26/27/07/2020

Sunday 26/07/2020

Early Sunday morning was sunny and almost windless so I visited The Midrips and Wicks to see how the Avocet and Black-headed Gull colony was faring. I was delighted to count 20 Black-headed Gull chicks in this newly established colony, there was also 13 of this years young Avocets still present with 8 Adults which I'm sure is record number for this site. On the pools 2 smart Black-tailed Godwits, 2 Turnstones, 4 Ringed Plovers and 3 Whimbrel on the beach. A Little Egret on the Pool was unusual due to the lack of food available to it at this site.

 1 of 2 Black-tailed Godwits at The Midrips

 Young Black-headed gulls

 Ever vigilant parent Avocet

 2 of 3 socially distancing Whimbrel

Little Egret an unusual sighting at The Midrips not surprisingly it didn't hang around

Monday 27/07/2020

The Black dot just in front of the bow of the ship is a Manx Shearwater

05.30-08.45 from the fishing boats AJG, CP & (MC 0745-08.45 only)
Common Scoter: 5E.   3W
Great-crested Grebe: 2 o/s
Manx Shearwater: 2W  (MC only
Sooty Shearwater: 1E. (CP & AJG only)
Gannet: 21E     46W
Cormorant: 4 o/s
Oystercatcher: 3E
Arctic Skua: 1W
Kittiwake: 28W
Yellow-legged Gull: 4 juveniles around
Common Tern: c40 o/s
Sandwich Tern: 28W
Auk sp: 1E
Sand Martin: 158S
Swift: 10S
Harbour Porpoise: 4+
Grey Seal: 1

 Aggressive juvenile Yellow-legged Gull

 A real bruiser of a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull

Another Herring Gull sentenced to a lingering death by a careless fisherman

13.30-18.30 DS, MH, AJG, CP, MC Many thanks to all contributers.
Common Scoter:13E     11W
Great-crested Grebe: 3 o/s
Fulmar: 4W      1E
Manx Shearwater: 1W
Balearic Shearwater: 2W  DS only
Gannet: 89W     13E
Cormorant: 4 o/s
Dunlin: 2W
Knot: 22W
Kittiwake: 83W
Mediterranean Gull: 1 juvenile around
Little Tern: 3W
Common Tern: 110W
Sandwich Tern: 53W
Swift: 573S

Black-winged Stilt still present today

Argyrestia brockeela a common micro but very attractive