Not so obvious.

After yesterdays disappointment today seemed to continue in a similar vein with Great Shearwaters, Sabines Gull, Pom Skuas etc between Newbiggin and Whitburn and where was I - at work.

So what was the plan? Have an early finish to coincide with high tide, thats obvious. Should I go to Newbiggin, the premier Northumberland seawatch spot? After all I was a regular there for many years and its only ten minutes away from work. I could quite easily drop in there for a couple of hours and chances are meet up with friends cleaning up on the goodies. After all, more sets of eyes makes the seawatching easier, right?

Then I remembered and old article by DIM Wallace who wrote about 'not doing the obvious'. In his case, it was 1990, I think, and he was considering whether or not to twitch the Yellow throated Vireo in Cornwall after a lull on his local patch, ie, no Dusky Thrushes or Oriental Skylarks for a week or so. What did he do? He ignored the mega in the south west and gathered his senses and headed back to his patch. And for what. A female Peregrine if my mind serves me correctly.

Well my predicament was not as bad as his surely, after all there were no mega's in store or even lifers for that matter, so it was back down to the Boulmer seawatch seat for a couple of hours to try my best to add to the patch list.

Now you're thinking, there must be a good ending to the tale, you know, the bit where I get an albatross 200 yards offshore for ten minutes. Well there was no pay back for my efforts, only a bog standard high pressure movement.

One day I will get my just desserts!

Todays details - Light SE2, overcast sea calmish.

4.00pm - 6.00pm

Sooty Shearwater 10 N
Manx Shearwater 32 N
Fulmar 21 N
Arctic Skua 17 N
Bonxie 4 N
Common Tern 16 N
Arctic Tern 53 N
Sandwich Tern 20+
Little Gull 1 ad 4 juvs all in one flock N
Puffin 5 N
Shag 8 N
Red throated Diver 2 S
Teal 27 N
Common Scoter 4 S
Greenshank 1 S
Whimbrel 3 S
Bar tailed Godwit 4 juvs
Knot 4 juvs