Good start / Good End

Headed to st. Mary's this evening for an hours sea watch before dusk. Arrived as most of the others had left, with only Mark L and Alan J on watch - first bird through the scope was a close-in Sooty shearwater!

Gannets predominated viewing, with lesser numbers of kittiwake. 25 Brent geese headed north and a few wigeon. Skuas seen consisted only of Arctic, while the highlight of the watch was almost missed by Alan, as a storm petrel fluttered north in line with the yellow buoy! The investment in the new scope is paying off...

17

With continued reports of storm petrel off the north-east coast I headed back out today, arriving at Hartley just before 16:00.

Took a gamble with the location, but I figured that birds being reported off St Mary's and Seaton Sluice could be picked up from the cliff top inbetween...

Indeed they were, with the scope fixed above a feeding party of guillemot the first flew into view, and one and a half hours later a minimum of 17 had moved through. One bird lingered throughout, feeding between fishermens marker flags, while one scope view contained three. Result!

Otherwise it was quiet - six manx shearwater headed north, a small party of common scoter too. Kittiwake were numerous as were gannet. Again no skua sp., two red-throated diver...

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.