Guillemots o/s, 3 Wigeon W, 7 Teal W, 26 Common Scoter W, several hundred Common and Sandwich Terns with Gannets  o/s. On the beach 4 Yellow Wagtails, 3 Northern Wheatears and a Sparrowhawk.
9 Greenshanks

Balearic Shearwater

Balearic Shearwater
I resisted the temptation to go to Springfield Bridge on the news of a Corncrake being seen there. But went to the ARC Pit to be told in the car park by PT of a myriad of waders there only to see most  them go as i walked along the track to the hide leaving just 1 Little Stint, 3 Barwits, 50+ Oycs and 6 Dunlin.
A look at Boulderwall Farm for the Cattle Egret drew a blank but 4 Whinchats by the track were compensation.

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