Rain stops play

A Bonxie went south past Whitburn Obs this morning in 3 hours but little else on a rainy day. Magic Mark and I fancied we might get some decent birds today after yesterdays quality but the rain just didn't stop so little was moving. I did manage an Obs year tick with Tufted Duck bringing my list to 58 (i think)
Its a shame about the conditions as its my last sea watch of January, i head off to Thailand later this week
This is what we saw in order of appearance

Sunday 19th January 07.45-10.45 SE3 rain

Black h Gull 6n19s
Common Gull 1n 5s
Shag 1s
Fulmar 62n
Eider 19n 1s
Gannet 11n 24s
Guillemot 58n 3s
Razorbill 2n 1s
Common Scoter 16n 3s
Kittiwake 6n 3s
Red th Diver 3n 3s
Bonxie1s
Tufted Duck 1n
Shelduck 3n 1s

Obs Mega as Bewick Swan goes north

Bewick Swan, 3 Whoopers, Great northern Diver and a Manxie all passed Whitburn Obs in 41/2 hours today. Yes an Obs Mega Bewick Swan, only the 2nd i have seen on a Whitburn sea watch flying with 3 Whoopers. Magic Mark beat me in today, and i had to leave for a while on Grandad duties but thankfully i was back when he called the Swans flying north. It was a cracking watch with a good mix up of birds, this is what we saw 

Saturday 18th January 07.40-12.10 SE 2-3 cloud and rain at times

Red th Diver 5n 19s
Fulmar 75n 12s
Blue Fulmar 1s
Cormorant 1s
Shag 1s
Gannet 25n 20s
Whooper Swan 3n (10.35)
Bewick Swan 1n
Eider 6n 8s
Common Scoter 1n 20s
Long t Duck 1s
Grey Heron 2n
Manx Shearwater 1n (08.56)
Scand Herring Gull 1n 4s
Black h Gull 1n 72s
Razorbill 2s
Great n Diver 1n (11.40)

Bird Race Bedlam

25 Red th Divers and 6 species of wildfowl passed Whitburn Obs this morning. It was quiet which was bad news for the South Tyneside Bird Race Teams that visited the Obs. Magic Mark new Mark and myself did our best to find the elusive sea birds they wanted but sea watching needs time and patience and bird races need birds
This is what we saw in order of appearance

Sunday 12th January 07.45-10.30 S2

Cormorant 6s
Black h Gull 154s
Red th Diver 10n 15s
Eider 7n 14s
Common Scoter 8n 9s
Guillemot 12n 8s
Porpoise 2
Kittiwake 4n 1s
Gannet 5n 2s
Scan Herring Gull 1s
Goldeneye 2n
Teal 4n
Wigeon 2s
Rock Pipit 3s
Sparrowhawk 1n
Redshank 1s
Common Gull 40s
Fulmar 32n

Tomorrow I'm off to Seahouses for a couple of nights at the Bamborogh Castle Inn and a bit Northumberland birding but back soon

Obs year list update

Velvet Scoter, Little Gull and 14 Red th Divers passed Whitburn Obs by 10am this morning. It was a very quiet sea watch, magic Mark must have had a premonition he was at work, new Mark was in and wished he hadn't bothered. My Obs year list was on 51 after the Glaucous Gull mid week and even on a poor day i managed to add another couple with Mallard and Reed Bunting...53 and counting
This is what we saw in order of appearance
Here's hoping for better tomorrow

Saturday 11th January 07.45-10.00 WSW 2

Common Scoter 6n 16s
Fulmar 3n 1s
Guillemot 10n 2s
Cormorant 5n 4s
Red th Diver 13n 1s
Shag 1n 2s
Shelduck 6n
Eider 6n
Kittiwake 1n 1s
Velvet Scoter 1n
Gannet 1n 1s
Mallard 2s
Little Gull 2n

White wash.....

a juvenile Glaucous Gull went north past Whitburn Obs this morning and 4 Little Gulls. Magic Mark was having a mid week watch so i had to join him, i was only in till 10am and this is what i saw

Thursday 9th January 08.00-10.00 NW2

Eider 3n 2s
Black h Gull 14n 9s
Cormorant 4s
Glaucous Gull juv1n at 8.04
Porpoise 1
Red th Diver 15n 7s
Common Scoter 3n
Shag 1n 4s
Guillemot 12n 3s
Fulmar 13n 1s
Gannet 2n

obs year list mayhem

105 Red throated Divers passed Whitburn Obs on our sea watch this morning and 11 species of wildfowl. It was a year listers dream with loads of birds passing. Magic Mark,  Stevie Thunder and new Mark were back for more and Hoggie joined us later. It was none stop action
This is what we saw in order of appearance

Sunday 5th January 07.50-11.00 SW2 light cloud

Black h Gull 26n 469s yes 469
Guillemot 10n 23s
Eider 11n 5s
Common Scoter 27n 36s
Kittiwake 10n 1s
Red th Diver 12n 93s
Bar tailed Godwit 1n
Gannet 5n 6s
Cormorant 12s
Wigeon 4n
Turnstone 17s
Porpoise 2
Med Gull 1s
Grey Heron 2s
Curlew 1s
Scaup 1n
Fulmar 11n
Velvet Scoter 2n 2s
Brent Goose 2n  8s all pb
Shelduck 7n
Shag 1n 7s
Goldeneye 2n 1s
Red br Merganser 1n
Little Gull 3s
Goosander 1s
Teal 2s

slavering over blue velvets.......

Slav Grebe,Blue Fulmar, 5 Velvet Scoters, Little Gulls, prob 1st w Yellow legged Gull, Bonxie,  is this heaven on earth.......no its Whitburn Obs. All this and i missed the first Manx Shearwater of the year as i bailed out early to go chasing Ivory Gull
Magic Mark beat me in this morning and Stevie Thunder was a year tick and New Mark completed the A team for a cracking sea watch. I didn't get all of the details so wont do a full species list today but added Wigeon, Bonxie and Slav Grebe to my Obs year list
Its hard to believe but already by the 4th of January I've seen two species i didn't see last year with Woodcock and the Slav Grebe
Cant wait for tomorrow morning, should be back to normal service as well, i know your gutted i haven't given the Black h Gull numbers for the watch.......

Happy New Year

5 Little Gulls and a Med Gull were the highlights past Whitburn Obs this morning. I was joined by Magic Mark and New Mark and we managed to see a few decent birds to get our year started. But by far the star bird for me was Woodcock. I had been disappointed not to get one on my Obs year list for 2013 so you can imagine my delight when one flew past this morning
New Mark and myself left the watch early to go year listing so this is what  had seen uptill then

Wednesday 1st January 07.55-10.30 SSE3 cloud cover

Guillemot 290n 15s
Black h Gull 1n 14s
Eider 7n 3s
Scan Herring Gull 4s
Fulmar 3n 15s
Little Gull 5n
Red th Diver 10n 3s
Common Scoter 7n
Kittewake 45n 1s
Gannet 21n 2s
Cormorant 4s
Shag 1n 1s
Shelduck 1n
Teal 5n
Curlew 12n
Med Gull 1n ad
Razorbill 1n
Woodcock 1s
Redshank 2s