I sat for a while in the sun overlooking a nice blue calm sea. A few Sandwich Terns, Fulmars and Kittiwakes loitered about while a Gannet or two passed by on their way back to Bass Rock.
The tide was full, making the long skeer off the harbour into an island. On here, a Whimbrel called briefly as it jostled for space with a few Oystercatchers, then a Common Sandpiper fluttered across the channel onto the the rock. Patch year tick No 1. As the waves lapped, a smaller bird appeared with the Eiders. A Goosander redhead. We get a few moulting birds in the area at this time, so this was Patch year tick No2.
As I casually scanned about wondering if the seawatching would be any good this year, a gull roosting on the rock caught my attention. An odd colour that, I thought, and went to get the scope from the boot. As suspected, it was a first summer Glaucous Gull roosting in the sun! Not exactly what you want to be seeing in July, but its a full on patch tick, year tick No3 in half an hour, so it would be churlish to complain. Get on the list.
Now, where are the waders....
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| Thats it, bang centre. Click on it... |
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| First summer Glaucous Gull, surprisingly, my first on patch since moving here 6 years ago. |
125. Goosander
126. Glaucous Gull.
4 comments:
They sort of cancel out my Crossbill and Greylag Goose of last week... there's still all to play for!
How many are you on now Steve? I'm on exactly 90% now, so need to get my finger out really. All I had in June was Swift, then nothing until these three. Now passage is underway I should pick up odds and ends.
95, so that's 95% I believe that your autumn will be more profitable than mine! But it's fun Stewart, so let's get out there and see what happens!
Definitely. August is often a good month here. There are loads of possibilities that I may or may not get during the month - Med Gull, Skuas, Sooty, Merlin, Hobby ( rare), if winds turn east - Whinchat, Spot Fly. Still need likely stuff such as Dunlin, Ringed Plover, Ruff, Black t Godwit, Common tern. Nothing is nailed on here, not having standing water or other birders to inspire really slows it down!
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