Wednesday 3 January 2018

Eleanor blows in an Icy Beauty!

09.00-10.00 from the fishing boats in clear skies & Westerly 7-8:
Red-throated Diver: 53 down.  32 up
Great-crested Grebe: present n/c
Fulmar: 19 down
Gannet: 74 down
Cormorant: present n/c
Caspian Gull: regular 1w bird
Kittiwake: 243 down
Guillemot: 306 down
I had just left the fishing boats when DW called me to say a white winger was feeding off the fishing boats, a couple of minutes later I was watching a superb 2w Iceland Gull feeding among the huge waves and in terrible light conditions. We watched it for a couple of hours before retiring for a cup of tea, on our return it made one pass before moving off towards The Patch. The regular 1w Caspian Gull was feeding around our feet, Gannets and Kittiwakes were skimming the shore line, just offshore many Guillemots, Great-crested Grebes and a few Red-throated Divers were feeding.
 Superb 2w Iceland Gull
  Superb 2w Iceland Gull
  Superb 2w Iceland Gull
  Superb 2w Iceland Gull
  Superb 2w Iceland Gull
  Superb 2w Iceland Gull
  Superb 2w Iceland Gull
 Kittiwakes along the shore line
 1w Caspian Gull
 1w Caspian Gull with a Sea Mouse
 Gannets were coming in close at the fishing boats
 Black-throated Diver on the ARC viewed from the causeway
Late afternoon on my way to the Gull roost on Burrowes I made a brief stop on the causeway to see the Black-throated Diver on the ARC which was found today by a visiting birder. It was rather distant so hopefully better views will be obtained in the next few days.
On the reserve the Long-eared Owl was showing reasonably well behind the Dipping Pool, viewed from Makepiece the 1w Glaucous Gull and another 1w Caspian Gull came into roost. 
1 of the Long-eared Owls showing comparatively well this afternoon behind the Dipping Pool

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