25/09/2024 Balearic Shearwaters!

Heavy rain was threatened for this morning but never materialised, just a light showers.

07.40-09.30 from the Hide:
Common Scoter: 9E      
Sandwich Tern: 132W   37E       
Kittiwake: 1W
Black-headed Gull: 223W
Mediterranean Gull: 31W
Common Gull: 8W
Herring Gull: present n/c
Great Black-backed Gull: present n/c
Lesser Black-backed Gull: 2W
Arctic Skua: 5W     2E
Guillemot: 1E
Auk sp: 3E     1W
Balearic Shearwater: 33W     1E
Gannet: 607E       102W    
Cormorant: Present n/c
Swallow: 144E
Harbour Porpoise: 6
Grey Seal: 1

Some of todays Balearic Shearwaters

Balearic Shearwaters

Caspian Gull that hasn't quite yet moulted into 1w plumage

Caspian Gull that is still retaining most of its juvenile plumage

A visit to to the ARC from Hanson was disappointing avian wise, but very disappointing to see the rate that the islands are disappearing, if the weather forecast for the next 2 days is correct then I believe most of the islands will be covered, also probably the same on Burrowes especially those to eh left of and front of Dennis's Hide.😢

14.00-15.30 from the Boats:

Arctic Tern: 1W

Common Tern: 9W

Sandwich Tern: 176W   32E       

Black-headed Gull: 72W

Mediterranean Gull: 48W

Common Gull: 30W

Herring Gull: present n/c

Great Black-backed Gull: present n/c

Lesser Black-backed Gull: 3W

Arctic Skua: 6W     1E

Gannet: 83W       21E   

Cormorant: 7W    2E

Swallow: 17 out

Juvenile Arctic Tern past the fishing boats this afternoon

A pair of 1w Mediterranean Gulls at the fishing boats

I'd just retuned home for a cup of tea late afternoon when Stephen Message found a Slavonian and Black-necked Grebe on Scotney from the double bends, so I jumped on my electric bike and was there in a few minutes, the birds as usual on Scotney were at the back of the main lake and rather distant but OK in the scope.