Thursday 5 October 2017

5th October 2017

Weather: NW force 6 mostly clear and sunny


Another day of sea watching over the tide which again was most productive. The first Leach's petrel that was seen on arrival from the obs balcony heralded the steady passage of a total of 18 during the morning.


Five Arctic Skuas were about albeit fairly distant, but bird of the day was a Pomarine Skua heading west at medium distance after being briefly mobbed by an Arctic Skua and giving good views.

Terns still captured observers attention with 4 Common Terns, 2 Arctic Terns and 2 Black Terns but amazingly Sandwich Tern which has been the most numerous this week was entirely absent.


Guillemots and Razorbills have also featured in large numbers recently but today there were less than a couple of dozen, likewise Gannets (44) were also down on other days.

Common Scoter are still well into a few thousand present but despite many giving closer views no rarer species could be found.



Three Eiders were noted including 2 drakes which pitched in off the north end.



The sea watch included 5 Golden Plovers flying west and more than a dozen Meadow Pipits arriving 'in off'. A couple of Goldcrests in the gardens were not much of a surprise on a north westerly but a young male Blackcap caught and ringed was.


Ringed: 1 Blackcap      [582-34]

No comments: