A bit wild at home today. The wind was a nice force 8 NE gale and it stayed dusk all day, but the heavy rain through the night stayed away all day. Just.
So as I mentioned the other day, I decided to pop down to the coast path and scan seaward. Arriving at 8.30am and staying until 10.30am, it wasn't too bad for the time of year. Now this is no Whitburn or Flamborough but I had a few nice patch birds...
Red throated Diver 1 N 3 S and 1 on the sea.
Black throated Diver 2 N, close in. The rarest of the regular divers in the county.
Great Northern Diver 2 N
Diver sp ( GND or BTD ) 1 N too far out to id.
Fulmar 10 per hour N
Gannet 20 ph N
Shelduck 2 N
Wigeon 1 N
Scaup 4 ( 2 male 2 female) N in one flock.
Eider 12 N 4 S
Common Scoter 46 N 3 S
Velvet Scoter 1 male N
Long tailed Duck 2 nice full tailed males N very close in.
Red breasted Merganser 1 female N
Kittiwake 50 ph N
Auk sp All those specifically id'd were Guillemots, a steady movement N.
Purple Sandpiper 1 N
Turnstone 2 N
No Little Auks or the hoped for Leach's Petrel but any day with three Diver species is good in my book.
8 comments:
You got the 'best' of the weather it was cats and dogs here, put me right off.
A nice list there Stewart! Your lucky to have missed the rain as it hasn't stopped all day here! Cheers Brian.
Some mouth watering species there, Stewart. Well, there is for us land-locked mortals.
Here, here dean. Such species will never grace my patch!
Well tossed it down all day so at least you managed to get out and see something Stewart.
Its strange that the weather was so split. No rain here at all until about 7pm but Jane went to Silverlink and it was lashing down.
Dean and Warren - No doubt some coastal birds will be megas inland, but remember, up here we get less moths, butterflies, dragonflies, Hobbies, Turtle Doves, Kites etc etc. Its horses for courses really, Auks, Gannets, Kitts and Fulmars are all day birds here but anywhere inland would be pager material. I still look for these and other sea birds for the garden list. Even though the sea is only 300 mtrs away it isnt visible from home and these birds like water below them...
Try this though. All of those plus divers, snow bunts, little auks, merlins, 5 sp of Tern, all sea ducks are all easier to see on my patch than Great crested Grebe or Pochard!
It was tipping down all day here as well. I still need Leach's Petrel but it was bad enough going into our back garden to fill the feeders, so spent the day in my nice warm, dry office.
A nice selection BB, Very similar to what was recorded off Girdleness....ie a few divers and no Little auks!
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