A good day despite the weather!

Meadow Pipit resting on the beach this morning

Another thoroughly miserable day on the peninsular. In the partial shelter of the fishing boats with CP 08.05-10.45:

Common Scoter: 16E  1W
Great-crested Grebe: 3 around
Fulmar: 2W
Gannet: 41E  6W
Ruff: 1 in
Arctic Skua: 9E
Sandwich Tern: 165E   17W
Common Tern: 3E
Swallow: 31 out
Yellow wagtail: 4E
Meadow Pipit: 51E
Linnet: 22 around
Siskin: 32 out
Harbour Porpoise: 2+
Common Seal: 1around
Grey Seal: 1 around
I missed a Pomarine Skua and a Great Skua which were seen by AJG and BC who were in the sea watch hide.

I only left the boats because the rain was making viewing very difficult, also the lure of a hot cup of coffee and full English at home was irresistible. On the way back 2 Great White Egrets could be seen on the New Diggings, a brief look at the fields at Boulderwall saw the Cattle Egret through the gloom. 

After breakfast and a warm up at home, the rain eased around midday. I decided to go back to the beach, on the way DW tweeted a Wryneck at the south end of the trapping area, a few minutes later I was at the area where the Wryneck was last seen. The rain started up again, a Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Blackcap and Whitethroat were seen, fortunately I almost trod on the Wryneck so got a brief flight view of it as it disappeared into some Sallows. The rain was now very heavy so I wimped out and made my way back to the observatory.

A party of 4 Balearic Shearwaters off the fishing boats this afternoon

It was either go home, or go to the relative shelter of the fishing boats for another sea watch, the boats won!

13.45-17.00 joined later by PT, AJG and BM:

Brent Goose: 1W
Wigeon: 4W
Common Scoter: 3W
Great-crested Grebe: 5 around
Fulmar: 3W
Manx Shearwater: 1W
Balearic Shearwater: 12W
Gannet: 492W
Cormorant: 17 around
Dunlin: 8W
Great Skua: 5W
Arctic Skua: 10W
Kittiwake: 4W
Yellow-legged Gull: 1 on beach
Black Tern: 3 around
Sandwich Tern: 626 W
Common Tern: 25W
Swallow: 1,413 out
Grey Seal: 1
Harbour Porpoise:  3+

Yellow-legged Gull on the beach this afternoon