An Excellent Day Despite The Weather!

 Grey Phalarope

This mornings sea watch 06.15 to 09.15 then 10.40-11.40 with AJG who kindly collated all the numbers also SO & OM.
Common Scoter: 11E    6 on
Red-throated Diver: 1W
Great-crested Grebe: 2 around
Gannet: 108W
Kestrel: 1 out
Turnstone: 4 around
Grey Phalarope: 1 around
Arctic Skua: 38W
Mediterranean Gull: 13+ around
Kittiwake: 1W
Sandwich Tern: 657W
Common Tern 49W
Arctic Tern 4W
Auk: 1E
Meadow Pipit: 436W
Swallow:11 out

 Grey Phalarope

Common Terns

1cy Mediterranean Gull

 Tree Pipit 

While we were at the observatory having a cup of tea Dave Bunney called to say that an Osprey was currently heading round The Point, we all ran to the top of The Moat where we could see all the Gulls alarming and then Osprey appeared from behind the lighthouse and headed off West, many Meadow Pipits were flying around the observatory and many were caught in the Crow trap and processed, also a Tree Pipit dropped onto the wires by the observatory.

 5 Spoonbills on Burrowes, 1 is tagged but to distant to read

A very poor image of the Pectoral Sandpiper that made a brief visit to Firth at lunchtime

Egyptian Geese with a late brood of 5 young on Burrowes

1 of at least 8 Cattle Egrets at Boulderwall today

 Cattle Egrets

On the ARC from Hanson early afternoon, 3 Great White Egrets, a Knot, 4 Dunlin, 4 Black Terns, 2+ Arctic Terns, 3+ Garganey, a Bittern (just), also good numbers of Hirundines over the lake.

Great White Egret not enjoying the rain

Spot the Bittern

 I went back to the reserve early this evening mainly to see if the Pectoral Sandpiper had returned, it hadn't but the Little Stint was still present and the Spoonbills had moved closer and enabled me to discern the colour ring and flag combination. Checking on the web this evening it looks like it is a German bird denoted by the black flag, I look froward to receiving the full data from the ringing team.

 The Spoonbills weren't impressed by the Greylag Geese coming in to roost.

Flag and colour ring combination just about discernible