A Sooty Shearwater in the Sun!

06.50-08.40 from near the fishing boats, numbers collated by AJG:
Brent Goose: 4E
Teal: 66W
Common Scoter: 3E
Fulmar: 1E
Gannet: 48E
Arctic Skua: 6E
Sandwich Tern: 119E
Common Tern: 26E
Swallow: 338E
Around The Point migrants were very thin on the ground, in fact it was virtually bird less. On the reserve I could not find the Red-backed Shrike, though a Wheatear and a Whinchat were seen. The Cattle egret put in a brief appearance at Boulderwall Farm before disappearing in a distant ditch. From Springfield Bridge 2 Great White Egrets, 2 Yellow Wagtails, a Hobby, the usual Marsh Harriers and a couple of Siskins over.

A walk down Denge Marsh Gully and out to the power station saw 12 Wheatears, 2 Whinchats, 4 Common Whitethroats, a steady trickle of Swallows moving east but little else, though a huge rig being towed down channel was interesting.

 Probably the reason I saw very little in Denge Marsh Gully was the presence of the environment agency and their reed cutting boat/machine.

Sooty Shearwater

14.00-16.00 from the fishing boats with AJG and BM.
Brent Goose: 2W
Wigeon: 2E
Common Scoter:  3E   60W
Great-crested Grebe: 7 around
Fulmar: 1W
Sooty Shearwater: 1E
Gannet: 15E
Pomarine Skua: 1 juv E
Arctic Skua: 10E
Yellow-legged Gull: 1 juv/1w around
Mediterranean Gull: 1stW  E
Sandwich Tern: 67E
Common Tern: 9E
Swallow: 61E
Harbour Porpoise: 12+
Common Seal: 1
Grey Seal: 1

3 Harbour Porpoises, 1 on the surface 2 just under the surface.

Late afternoon at the ARC from Hanson the lake was carpeted with Sand Martins, c100 Golden Plover, c150 Lapwing, 7 Ruff, a Black Tern, a Black-necked Grebe and the usual wildfowl. There was no sign of the White-winged Black Tern seen earlier.

The Plodland MV continues to be dominated by Setaceous Hebrew Characters, 3 Vestals were the quality.