12th May 2022

 Weather: W force 5/6, backing SW late in the afternoon.

A sea watch in May with a force 5-6 westerly was not expected to be very productive and the obs member present was pleased to see 56 Gannet, also 3 Guillemot going east. However, whilst counting Gannets a Shearwater was spotted to the north east travelling west. About the size of a Manx Shearwater but brownish with no obvious contrast between the upperparts and underparts it was probably a Balearic Shearwater, a rare shearwater to occur in Liverpool Bay. After high tide it was a surprise to get 120 Kittiwake moving west passed the hide in 3 seperate groups, very unusual at this time of year. 

Not so many terns on the sea watch, just 16 Common and 4 Sandwich, also waders were in low numbers including 110 Dunlin, 9 Whimbrel and 2 Turnstone, one of which was bearing a flag from a ringing scheme elsewhere.

'Old faithful' the drake Eider stayed close with 5 Little Egrets about the island.

The Kestrel was on the island and the only obvious small migrant was a single Wheatear. At least one of the pairs of Blackbirds is carrying food, while Pied Wagtails have a nest where they have been in previous years.

Photos AS