Snab 2_4_10

A drive up the coast this afternoon saw me park up at Snab Point, just south of Cresswell. News from earlier in the day has suggested that there could be stuff worth seeing, and indeed my two and three quarter hour visit was moderately successful, particularly as I could sea-watch from the relative comfort of my car.

So, the main quarry - that's the "2" reference; with two storm petrel - the first at 15:11, drifting north ~ not the best view as it fluttered between the wave troughs, but suffice to remind me how small a species it is! The second was picked up at 15:52, this time a few meters closer to shore and a more prolonged view over the top of the impressive breaking waves. A result, especially when I consider that the last time I saw this species was in 1989!!!. Better numbers had been reported in the morning from nearby Newbiggin, but I shall not complain.

4 ~ the number of drake velvet scoter noted - all flying north, with two of them immediately following the stomies.

10 ~ manx shearwater. I had expected to pick more of these but they were sufficiently scarce this afternoon. Although not as scarce as any skua sp. - not a sniff of any!

Otherwise there was a steady stream of gannet, kittiwake, commic terns, sandwich tern along with guillemot and an occasional razorbill and red-throated diver.... all rather pleasant. 

Monday Seawatch

With the news of a cory's shearwater heading north from Hartlepool late morning, I opted to spend some time sea-watching this afternoon.

The obvious choice for me would normally be St Mary's... but for some reason I elected to head a bit further north, past Newbiggin and start watching from Snab Point.

The location was actually not too bad - I was able to view from a height of about ten meters above the beach (which is higher than the likes of St Mary's etc), but the coast here is recessed a bit, so birds passing Newbiggin are likely to drift out to sea a bit, venturing closer to land at Hauxley.

So, for the next four and a half hours I scoped the sea and enjoyed a reasonably steady trickle of seabirds - the totals being something like:

• manx shearwater - 150 N
• sooty shearwater - 3N
• great skua - 4N
• arctic skua - 5N 1S
• pomarine skua - 1N
• pale-bellied brent goose - 9N (inc 7 on sea, these had previously been reported past St Mary's 50 minutes earlier)
• wigeon - 30N
• teal - 25N
• common scoter - few parties N, no more than 20 birds in total
• gannet - 100's, inc many parties of mixed ages
• kittiwake - 100's
• auks - guillemot and razorbill
• sandwich tern - 2

Hopes had been high when the cory's shearwater was reported at both Whitburn and St Mary's (along with great shearwater at Whitburn)... but alas, no joy today.