The One That Got Away!

 3 Velvet Scoter past this morning

08.05-09.35 from the fishing boats:
Brent Goose:  373 up
Velvet Scoter: 3 down
Red-throated Diver:  52 down
Black-throated Diver: 1 down
Great-crested Grebe: 17 around
Gannet: 56 down      23 up
Cormorant: many present n/c
Turnstone:  3 around
Black-headed Gull: many present n/c
Herring Gull: many present n/c
1w Caspian Gull: 1 on beach
G.B.B.Gull: present n/c
L.B.B.Gull: present n/c
Kittiwake: 12 down    6 around
Guillemot:  32 down       18 on sea
Razorbill:   1 down  1 on sea

News of a Red-necked Grebe at Scotney curtailed my sea watch, but by the time I arrived it had disappeared. 

I joined AJG in walk out to the back of Scotney to the barns. Myriads of Lapwing and Golden Plover gave spectacular flying displays each time they were flushed by machinery, 1,000+ Greylag Geese were also present, a Ring-tail Hen Harrier gave good scope views, 2 Marsh Harriers were  seen. Passerines were thin on the ground with just a handful each of Corn Bunting, Skylark and Meadow Pipits.

Stonechat at the caravan park

Another hour spent early afternoon looking for the Red-necked Grebe drew a blank, a posing Stonechat was  some compensation. 

I had just arrived at the turning circle on the beach and was scanning through the Gulls on the beach with my binoculars when a large diver with a lumpy head and very pale bill flew through my vision in the background. What followed was akin to the keystone Cops, I leaped out of the car and grabbed my scope off the back seat, the scope came out but the tripod didn't as its legs were tangled in the seat belt and I ended up on my backside on the pebbles. Getting my act together I eventually got the scope on to the bird, my suspicions about the bird being undiminished by the scope view, realising I needed a photograph I leaned into the car and grabbed my camera off the passenger seat, nearly pulling my shoulder out of its socket, as the camera was snatched out of my hand by the strap being wrapped around the hand brake lever, by the time it and I were untangled the Diver was disappearing around The Point. The one that got away!!!

14.00-15.00

Brent Goose: 78 up
Red-throated Diver: 15 down
Gannet: 21 down
Kittiwake: 9 down
Guillemot: 28 down      5 up
Razorbill: 1 down

Late afternoon on the reserve the Ring-necked Duck still present and a red head Smew was seen from the VC. Elsewhere 6 Goosander were seen at the southern end of the ARC early morning per SO.