Ring out the old......2015 obs list totals..

2 Black throated Divers and 11 Little Gulls passed Whitburn Obs by 10.45 this morning. My last sea watch of the year enjoyed with Stevie Makem. Once again we would be happy with this lot tomorrow, but you know birding...

My Obs year list finished on 169 for the year and i am happy with that, beating last year by 2 species. Highlights include Great and Little Shearwater, Bewick Swan, Buff breasted Sandpiper, White winged Tern, Pallid Swift, Great White Egret, OBP etc etc
Biggest regrets Spoonbill and Black Guillemot
Remarkably the number of species i have seen over the 3 years of doing an obs list is 196
So plenty to go at next year

This is what Stevie and i saw today in order of appearance

Thursday 31st December 08.00-10.45 SW2-3 broken cloud

Black h Gull 11n 349s
Common Gull 9n 54s
Eider 11n
Curlew 35n 65s
Shag 2n 26s
Turnstone 3s
Fulmar 2n 4s
Red th Diver 19n
Shelduck 3n 1s
Kittiwake 5n 1s
Canada Goose 1s
Gannet 12n 3s
Little Gull 1n 10s
Great northern Diver 1n 1s
Porpoise 2n 1s
Wigeon 10n
Mallard 3s
Scan Herring Gull 3s
Black th Diver 1n 2s    the bird north was probably the same bird that had recently flown south
Little Auk 1n
Bonxie 1n

Little and large xmas special......

7 Little Auks and 30 Little Gulls passed Whitburn Obs by 10.30 this morning. Magic Mark and Stevie Makem joined me in the spectacular gale force conditions. We enjoyed the Little and Large of sea watching with Little Gulls and Auks passing,  and at the other end of the scale Glaucous Gull and Bonxie. If only it was New Years day was the cry
This is what we saw

Wednesday 30th December 07.55-10.30 S8 cloud cover, very rough sea

Black h Gull 451s
Common Gull 126s
Scan Herring Gull 3s
Kittiwake 24s
Shag 11s
Little Gull 30s
Lapwing 6s
Turnstone 2s
Gannet 4n 19s
Common Scoter 1n 4s
Porpoise 1s
Bonxie 1n
Eider 6s
Golden Plover 73s
Little Auk 7n
Shelduck 4s
Red th Diver 1n
Glaucous Gull 1s juv
Curlew 35s
Fulmar 120s
GBBGull 195s

Calm before the storm...

3 Bonxies and a Med Gull passed Whitburn Obs by 11 today. It was like a Christmas party with Stevie Makem, Pink Floyd, Unlucky Dave and Walter all in today. Birds were moving, maybe making the most of the calm before storm Frank tomorrow.
This is what we saw in order of appearance

Tuesday 29th December 07.55-11.00 S3-4 cloud cover then broken

Black h Gull 2n 462s
Common Gull 4n 103s
Eider 17n 7s
Med Gull 1s ad
Goldeneye 4n 5s
Scan Herring Gull 3s
Fulmar 13n 7s
Turnstone 2n 2s
Gannet 13n 21s
Kittiwake 3n 3s
Red th Diver 12n 3s
Wigeon 3n 6s
Shag 4n 8s
Common Scoter 4n 43s
Teal 4n 2s
Shelduck 2n 17s
Curlew 2n
Bonxie 3n
Tufted Duck 1s

Fandabidozi.......

12 Bonxies and a Red necked Grebe were among the host of quality birds that passed Whitburn Obs by 11am today. Magic Mark was back from his Xmas break and in form. The stronger wind than of late helped and we tucked in to enjoy a fandabidozi sea watch. Records continue to tumble, the 2 Velvet Scoters we saw brought the years total to 213, one more than the previous annual best in 2009. Coming on the back of other recent record's including highest day counts for Great northern Diver, Blue Fulmar and Woodcock today's Bonxie movement was the highest December total on record.
This is what we saw today in order of appearance.

Monday 28th December 08.00-11.00 SSE4-5 rough sea, cloud cover

Common Gull 15n 26s
Shag 8n 10s
Kittiwake 59n 1s
Black h Gull 3n 49s
Red th Diver 2n 3s
Fulmar 70n 3s
Velvet Scoter 2n
Scan Herring Gull 4s
Gannet 33n 5s
Bonxie 12n
Common Scoter 39n 14s
Black th Diver 1n
Great northern Diver 1n 1s
Red necked Grebe 1n
Sparrowhawk 1s
Curlew 1s
Porpoise 1s
Wigeon 3s
Eider 1s
Glaucous Gull 1n juv
Teal 3s

The usual suspects.....

Black throated Diver flew north past Whitburn Obs by 10.30 today. Stoney was in the house and we did our best in dreek conditions with little wind. It was a case of the usual birds going past till we managed a bit of quality with a Black throated Diver flew high north with a flock of seven Red throats
Watch this space with Velvet Scoter we are very close to a new Obs record....
This is what we saw in order of appearance

Saturday 26th December SE1-2 rain,mist

Black h Gull 19n 37s
Eider 3n 9s
Gannet 1n 10s
Fulmar 14n 11s
Scan Herring Gull 6s
Common Gull 7n 23s
Velvet Scoter 1n
Dunlin 12n
Red th Diver 9n 2s
Shag 3s
Kittiwake 1s
Redshank 1n
Black th Diver 1n

I'm dreaming of a white wing xmas.......

2 Iceland and 2 Glaucous Gulls flew south past Whitburn Obs by 11am. It was a white out. Expectations were low as i trudged down to the obs in yet another south westerly. I was late and could see the big gulls steaming past, Stoney was in the house and i had missed nothing. It wasn't 10 minutes after i sat down that i called the first, an Iceland Gull probably a 2nd winter, after that it just got better. Looking back at the records the maximum day count of either Iceland or Glaucous Gull was only two, so we hung on till 11 but failed to break the records
This is what we saw in order of appearance

Monday 21st December 07.55-11.00 SW4-5

Gannet 23n 175s
Black h Gull 7n 21s
Common Scoter 9n 9s
Scan Herring Gull 7s
Kittiwake 1n 7s
Common Gull 11s
08.23 Iceland Gull 2nd w south
Eider 3n 3s
Red th Diver 6n 3s
Shag 3s
Turnstone 1s
Redshank 2s
Grey Heron 1s
Fulmar 3n 8s
08.40 Glaucous Gull juv south different smaller bird to the weekends Glauc
08.47 Iceland Gull adult south
Bonxie 1s
Golden Plover 167s
Velvet Scoter 1s
09.35 Glaucous Gull juv south larger bird that looked like the weekends bird
Wigeon 6n

Rob got pictures of both Glauc's but the Iceland Gulls were just too close in and had passed before we could react. We won't forget this watch for a while, and back on Boxing day for more.
Have a Merry Christmas everyone

Comes in threes........

2 Little Gulls and a Great northern Diver passed Whitburn Obs by 10.30 this morning. They say good things come in threes, well today we saw three good species of bird which was three more than we saw yesterday. Both Marks were in and we had an unexpected visit by Boy Wonder. This is what we saw in order of appearance.

Sunday 20th December 07.50-10.30 SW3-4 early cloud clearing

Curlew 82s
Gannet 156n
Black h Gull 7n 48s
Common Gull 3n 16s
Red th Diver 6n 8s
Turnstone 1s
Shag 3n 7s
Scan Herring Gull 4s
Fulmar 21n 17s
Eider 8s
Great northern Diver 1s
Blue Fulmar 1s
Common Scoter 8n 3s
Kittiwake 2n 2s
Littlle Gull 2s adults
Red br Merganser 1s
Dunlin 11s

argie bargie.....

955 Great black backed Gulls and 23 Argentatus Herring Gulls went south past Whitburn Obs on a decent Gull movement day,  but sadly no white wingers today. It was a very quiet watch apart from the Gulls. Magic and Saint Mark joined me and later Pink Floyd but we failed to record any 'quality' birds
Maybe tomorrow.....
This is what we saw in order of appearance

Saturday 19th December 07.55-10.30 SSW4 cloud cover

Common Gull 49s
Scan Herring Gull 23s
Black h Gull 177s
Shag 4s
Curlew 70s
Gannet 8n 16s
Fulmar 3s
Common Scoter 3s
Eider 7n
Turnstone 3s
GBBGull 955s
Red th Diver 4n
Redshank 6s
Ringed Plover 2s

It's a nice day for a white....winger

Glaucous Gull and Little Gull passed Whitburn Obs by 11.00 this morning. Stoney was in the house and did a good job calling the gulls. The Glauc hung around showing well, video later. This is what we saw in order of appearance

Friday 18th December 07.55-10.55 SW4 cloud cover

Black h Gull 7n 22s
Scan Herring Gull 1s
Common Gull 1n 15s
GBBGull 165s
Eider 3n 4s
Red th Diver 9n 5s
Turnstone 52s
Shag 1n 10s
Gannet 41n 6s
Knot 5s
Shelduck 1n
Common Scoter 4n
Curlew 1s
Fulmar 3n
Porpoise 3s
Kittiwake 2s
Little Gull 1s
Pintail 1s
Glaucous Gull 1n juv 09.30

Another one bites the dust.....

3 species of Diver passed Whitburn Obs by 10.15 today. 4 Red throated, 1 Black throated and most importantly 2 Great Northern. That brings the total number of Great Northern Divers recorder past Whitburn Obs this year to 103. This beats the previous best of 102 in 2007, like i say another one bites the dust. And still plenty of time left this year for more.Only myself in this morning but it turned into a decent watch despite the conditions. The wind dropped for a while and mist made distant birds difficult to see. This is what i saw in order of appearance

Monday 14th December 07.55-10.15 SSW2 some mist, cloud cover calm sea

Black h Gull 3n 35s
Common Gull 8n 26s
Fulmar 7n 2s
Gannet 11n 2s
Shelduck 1n 3s
Curlew 1n 30s
Red th Diver 3n 1s
Great Northern Diver 1n (08.15) 1s (08.55)
Common Scoter 7n
Dunlin 1s
Shag 2s
Teal 12s
Scan Herring Gull 1s
Porpoise 1s
Wigeon 3s
Goldeneye 3s
Grey Heron 1n
Pink footed Goose 180s
Fieldfare 3 landed on the obs wall
Black throated Diver 1n (10.00)

Slipin and a slidin........

Black throated Diver and 2 Velvet Scoter passed Whitburn Obs by 11 this morning. I nearly didnt make it in today when i hit black ice early this morning as i left my house, but it proved well worth the effort as we had a memorable watch.
Magic and Saint Mark joined me with Hoggie and Walter later.
I was in the Obs on Friday and Saturday but it was very ordinary with no news worth blogging about
Today was a differant story, this is what we saw in order of appearance

Sunday 13th December 07.50-11.00 WNW 2 cloud cover

Black h Gull 13n 70s
Eider 6s
Common Scoter 2n 3s
Gannet 15n 6s
Common Gull 15n 84s
Red th Diver 12n 12s
Fulmar 13n 1s
Shag 4n 13s
Curlew 1s
Scan Herring Gull 2s
Black th Diver 1n 08.38
Goldeneye 3n
Pink footed Goose 18s
Med Gull 1s ad
Bonxie 1s
Razorbill 1n
Velvet Scoter 2n
Great n Diver 1s
Grey Heron 1n
Turnstone 1s
Kittiwake 1n
Great crested Grebe 1s
Short eared Owl 1 hunting the country park

Happy Mondays..........

Balearic Shearwater 2 Little Auks and a Little Gull were off Whitburn Obs today. Mondays are always happy for me now as i no longer work them. Stoney was in the house and it looked dire, none of the forecasted wind, rain on the way and bugger all moving. Still i always say you will always see something from the Obs. I picked up a Balearic Shearwater well north of us then a couple of Little Auks sat on the dead calm sea. Rob called the Little Gull feeding offshore, throw in a Great northern and add to that more Porpoise than we've seen for ages. Yes happy Monday indeed, we left as the forecast rain started. This is what we saw in order of appearance

Monday 30th November 07.30-10.00 W1 calm sea cloud cover

Curlew 6n 17s
Common Gull 1n 10s
Red th Diver 12n 21s
Black h Gull 27n 31s
Scan Herring Gull 1s
Turnstone 15s
Eider 2n
Shag 2n
Porpoise at least 7
Little Auk 2 on the sea
Balearic Shearwater 1n 08.40
Great n Diver 1n
Little Gull ad feeding offshore

Wot no big Divers....

Pom Skua and a Little Gull passed Whitburn Obs by 10.30 today. It was back to normal today with both Marks and Stoney was in the house. Sadly despite four pairs of well trained eyes we struggled, it was the first sea watch in ages when we didn't see a larger Diver sp
This is what we saw in order of appearance

Sunday 29th November 07.20-10.30 SW2-3 cloud cover

Black h Gull 29n 32s
Eider 2n
Red th Diver 12n 20sShag 4s
Common Gull 2n 13s
Turnstone 11s
Mallard 1n
Kittiwake 2n
Redshank 7s
Curlew 1n 2s
Little Gull 1n ad close inshore was bird of the watch
Gannet 28n 1s
Pom Skua 1n juv
Scan Herring Gull 4n
Golden Plover 1392s
Porpoise 2s
Little Auk 2s
Common Scoter 1n

Who stole all our ducks...

3 Black throated Divers and 3 Little auks passed Whitburn Obs by 10.30 this morning. Saint Mark was back from Borneo and Stoney was in the house.. We managed to find a bit of quality to make it more than just a typical winter watch. Seems to be a lot less ducks around this winter. This is what we saw in order of appearance

Saturday 28th November 07.15-10.35 SW3-4 cloud cover

Curlew 46 from the roost
Black h Gull 16n 70s
Common Gull 9n 12s
Velvet Scoter 1n
Shag 1n 5s
Eider 9n 3s
Little Auk 3n
Red th Diver 9n 16s
Golden Plover 989s
Common Scoter 1n 3s
Redshank 1n 1s
Kittiwake 5n
Black th Diver 2n 1s
Fulmar 1n 1s
Little Gull 2s
Snow Bunting 1n
Turnstone 1n 1s
Bonxie 1n

After the Lord Mayor's Show

21 Little Auks and a Great northern Diver passed Whitburn Obs in 3 hours this morning. Magic Mark joined me and Stoney was in the house but it was always going to be a bit quiet on a south westerly after yesterdays northerly blast. We still did ok tho, of interest one of the Whooper Swans that went north was Kinky, a swan we saw last year with a kinky neck.
No records today but this is what we did see in order of appearance

Monday 23rd November 07.15-10.15 SW2-3 cloud cover

Black h Gull 10n 17s
Common Gull 33n 37s
Teal 4n 4s
Golden Plover 15n 299s
Common Scoter 12n 1s
Shelduck 3n
Red th Diver 20n 20s
Eider 24n 1s
Curlew 2n
Red br Merganser 5n 1s
Goldeneye 24n 4s
Little Auk 21n
Wigeon 8n
Kittiwake 1n
Red necked Grebe 1n
Greylag Goose 2s
Mallard 2n 3s
Whooper Swan 2n
Grey Plover 1n
Fulmar 1n 2s
Long t Duck 2n
Woodcock 1 in off
Redshank 5s
Starling 3 in off
Shag 1n 14s
Great northern Diver 1n

Record Breakers.....

17 Great northern 1 Black throated and 94 Red throated Divers passed Whitburn Obs by 13.15 today. We smashed the day record of Great northerns past the Obs, it was 13. This was fast on the heels of beating the Dunlin record yesterday. I was joined by Foss, Boy Wonder, Stevie Makem and a few more also the Bikin Birder and Stoney was in the house. Sadly the Bikin Birder wasn't able to get a year tick but we did enjoy another fantastic sea watch. My note book was a mess we saw so much but here goes for what we saw in order of appearance

Sunday 22nd November 07.20-13.15 N3 full cloud cover fairly calm sea

Black h Gull 143n 11s
Common Gull 65n 9s
Eider 22n 6s
Fulmar 40n 42s
Red th Diver 65n 29s
Goldeneye 34n 3s
Little Auk 106n 1s
Teal 108n
Common Scoter 197n 11s
Curlew 2n
Dunlin 306n
Wigeon 156n
Long tailed Duck 17n
Grey Heron 1n
Velvet Scoter 5n
Manxie 5n
Kittiwake 69n 29s
Red br Merganser 8n
Great northern Diver 17n
Short eared Owl 1 in/off
Shag 1n green ring 35s
Bar t Godwit 1n
Sanderling 2n
Pom Skua 2n juvs
Starling 32 in/off
Grey Plover 1n
Shelduck 19n
Pink footed Goose 100s
Knot 7n
Rock Pipit 2n
Tufted Duck 8n
Iceland Gull 1s different bird to yesterday
Purple Sandpiper 1n
Black th Diver 1n
Brent Goose 2n 1db 1pb
Bonxie 5n
Mallard 25n
Red necked Grebe 2n
Whooper Swan 1s
Med Gull 1s ad
Snipe 3n
Pintail 3n
Turnstone 3n
Kingfisher 1n
Goosander 1n
Great crested Grebe 1n 1 on sea
Sparrowhawk 1n
Kestrel 1n

Phew what a watch, Magic Mark is on his way to the obs to join the Bikin Birder and complete a day of watching at Whitburn
I had a Petrel north distant i couldn't get enough on to id.....

Winter Wonderland....

294 Little Auks, 29 Long tailed Ducks and an Iceland Gull passed Whitburn Obs by 12.55. Snow greeted me as i left the house this morning, winter has arrived. The strong north westerly didn't disappoint bringing lots of anticipated Little Auks and a cracking sea watch. I was joined by the usual crowd, Hoggie, Pink Floyd the Boy Wonder et al, Stoney was in the House
It was non stop action i was struggling to keep the log with bird movements being shouted constantly. Most passage was close inshore making it memorable
This is what we saw in order of appearance

Saturday 21st November 07.05-12.55 NW4-5

Common Gull 220n
Black h Gull 134n
Goldeneye 78n
Dunlin 265n
Teal 14n
Shag 4n 9s
Common Scoter 17n 1s
Eider 10n 9s
Little Auk 294n
Red th Diver 19n 3s
Turnstone 9n
Wigeon 164n
Mallard 25n
Pom Skua 1s 2 on sea
Long tailed Duck 28n 1s
Kittiwake 90n 7s
Redshank 1n
Knot 1n
Bar t Godwit 8n
Bonxie 6s
Fulmar 4n
Little Gull 2n 1s
Velvet Scoter 6n
Red br Merganser 8n
Brent Goose 29n pb 1n db
Tufted Duck 8n
Pintail 1n
Goosander 3n
Shelduck 2n
Curlew 1n
Great northern Diver 1n 2s
Grey Plover 1n
Goldeneye 78n
Great crested Grebe 1n
Sanderling 5n
Rock Pipit 2n
Med Gull 1n 1s ads
Jack Snipe 1 in/off Iceland Gull 1n juv

I left Derek and a few others in to continue the watch, we are not many away from a record Dunlin count and sometimes it can be later in the day when Little Auks get going
The Jack Snipe was an Obs year tick bringing my total to 169 thanks to Boy Wonder

Calm before the storm....

Little Auk, Black throated Diver and 4 Scaup passed Whitburn Obs in 5 hours this morning. Magic Mark joined me at first light and Hoggie later for a memorable sea watch. Lots of birds were moving before the coming storm. Already a record number of Whooper Swans had passed the Obs this year and we kept the count going with another 85. Woodcock in off was the first bird in the note book and we saw a steady arrival of migrants as the morning went on with a fantastic 8 Woodcock seen
My Obs year list hit a new record when the White fronts went north, now 168 and counting
This is what we saw in order of appearance

Friday 20th November 07.00-12.00 W2-3 cloud cover most of the time

Woodcock 8 in/off
Common Gull 11n 69s
Black h Gull 52n 144s
Eider 4n 2s
Blackbird 18 in/off
Mallard 9n 14s
Common Scoter 10n 15s
Red th Diver 22n 31s
Great n Diver 1n
Velvet Scoter 1n 3s
Teal 18n 1s
Wigeon 4n
Goldeneye 38n 2s
Great crested Grebe 1n
Starling 7 in/off
Whooper Swan 85s
White fronted Goose 4n juvs
Shag 6s
Redshank 2s
Bonxie 1n
Pink footed Goose 51n 200s
Little Auk 1n
Sparrowhawk 1s
Scaup 4n drakes
Snipe 4 in/off
Goosander 1s
Black th Diver 1s

WatsApp Doc......

2 Long tailed Ducks and 13 Whooper Swans passed Whitburn Obs by 11.30 today along with 106 Divers. Boy Wonder joined me along with the Doc and later Pink Floyd. I was glad for the extra eyes, birds were moving and you can miss more than you see if your on your own.

 The topic of conversation turned to sea watching news and how it should be broadcast, no one was a fan of the WatsApp option but would prefer Twitter, RBA, Birdguides etc. It may suit other birding news but not sea watching was the view. Its important to get quick information with often less than an hour between sea watching sites like Hartlepool Whitburn and Newbiggin, and for birds to be tracked like the Fea's say

Today started similar to yesterday with early passage of the larger Divers, and the Red throats didn't know when to stop..one group of ten had a leucistic bird bringing up the rear with ivory bill...It was a Red throat tho.
This is what we saw in order of appearance

Saturday 14th November 07.00-11.30 SW3 full cloud cover

Common Gull 93s
Curlew 7n 16s
Black h Gull 10n 183s
Common Scoter 7n 5s
Red th Diver 14n 85s
Black th Diver 3s
Turnstone 10s
Scan Herring Gull 1s
Eider 4s
Kittiwake 1n 3s
Goosander 1s
Goldeneye 8n 4s
Great northern Diver 4s
Grey Heron 1s
Golden Plover 560s
Redshank 1n 1s
Manxie 1n
Whooper Swan 1n 12s
Little Gull 1n 5s
Shag 2s
Wigeon 2n
Med Gull 2s ads
Snow Bunting 1s
Long tailed Duck 2n
Pink footed Goose 22s

Somewhere over the rainbow.....

2 Black throated and 5 Great northern Divers passed Whitburn Obs by 11.05 today along with a fantastic supporting cast. Magic Mark joined me and Stoney was in the house for a busy sea watch.It had  everything except maybe the bird we dared to dream for... Pallid Harrier as we looked out through two rainbows..
Bird of the watch was one of the Great northerns in full sum plum still, it gave stunning views
The doc and polly popped in and this is what we saw in order of appearance

Friday 13th November 06.55-11.05 SW4 broken cloud

Black h Gull 49n 104s
Curlew circa 50n from the roost
Common Gull 43s
Little Gull 1s
Black th Diver 1n 1s (different birds and all over by 07.05)
Red th Diver 20n 35s
Eider 6s
Red necked Grebe 1n
Turnstone 3n 5s
Common Scoter 31n 1s
Great northern Diver 1n 4s
Golden Plover 750s
Goldeneye 1n
Goosander 1n
Pink footed Goose 350s
Redshank 1n
Kittiwake 2n 1s
Velvet Scoter 1n 2s
Scan Herring Gull 4s
Arctic Skua 1n
Whooper Swan 8s
Grey Heron 1n 1s
Wigeon 5n
Arctic Tern 1s
Kingfisher still about

Cream of the crop...

Marsh Harrier and 2 Merlin passed Whitburn Obs by 10.45 today. Stoney was in the house and arrived just in time to see the Merlin's fighting over breakfast, probanly a Pipit. Not much was going on in the blasting wind so a close cream crown Marsh Harrier going north was a real bonus

Monday 9th November 07.05-10.45 SW3-4 and later 6-7 before dropping again

Common Gull 14s
Eider 2n 5s
Red th Diver 5n 2s
Bonxie 1s
Kittiwake 15s
Scan Herring Gull 2s
Merlin 2 hunting over the sea
Manxie 1s
Black h Gull 2n 8s
Curlew 2n
Goldeneye 1s
Redshank 1n 3s
Grey Heron 2s
Greylag Goose 4n
Fieldfare 1s
Marsh Harrier 1n 09.32

the long and short of it....

17 Bonxies passed Whitburn Obs by 10.40 today. Magic Mark joined me as usual and later Boy Wonder made a rare appearance. We had a good selection of birds and the Bonxie total was our 2nd highest of the year. I only need one more species to set a new Obs year list record and when a Snipe went north i was hoping for Jack...but it had a long bill.
This is what we saw in order of appearance

Sunday 8th November 07.00-10.40 SSW3 then 3-4

Eider 4n 4s
Scan Herring Gull 5s
Common Scoter 12n 12s
Goosander 4s
Red th Diver 7n 13s
Black h Gull 13n 83
Common Gull 6n 56s
Grey Heron 4s
Turnstone 1s
Manxie 1n
Bonxie 14n 3s
Curlew 3s
Kittiwake 8n 3s
Little Gull 2n 9s
Great n Diver 1s
Redshank 3s
Golden Plover 585s
Arctic Skua 1n
Whooper Swan 7s
Goldeneye 1n 1s
Velvet Scoter 3n
Knot 1s
Pink footed Goose 130n
Snipe 1n

Its raining Gulls, hallelujah....

Black throated Diver and 6 Little Gulls went south past Whitburn Obs this morning. Magic Mark joined me and we hoped to get a few birds before the rain came. Thank goodness for the Little Gulls in the last hour as it was quiet in the rain. Stoney was in the house. This is what we saw in order of appearance

Saturday 7th November 06.55-11.00 SE2

Common Gull 3n 29s
Black h Gull 9n 34s
Kittiwake 1n 18s
Eider 2s
Common Scoter 34n 10s
Red th Diver 6n 14s
Black th Diver 1s
Kingfisher 1n
Teal 2n 5s
Wigeon 2n
Porpoise 1s
Gadwall 2n
Bonxie 1n
Scan Herring Gull 4s
Goldeneye 1s
Fulmar 1s
Little Gull 6s (3ads)
Curlew 120 in obs field roost

All gone south....

4 Great northern and a Black throated Diver went south past Whitburn Obs by 11 o clock this morning. Stoney was in the house and latter Hoggie, all of our hopes and dreams crashed when unlucky Dave arrived
This is what we saw in order of appearance

Friday 6th November 07.05-11.-00 S2 cloud cover

Common Gull 63s
Eider 3n 1s
Red th Diver 3n 33s
Black h Gull 3n 18s
Shag 5s
Common Scoter 14n 21s
Goldeneye 14s
07.40 Great n Diver 2s
Curlew 1s
Little Gull 2s ad and juv
Fulmar 4s
Bonxie 1s
08.30 Great n Diver 1s
08.50 Black th Diver 1s
09.05 Great n Diver 1s
Fieldfare 1 in off
Scan Herring Gull 1s
Meadow Pipit 16s
Red br Merganser 2s
Whooper Swan 3s

The fog in the obs is all mine all mine.......

25 Whoopers and 2 Little Gulls passed Whitburn Obs by 10.30 today. When i sat down looking into the fog i wasn't sure it was worth staying, then i heard what sounded like a large number of Whoopers going south calling but for the life of me i couldn't see them. Thankfully the fog cleared for a while and i did manage to see another 2 groups going south. Stoney was in the house and we had an interesting chat about a Snow Goose that was seen flying south with Pinkfeet yesterday. I don't understand Northumberland birders politics and don't want to but would expect the news to be put out as we would from the obs, and will continue to do. I don't have facebook on my phone but do have all the usual bird info sources. We saw nothing.
Hoggie joined us with bins only which he regretted.

This is what we saw before dashing off to Quarry Lane.

Monday 2nd November SW1-2 fog clearing

Whooper Swan 25s (12 and 13)
Mallard 2n 3s
Common Gull 5n 28s
Black h Gull 20n 134s
Redshank 2s
Common Scoter 22n
Eider 3n 2s
Skylark 2s
Red th Diver 3s
Lapwing 1s
Golden Plover 25s
Turnstone 1n 1s
Bonxie 1 on sea
Little Gull 2s juvs

Moving Swiftly On......

Black throated Diver and 3 Lapland Buntings passed Whitburn Obs this morning. No time to bask in the glory of Pallid Swift from the Obs yesterday, loads of birds were moving today as well and the Lapland Buntings were an Obs year tick bringing the total so far to 166. That is one short of last year and two short of a new record with two month to go....
Magic Mark joined me and Stoney was in the house, this is what we saw in order of appearance

Sunday 1st November 06.40-11.15 SW2 sun and mist

Black h Gull 77n 88s
Common Gull2n 14s
Brent Goose 2n db
Red th Diver 13n 18s
Common Scoter 20n
Eider 14n 6s
Pochard 1n 1s
Teal 27n 6s
Dunlin 1n
Wigeon 7s
Shelduck 7n
Siskin 1s
Knot 1s
Whooper Swan 40s
Red br Merganser 3n
Little Gull 5s
Shag 1n 16s
08.40 Great northern Diver 2n
Pink footed Goose 80n 345s
08.50 Black th Diver 1n
09.05 Short eared Owl in/off
Heron 1s
Med Gull 1s ad
09.45 Lapland Bunting 3s
Porpoise 3n
Lapwing 28s
Bullfinch still

Trick or treat.........

Pallid Swift and Great white Egret passed Whitburn Obs this pm. I had to cut short this mornings watch due to grandad duties and a fudge duck.I had no sign of the duck so when i finished my grandad taxi work decided to go back to the Obs for unfinished business, Was it going to be trick or treat. My obs list was on 163 and lots of birds were passing early on, i even saw another Bullfinch as i left the Obs, only my second ever, they are getting like buses. Conditions had deteriorated and little was passing over the sea when Magic Mark contacted me to say Kevin Duffy had reported a small swift in the area earlier.
So i looked inland instead and would you believe i picked up on 2 swifts feeding low down over the southern edge of Shearwater estate. I wasn't able to nail them on the views i had and soon lost them. I contacted Dave Foster who was looking for the reported Swift and it wasn't long before he confirmed one was defo a Pallid....get in
While scanning for the Swifts i noticed a white bird out of the corner of my eye drop into the overgrown pond by the viewing screen hm i thought Little Egret? but got on with Swift hunting.
I was chatting to Fos about the Swifts when i saw a Great White Egret flying straight toward me and told him it was coming his way as he was standing on the south side of the estate
2 Buzzards up over Whitburn rounded off a canny session

11.25-14.00
Red th Diver 3s
Common Scoter 3n
12.10 2 Swifts over Shearwater estate one at least confirmed as Pallid
12.35 Great White Egret south
13.00 ish 2 Common Buzzards over Whitburn village

Obs list now on 165 just 2 away from last years record 167.......that was a treat

Fudged Duck....

Red necked Grebe and 4 Little Gulls passed Whitburn Obs by 9am. It was a short watch for both Marks and myself and Skinny Dipper. Saint Marks off to Borneo, Magic Mark is off to work and i headed off to WWWT for them opening at 9.30. No Fudge Duck yet....

Saturday 31st October 06.40-09.00 S2 cloud cover

Common Gull 3n 28s
Black h Gull 25n 23s
Eider 3n 7s
Teal 31n
Red th Diver 9n 11s
Heron 1n
Common Scoter 154n 13s
Med Gull 1n ad
Arctic Tern 1s juv
Wigeon 31n
Bonxie 4n
Scan Herring Gull 1s
Arctic Skua 1s
Red necked Grebe 1n
Goosander 1n
Whooper Swan 2s
Knot 2s
Goldeneye 1s
Little Gull 4n

unlucky for some.....

Drake Scaup and 9 Velvet Scoter passed Whitburn Obs in 4 hours this morning. Then it all went downhill when unlucky Dave arrived, only saw one more Scoter after that, uncanny really
This is what i saw in order of appearance

Friday 30th October 07.00-11.00 SSE2 rain

Eider 5n 4s
Common Gull 3n 20s
Black h Gull 13n 56s
Velvet Scoter 9n drakes
Gannet 4s
Shelduck 9n
Goosander 1n
Redshank 3s
Red th Diver 8n 2s
Wigeon 1n
Scaup 1n drake
Shag 4s
Turnstone 3s
Heron 1s
Curlew 1s
Rock Pipit 2n

SE or SW which is best....

Great northern Diver and 8 species of wildfowl passed Whitburn Obs in 4 hours this morning. Hoggie joined me eventually. In similar conditions to yesterday but with the wind SSE rather than SW a lot less birds passed and vis mig was non existent
This is what we saw in order of appearance

Monday 26th October 06.40-10.40 SSE 2-3 cloud cover

Common Gull 7n 39s
Black h Gull 5n 65s
Red th Diver 12n 4s
Eider 1n 1s
Wigeon 10n 55s
Common Scoter 32n 3s
Curlew 4n 2s
Goldeneye 1n 1s
Goosander 1n 4s
Sparrowhawk 1s
Teal 3n 12s
Great n Diver 1n
Mute Swan 2s yes Mute!
Shoveler 4s
Turnstone 1n
Grey Heron 1n
Bar t Godwit 1s
Kestrel 1s

Whoopers lead migration charge....

37 Whoopers and 85 Pink feet went south past Whitburn Obs this morning. I joined Magic Mark after sleeping in and immediately called 8 Whoopers south,  and it was migration all the way with Grey Wagtail south calling as i left.
Long tailed tit, Coal tit, Great Spot, Mistle and Song Thrush, these are scarce birds from the Obs. Long tailed Tit was a year tick. Sadly no Crossbill yet for me

Sunday 25th October 06.35-10.50 W2 mainly cloud cover

Great northern Diver 2n
Red th Diver 12n 25s
Shag 7s
Whooper Swan 37s
Pink footed Goose 85s
Shelduck 1s
Wigeon 1n
Teal 4n 2s
Common Scoter 5n 6s
Velvet Scoter 3n 5s
Eider 4n 8s
Goosander 3s
Knot 14s
Kingfisher 1n
Great spotted Woodpecker 1s
Long tailed Tit 19s
Coal Tit 1s
Mistle Thrush 3
Song Thrush 1
Redpoll 2s
Siskin 1s
Curlew 8n 1s
Black h Gull 11n 66s
Common Gull 7n 50s
Grey Wagtail 1s

bring on hurricane Patricia.........

Pom Skua and Velvet Scoter passed Whitburn Obs by 11am. Magic Mark joined me but was unable to conjure up a decent sea watch. Bring on that hurricane it might shake things up a bit
This is what we saw in order of appearance

Saturday 24th October 07.30-11.00 SSW3 cloud cover

Eider 4n
Common Gull 13n 37s
Black h Gull 5n 28s
Curlew 3n 2s
Common Scoter 8n 5s
Shag 1n
Red th Diver 1n 2s
Arctic Tern 1s juv
Grey Heron 1s
Kingfisher 1 below obs
Golden Plover 90s
Bonxie 1n
Pom Skua 1n ad
Velvet Scoter 1n
Brent Goose 2n db

Surfs up........not

2 Great northern Divers and an Arctic Tern passed Whitburn Obs by 11am today. Hoggie, unlucky Dave and Sir Ian contributed during the morning.
It was quiet after the usual early movement, this is what was seen in order of appearance

Friday 23rd October SW1-2 cloud cover

Black h Gull 15n 162s
Eider 8n 4s
Common Gull 11n 39s
Red th Diver 3n 8s
Common Scoter 9n 2s
Great n Diver 2n
Grey Heron 1n 1s
Curlew 7n
Shag 1n
Goldeneye 1s
Arctic Skua 1n
Redshank 2s
Pink footed Goose 95s
Goosander 2s
Ringed Plover 1s
Turnstone 1s
Arctic Tern 1s

Pallas's stops Shagfest....

7 Littls Gulls and a Bonxie passed Whitburn Obs by 10am this morning. Hoggie joined me (early for him) and he helped me see very little. He did explain to me at length why yesterdays OBP could only have been a tree pipit
He received a phone call and off we dashed to see the Pallas's Warbler in Sunderland , we arrived just as it showed well briefly
This is what we saw in order of appearance

Monday 19th October 07.30-10.00 NNE2 mainly cloud cover

Bonxie 1n
Curlew 32n
Red th Diver 6n 3s
Arctic Tern 1s
Little Gull 7n
Common Scoter 36n 3s
Common Gull 40n 6s
Eider 2n
Brent Goose 1n pb
Goldeneye 1n
Shag 15s
Sanderling 12s
Pallas's Warbler 1 nth dock Sunderland in OBP trees

OBP on the OYL........

6 Little Gulls and a Pom Skua passed Whitburn Obs by 11.30 this morning.We still have the northerly but it was a lot quieter than yesterday. The early morning Olive-backed Pipit was a mega addition to my Obs year list, many thanks to Magic Mark. We had an unexpected visitor when Skinny Dipper turned up, and yes she had been skinny dipping early morning in our uplands, she managed to get two lifers on today's watch.
This is what we saw in order of appearance

Sunday 18th October 07.15-11.30 NE3 cloud cover

Eider 5s
Fulmar 2n
Olive-backed Pipit 1s
Snow Bunting 1s
Red th Diver 2n 9s
Common Scoter 25n 7s
Mallard 2n 2s
Bonxie 6n
Manxie 2n
Goldeneye 1n 3s
Little Gull 6n
Porpoise 3n
Long tailed Duck 1n
Wigeon 17n 9s
Sooty Shearwater 6n
Arctic Skua 1n juv
Curlew 1n
Sparrowhawk 1n
Puffin 1n
Tufted Duck 2n
Redshank 1n
Pom Skua 1n

Comes in threes.....

Black throated and 2 Great northern Divers passed Whitburn Obs by midday. They say good things come in threes, and they did today,  three species of Diver, Shearwater, Auk, it was just the Skuas that let us down, couldnt find an Arctic for love nor....
The usual Saturday gang was in from before first light and we had fantastic views of some quality birds. The big Divers for me stole the show passing at a distance that gave quality and prolonged views, followed closely by the Long tailed Ducks and Velvet Scoters and the Shearwaters....
This is what we saw in order of appearance

Saturday 17th October 07.15-12.00 NE2-3 cloud cover and rough sea

Black h Gull 89n 15s
Common Gull 26n 18s
Eider 1s
Red th Diver 10n 19s
Fulmar 4n
Sooty Shearwater 10n
Velvet Scoter 5n 3s
Common Scoter 23n 7s
Goldeneye 14n 7s
Manxie 5n 1s
Wigeon 18n 3s
Bonxie 1n 6s
Teal 4n 1s
Brent Goose 7n pb
Red br Merganser 3n
Mallard 2n 2s
Black th Diver 1n adult
Long tailed Duck 3n all drakes
Great northern Divers 2n
Balearic Shearwater 1n
Little Gull 1n
Heron 1n
Short eared Owl 1s
Curlew 1n
Pom Skua 3s
Med Gull 1n
Goosander 1n
Shag 1s
Porpoise 1
Ringed Plover 1s
Puffin 1n

Any Shrike will do......

16 Sooty Shearwaters and 4 Pom Skuas passed Whitburn Obs by 1pm. Magic Mark joined me for first light to make the most of the northerly, we had a good selection of birds. Eventually Unlucky Dave and Pink Floyd joined us and Dave lived up to his name by missing all of the Poms.We were discussing the good birds on the east coast south of us and agreed that on the Durham coast just now any Shrike would do ....
This is what we saw in order of appearance

Friday 16th October 07.00-13.00 NE2-3 cloud cover

Black h Gull 234n 10s
Common Gull 73n 21s
Teal 8n
Wigeon 36n 3s
Kestrel 1n
Dunlin 2n
Lapwing 24n
Manxie 5n
Red th Diver 8n 11s
Common Scoter 21n 11s
Sparrowhawk 1n
Eider 3n
Grey Wagtail 1s
Pintail 3n
Velvet Scoter 1n
Sooty Shearwater 16n
Little Gull 4n
Goldeneye 4n 2s
Short eared Owl 3s
Curlew 4n 1s
Peregrine 1n
Bonxie 4n 2s
Arctic Skua 2n 5s
Tufted Duck 3n
Fulmar 1n
Brent Goose 3n pb
Red br Merganser 3n
Pom Skua 4s ads
Gannet 376n

Pom Pom Pom.......

3 Pom Skuas 16 Bonxies and 8 Little Gulls passed Whitburn Obs by 11.10 this morning. It was another fun filled watch with both Marks with me to enjoy it, we saw shed loads of birds but the star prize went to the cracking adult pale phase Pom Skua. This is what we saw in order of appearance

Sunday 11th October 07.00-11.10 SE2 cloud cover

Common Gull 190n 3s
Sparrowhawk 1s
Wigeon 240n 7s
Shelduck 5n
Curlew 7n 2s
Common Scoter 65n 25s
Black h Gull 195n 3s
Eider 14n 1s
Velvet Scoter 5n
Red br Merganser 5n 1s
Pom Skua 2n 1s int ad and imm north, adult south
Red th Diver 11n 18s
Arctic Skua 6n 1s
Tufted Duck 4n
Teal 4n 4s
Brent Goose 1n db
Bonxie 8n 8s
Porpoise 2
Fulmar 2n 1s
Scan Herring Gull 1s
Little Gull 8n
Turnstone 5s
Kingfisher 1 feeding on rocks below obs again
Goldcrest 3 in/off
Skylark 6 in/off
Great crested Grebe 1s
Redshank 1s

As we left a short shower dropped in loads of Crests, and Saint Mark found a Firecrest
Back tomorrow for more, i love this 3 day week lark

just when you thought it was safe.....

Sooty Shearwater and a Bonxie passed Whitburn Obs this morning but the star of the show was a Basking Shark. It went slowly north circa 800 yds offshore. Its triangular doral fin was not particularly impressive compared to the Dolphins we see locally and its tail fin wasnt always prominant. Its my first ever and i hope more people see it as it goes north as the sea is calm and flat.
Magic and Saint Mark joined me, sadly they left before the shark.
We had a decent variety of birds including a new Obs list year tick , Kingfisher, bringing my year list to circa 157
This is what we saw in order of appearance

Saturday 10th October 06.55-10.30 NW1-2 bright sun and light cloud

Grey Heron 1s
Eider 6n 5s
Red th Diver 4n 4s
Black h Gull 63n 69s
Common Gull 12n 2s
Curlew 3n
Common Scoter 24n 3s
Shag 2s
Porpoise 1
Med Gull 1n ad
Bonxie 1n
Kingfisher 1n
Red br Merganser 1s
Wigeon 5n
Redshank 1n
Sooty Shearwater 1n
Pink footed Goose 180s
Teal 2s
Basking Shark slowly north 09.20 until lost to view at 09.40 circa 800yds offshore

Just when you thought it was safe.......

Sooty Shearwater and a Bonxie passed Whitburn Obs this morning but the star of the show was a Basking Shark. It went slowly north circa 800yds offshore. Its triangular dorsal fin was not particularly impressive compared to the Dolphins we see locally and its tail fin wasn't always prominent. Its my first ever and i hope more people get to see it as it goes north as the sea is calm and flat
Magic and Saint Mark joined me sadly they had both left before the Shark. We had a decent variety of birds including a new Obs list year tick, Kingfisher, bringing my year list to circa 157
This is what we saw in order of appearance

Saturday 10th October 06.55-10.30 NW1-2 calm sea bright sun with light cloud
Grey Heron 1s
Eider 6n 5s
Red th Diver 4n 4s
Black h Gull 63n 69s
Common Gull 12n 2s
Curlew 3n
Common Scoter 34n 3s
Shag 2s
Porpoise 1
Med Gull 1n ad
Bonxie 1n
Kingfisher 1n
Red br Merganser 1s
Wigeon 5n
Redshank 1n
Sooty Shearwater 1n
Pink footed Goose 180sTeal 2s
09.20 Basking Shark slowly north when lost to view

Poppy does it again...

570 Pinkfeet went south past Whitburn Obs by 10.15 today. The Geese were the highlight on a very quiet watch. It was a dire start this morning but as last week when the Doc and Poppy arrived they brought a few birds with them. No sooner had they sat down when the Pinks started.This is what i saw in order of appearance

Friday 9th October 06.55-10.15 SW1-2 bright sun

Black h Gull 47n 83s
Common Gull 11n 9s
Eider 3s
Curlew 8n 1s
Common Scoter 3n
Sandwich Tern 3s
Red th Diver 3n 2s
Red br Merganser 1n
Peregrine 1n juv
Pink footed Goose 570s
Snipe 1s
Shag 1s
Arctic Skua 1n

Doc brings a Spoonful......

Black throated Diver and 4 Long tailed Ducks went south past Whitburn Obs by 10.30 this morning. It had started a mediocre watch and i was about to pack in with Arctic Skua my best bird when i saw the Doc and Poppy heading for the Obs. They brought a change of luck which was just the medicine i needed. In the end we had so much quality it was hard to choose the best birds but the Long tailed Ducks took the prize for passing under our noses not once but twice. This is what we saw in order of appearance

Monday 5th October 06.55-10.30 SE3 cloud mist rain

Kestrel 1s
Redwing a few were about an Obs year tick
Black h Gull 41n 69s
Wigeon 79n 4s
Eider 12n
Curlew 7n
Common Gull 67n 5s
Shag 2s
Red th Diver 7n 3s
Teal 16n 66s
Common Scoter 17n 30s
Fulmar 2n 4s
Arctic Skua 1n
Peregrine 1s
Golden Plover 130s
Doc and Poppy arrive
Red br Merganser 2n
Bonxie 2n
Brent Goose 4n pb
Black th Diver 1s
Long tailed Duck 4n 4s  2pr
Sooty Shearwater 1n
Barnacle Goose 89n
Grey Wagtail 1s

Doc and Poppy can call anytime they like if they bring luck like that

Bandits at 3 o'clock.......

Sooty Shearwater and a Great northern Diver passed Whitburn by 10am today. It was one of those days when the Ducks were coming at you from all directions due to the mist and low cloud. Add to that a few decent birds and you've got a canny sea watch
Saint Mark joined me as normal and this is what we saw in order of appearance

Sunday 4th October 06.55-10.05 W1-2 mist, low cloud

Eider 6n 11s
Common Gull 61n 17s
Sparrowhawk 1s
Curlew 23n
Goldcrest 1 flew into Obs
Black h Gull 105n 63s
Wigeon 229n 6s
Teal 100n
Common Scoter 44n
Mad Gull 1n ad
Great northern Diver 1n
Scan Herring Gull 1s
Shag 1n 5s
Lapwing 33s
Pied Wagtail 2s
Little Gull 1s ad
Red th Diver 4s
Fulmar 2n
Peregrine 1s juv
Turnstone 1s
Dunlin 2n
Sooty Shearwater 1s
Great crested Grebe 1n
Porpoise 1

Obs year list still on track...

Great northern Diver and 2 Little Gulls passed Whitburn Obs by 10 am this morning. Saint Mark joined me and we had to work hard for our birds with little wind and misty conditions. This is what we saw in order of appearance.

Saturday 3rd October 06.55-10.05 W1 fog/mist early on but clearing

Black h Gull 148n 90s
Common Gull 14n 8s
Lapwing 4n 13s
Curlew 7n
Common Scoter 14n
Goosander 4n
Eider 7s
Great n Diver 1n
Red th Diver 5n 11s
Teal 22n
Fulmar 3n
Wigeon 20n
Manxie 2n
Shag 9s
Sandwich Tern 6s
LBBGull 1s
Little Gull 2n ad and juv
Shoveler 5n
Pintail 1n

I put in 3 hours yesterday as well with similar results but a Mute Swan flew south then north again an Obs year tick. That brings my year list to 155 so far. I managed 161 species in 2013 and 167 in 2014 so I'm on track for a 160 plus total

Ducks in the mist...

2 Arctic Terns and a good selection of ducks were the best i could do in the fog and mist at Whitburn Obs this morning. The ducks were often high up and mixed flocks but visability was poor and impossible at times.The Doc called in and i left Hoggie in charge, i may go back later to fight off the Yellow browed's

Monday 28th September 07.10-09.20 SW2 fog/mist/ bright sun

Red th Diver 2n 2s
Common Gull 9n 3s
Black h Gull 226n 26s
Teal 36n 24s
Common Scoter 39n 5s
Wigeon 63n
Pintail 5n
Curlew 1n 1s
Eider 2n 2s
Shag 1s
Common Tern 2n
Coal Tit calling obs tick at last
Golden Plover 45s
Arctic Tern 2n
Sandwich Tern 1s
Grey Heron 1n
Shoveler 2n
Tufted Duck 1n
Great crested Grebe 1s

Mipets and a Skylark went south as i left so may return for some vis mig later

Whitburn Obs Mix Up.......

13 Brent Geese and 50 Pink feet passed the Obs by 10.10 today. On a westerly wind with poor visibility and bright sun we had little hope, add to that Magic Mark was missing...no hope
Saint Mark beat me in and we had a right melee of birds. Not much headline stuff but this is what we saw in order of appearance

Sunday 27th September 06.35-10.10 W1-2 poor visibility with mist early on then bright sun

Eider 17n
Heron 1n
Common Scoter 221n
Curlew 19n
Teal 70n
Red th Diver 12n 17s
Shag 2n 2s
Black h Gull 425n 127s
Shoveler 1n
Wigeon 142n 2s
Arctic Tern 2n
Merlin 1n
Common Gull 16n 20s
Fulmar 16s
Peregrine 1n it was up and down a lot
Goldcrest 1
Sanderling 1n 1s
Goosander 2s
Meadow Pipits 26s
Common Tern 3n 2s
Shelduck 4n
Redpoll 3n
Velvet Scoter 2n
Siskin 1s
Sandwich Tern 2s
Kestrel 1s
Red br Merganser 1n

Pink footed Goose 50s
Arctic Skua 2n
Manx Shearwater 1n
Mallard 1n
Dunlin 1s
Brent Goose 13n pb

Beat that Seaham Birder, tho i could do with your Coal Tits for my Obs list

In the Pink...

390 Pink feet went south past Whitburn Obs by 11.15 today along with a canny supporting cast. Yes Pinks are on the move just a trickle so far but great to have them back. The old team were back together with Saint and Magic Mark in, Pink Floyd and Hoggie arrived late. Keeping tabs on all the sightings wasn't easy, September is such a busy month we will miss it come December when things are quiet
This is what we saw in order of appearance

Saturday 26th September 06.45-10.45 SW1 cloud cover calm sea

Black h Gull 386n 65s
Common Gull 8n 16s
Eider 9n 2s
Curlew 3n 17s
Porpoise 2n
Shag 3n 21s
Red th Diver 23n 38s
Redpoll 22
Common Scoter 119n 23s
Wigeon 34n 2s
Balearic Shearwater 1n 07.05 1s 07.25
Pink footed Goose 390s
Siskin 2
Goosander 2n
Bonxie 4n
Little Gull 1n ad
Teal 31n 6s
Common Tern 10n
Arctic Skua 7n 3s
LBBGull 1n
Knot 2s
Sandwich Tern 5s
Puffin 1n
Fulmar 6n 6s
Pintail 6n
Red br Merganser 4n
Turnstone 6s
Shelduck 3s
Great n Diver 1s
Grey Heron 2n
Manxie 1n

Tara Tarifa Hello Whitburn.....

Roseate Tern, Little Gulls and a Red necked Grebe passed Whitburn Obs by 10.15 today. Back from watching migration and cetaceans in Terrific Tarifa to watching migration and cetaceans in wonderful Whitburn, this is the life.
Looking at the forecast yesterday westerly and no cloud i would have been forgiven for not starting my day with a seawatch but id missed my patch so i headed to the Obs. The Red throated Divers were singing as i arrived. With little wind early on gulls and terns were feeding close in giving me a bit of quality, they moved on later as the wind picked up
Our White beaked Dolphins came along to welcome me back, i will miss them when they move on
Raptors were a feature just like in Spain and i could have done with raptor girl from our trip to help me. Of three species that passed i only id'd one the regular juv Peregrine, the small dark Falcon and large Sparrowhawk type that shot through so fast i couldn't nail
Finally unlucky Dave showed up and asked if id had any Pink feet yet and 30 seconds later a skein went south, lucky or what
And yes the Buff breast did hang around for my return
This is what i saw in order of appearance

Friday 25th September 07.05-10.15 WNW1-2 then 3 bright sun

Black h Gull 54n 28s circa 50 feeding off obs
Wigeon 1s
Red th Diver 6n 11s
Sandwich Tern 8n 2s
Curlew 1n 1s
Red necked Grebe 1n
Little Gull 1n 2s ads
Redshank 1s
Common Scoter 9n 5s
07.30 White beaked Dolphin 3n
Teal 7s
Turnstone 3s
Common Gull 9n 1s
Arctic Tern 2n juvs
Roseate Tern 1n juv
08.15-08.30 ish White beaked Dolphin 10 plus moving south
Tufted Duck 1n
Shag 3s
Sanderling 1s
Common Tern 1n
Eider 2s
Pergrine 1n juv
Pink footed Goose 35s

Cant think of anywhere else id rather be except maybe St Agnes, its been a while since i visited my old haunt should have done it this year....

Like Buses..............

2 Marsh Harriers and a Pom Skua went south past Whitburn Obs this morning. Saint Mark joined me for a wonderful sunrise that i tweeted @pablohugelist. You wait all year for a Marsh Harrier on your Obs list then 2 come in an hour, just like buses. Both cream crown birds and both circa 1 mile out. One of the Harriers was mobbed by a Pom.....
A few more migrants were showing than yesterday and Redstart outside the Obs was nice
This is what we saw in order of appearance

Sunday 13th September 06.05-10.00

Golden Plover 10n 25s
Black h Gull 14n 35s
Common Gull 1n 18s
Red th Diver 6n 40s
Eider 2n 1s
Porpoise 2
Curlew 29n 2s
Common Scoter 14n 8s
Teal 14s
Sandwich Tern 18s
Arctic Skua 1n 7s
Little Gull 1s
Common Tern 13s
Manxie 1n
Puffin 1n
Marsh Harrier 2s 07.30 and 08.15
Pom Skua 1s
LBBGull 1s
Grey Wagtail 2s
Shag 4n
Heron 1n
Meadow Pipit 23s
Swallow 6s
Redstart 1 by obs
Wheatear 4 in field
Whitethroat 1

Everythings coming up Rosies.....

3 Roseate Terns went south past Whitburn Obs in 4 hours this morning. The weather is wild with a strong south easterly and rain and hopefully later it will be dripping with migrants. 4 Wheatear dropping out of the sky were a taster.  But the place to be first thing was the Obs, cosy and dry and loads of birds passing.Common Sandpiper was a new obs tick, but the stars of the show were a family of 3 Roseate Terns flying south into the wind close inshore..........
This is what we saw in order of appearance

Saturday 12th September 06.10-10.10 SE3-4 rain

Common Scoter 87n 5s
Bonxie 4n 1s
Pintail 2s
Shoveler 1s
Curlew 15n 2s
Black h Gull 4n 22s
Common Gull 4n 5s
Wigeon 15n 3s
Tufted Duck 1n 1s
Teal 44n 45s
Puffin 2n
Common Tern 4s
Arctic Skua 9n 4s
Red th Diver 3n 2s
Sooty Shearwater 1s
Common Sandpiper 4s
Grey Heron 2n
Velvet Scoter 1n 1s
Manxie 1n
Sandwich Tern 2n
Eider 1n 1s
Little Gull 1s
Wheatear 4
Arctic Tern 2s
Roseate Tern 3s 1 juv
Swallow 2n

No Fea's...............

2 Little Gulls and 7 Arctic Skuas passed Whitburn Obs by 07.45 this morning. Stony beat me in today hoping for the Fea's. Its one of my work days and with darker mornings i dont get long before i have to go to work. We saw nothing of the Fea's but in excellent conditions lots of birds were passing. I left Stoney and Hoggie to enjoy them.

Wednesday 9th September 06.10-07.45

Common Gull 1n 5s
Wigeon 36n
Black h Gull 6n 18s
Teal 157n
Curlew 2n
Little Gull 2n
Common Scoter 469n
Arctic Skua 7s
Whimbrel 1s
Shag 1n
07.00 White beaked Dilphin 4n
Sandwich Tern 2n 5s
Common Tern 31s
Knot 1n
Dunlin 25n
Brent Goose pb 6n

Pom's, Sooty's, still no ..........

Red necked Grebe and Roseate Tern passed Whitburn Obs today amongst a host of quality birds. Magic Mark was back to catch the last day of the northerlies, i joined him on the last day of my long weekend and Stoney was in the house. I can see i am going to enjoy this semi retirement, 4 days off 3 at work ,canny. Hoggie made an earlier than usual appearance but sadly did not catch up with a Long tail for his year tick. This is what we saw in order of appearance, sort of

Monday 7th September 06.00-11.30 N2 cloud cover, calm sea

Wigeon 21n
Eider 5s
Sooty Shearwater 18n
Redshank 15n 5s
Black h Gull 108n 15s
Curlew 1n 2s
Manxie 17n
Shelduck 2n
Red th Diver 12n 8s
Bonxie 13n
Arctic Skua 61n 8s
Common Scoter 68n
Dunlin 4n
Common Tern119n 8s
Whimbrel 1s
Porpoie 1
Gadwall 1n
Gannet 1800n circa
Grey Wagtail 1s
Sandwich Tern 17n 15s
Turnstone 1n
Peregrine 1n
Teal 108n
Common Gull 5n 3s
Pom Skua 3n ads
Shag 3n 12s
Roseate Tern 1 feeding off shore
Little Gull 8n 3s
Arctic Tern 2n
Velvet Scoter
Puffin 3n
Red necked Grebe 1n
Mallard 3n
Fulmar 85n
Swallow 42n

Pom's, Sooty's.......no Long Tails

4 Pom Skuas, a Balearic Shearwater and 19 Sooty,s passed Whitburn Obs by 10am today.It was a little more civilised after than yesterdays packed house and i was joined by Saint Mark, Stevie Thunder, Aggie Birder and the Birtley Bishop. Stoney was in the house
Our sea watching mantra is Poms, Sooty's,Long tails, today we didn't manage all three but had shed loads of birds
This is what we saw in order of appearance

Sunday 6th September 05.50-10.00 W2 broken cloud and moderate swell

Curlew 37n
Common Scoter25n
Manxie 43n
Black h Gull 72n 14s
Sandwich Tern 41n 8s
Common Gull 21n 2s
Red th Diver 18n 6s
Eider 7s
Common Tern 55n 39s
Sooty Shearwater 19n
Redshank 24n
Dunlin 6n
Arctic Skua 2n 9s
Teal 131n
Goldeneye 2n 1s
Arctic Tern 3n
Wigeon 47n
Mallard 3n
Puffin 1n
Knot 17n 1s
Golden Plover 2n
Little Gull 4n 2s
Wheatear 2
Whimbrel 1s
Shag 14n 4s
Balearic Shearwater 1n
Pintail 9n
Pom Skua 4n
Ringed Plover 1n
Bonxie 3n
Peregrine 1n
Swallow 2s
Sanderling 8n
Kestrel 1n

4 X 4 at Whitburn

Great, Balearic and 20 plus Sooty Shearwaters passed Whitburn Obs on my return from 14.45. When news came through of the Great Shea at Long Nab (thanks Nick) a few of us headed back. The East Coast Tour of the 2014 Fea's is on the Obs wall....Long Nab/Cowbar/Seaham
/Whitburn we were hoping for more of the same. And we were not disappointed as the bird went north at 28 mins past 5. It was a bit confusing as a couple of Manxies were called then a Balearic which most were trying to get on when Andrew Close called the Great amongst them. Everyone got on the bird as it passed under the big transporter ship, get in! making it a 4 Shearwater species day. Then Dave Foster called 8 Poms going south above the horizon, making it a 4 Skua species day
I don't have all the details of this afternoons watch but i did see 9 Bonxies north and 14 pale bellied Brents north
Back tomorrow for more

After the horse has......

Long tailed Skua and 13 Sootys passed Whitburn Obs by 10.30 this morning. It was a full obs with people who had been at work all week hoping for some quality. It was a busy watch but sadly lacked a couple of special birds. Thanks to all the contributors
This is what we saw in order of appearance

Saturday 5th September 05.50-10.30 NNW 4 cloud cover heavy swell

Manx Shearwater 74n
Little Gull 4n 1s
Knot 44n
Arctic Tern 5n
Eider 2n 3s
Curlew 7n
Red th Diver 8n 3s
Sandwich Tern 26n 24s
Wigeon 150n
Pintail 14n
Common Scoter 7n 3s
Common Tern 28n
Sooty Shearwater 13n
Common Gull 4n 6s
Bonxie 8n
Mallard 2n
Oyster Catcher 28s
Puffin 2n
Arctic Skua 7n 9s
Black h Gull 18n
Teal 233n
Dunlin 5n
Ringed Plover 5n
Sanderling 3n
Turnstone 8n
Goldfinch 140n
Shag 4n 9s
Swallow 3n
Gannet 1871n
Long t Skua 1s juv
Tufted Duck 1n 1s
Redshank 17n
Shoveler 1n
Golden Plover 2n
Brent Goose 13n pb
Shelduck 3n
Fulmar 182n

Baroli or Boydi that is the question......

a Little Shearwater went north past Whitburn Obs this morning on an action packed watch. Aggie birder was back and Stoney was in the house. (Later Sir Ian, Hoggie, Pink Floyd, unlucky Dave et al arrived). The northerly was still going and the sea swell was heavy we waited with anticipation for the birds to start moving.
This is what we saw in order of appearance

Friday 4th September 05.50-11.00 NNW4 cloud cover, very heavy swell and rain at times

Black h Gull 97n 8s
Common Gull 13n 2s
Teal 325n
Dunlin 21n
Eider 2n 5s
Mallard 3n
Long tailed Skua 1n juv
Wigeon 134n
06.30 Little Shearwater 1n circa 400yds out
Red th Diver 9n 1s
Arctic Tern 1n
Little Gull 1n ad
Manxie 14n
Arctic Skua 10n 16s
Bonxie 3n 2s
Sandwich Tern 81n 3s
Ruff 2n
Turnstone 2n
Redshank 7n 4s
Snipe 3 in/off
Shag 2n 14s
08.30 Storm Petrel 1n
Sooty Shearwater 5n
Pintail 6n
Common Tern 4n
Common Scoter 13n
Shelduck 7s
Knot 1n
Fulmar 126n
Brent Goose 18n db

Right in the Balearics........

2 Balearic Shearwaters and a Long tailed Duck passed Whitburn Obs by 8 am today. Stoney was in the house and Pink Floyd looked like he'd been kicked in the Balearic's when we told him not one but two Balearic's had passed already, one of which lingered and landed on the sea in front of the obs.....
This is what we saw in order of appearance

Thursday 3rd September 05.50-10.00 NW3 mega heavy swell

Red th Diver 4n 3s
Common Gull 10n 2s
Fulmar 66n
Blue Fulmar 1n L
Black h Gull 28n 6s
Long tailed Duck 1n
Arctic Skua 20n 3s
Curlew 5n
Velvet Scoter 1n
Sandwich Tern 19n 2s
Redshank 1s
Dunlin 1n
Wigeon 18n
Little Gull 4n
Pom Skua 1n
Manxie 2n 1s
Balearic Shearwater 2n 06.50 and 07.05
Eider 1s
Teal 1n
Common Tern 3n
Common Scoter 1n
Tufted Duck 1n

Long tail for breakfast....

1 Long tailed, 1 Pom and 19 Arctic Skuas passed Whitburn Obs by 8am this morning. Saint Mark beat me in today ans Stoney was in the house. Good light makes a hell of a difference and we had a superb sea watch before i had to leave for work. The Long tail was an Obs year tick for me as it flew south behind 4 Arctic Skuas
This is what we saw in order of appearance

Wednesday 2nd September 05.55-08.00 NW2 cloud cover and very heavy swell

Black h Gull 2n 8s
Common Gull 3n 1s
Little Gull 13n 2s
Arctic Skua 2n 22s
Manxie 22n 21s
Puffin 1n
Common Tern 21n 34s
Red th Diver 1n 1s
Velvet Scoter 1s
Dunlin 6n
Common Scoter 4n 1s
Sandwich Tern 18n 45s
Arctic Tern 10n 20s
Curlew 2n
Whimbrel 1n
Pom Skua 1n
Long tailed Skua 1s juv
Sooty Shearwater 1n
Teal 12n
Crow 4n
Shag 1n
Black Tern 2n

Bingo!......

1 Pom 5 Great and 13 Arctic Skuas passed Whitburn obs in 12 hours today. It was a full house with the obs manned all day and as i left Stevie Makem was starting the late late shift. MH, PHo, WM, CW,and DC had all contributed and we had a special guest in the lovely Maid Marian paying a visit from Notts, and Stoney was in the house
These are the totals for 12 hours today Monday 31st August in order of appearance, sort of

Black h Gull 80n 59s
Shag 21n 21s
Curlew 28n 1s
Whimbrel 1n
Common Gull 5n 7s
Sandwich Tern 41n 99s
Red th Diver 5n 2s
Common Scoter55n 6s
Teal 884n 84s
Little Gull 16n 20s
Redshank 55n 131s
Wigeon 107n
Common Tern 25n 33s
Arctic Skua 10n 3s
Sooty Shearwater 1n
Heron 4n
Purple Sandpiper 2n
Knot 25n 15s
Manxie 12n
Grey Wagtail 2s
Turnstone 18n 5s
Arctic Tern 9n 1s
Dunlin 10n 5s
Swallow 98n
Puffin 2n 1s
Bonxie 5n
Tufted Duck 2n
Ringed Plover 1n
Pintail 3n
Velvet Scoter 1n
Pom Skua 1n
Leucistic Fulmar 1s

More Teal Vicar........

Sooty Shearwater and 32 Little Gulls passed Whitburn Obs by 11am. 'More Teal Vicar', the old ones are the best, it was the start of autumn wildfowl movement today with good numbers of ducks and more species than of late. The northerly helped to get things moving and with good coverage today we could get a decent day total of Teal with 764 north when i left for a break
I was joined by Saint Mark and Stoney was in the house, this is what we saw in order of appearance

Monday 31st August 05.45-11.00

Black h Gull 60n 47s
Shag 15n 17s
Curlew 26n
Whimbrel 1n
Common Gull 3n 5s
Sandwich Tern 13n 37s
Red th Diver 2n 2s
Common Scoter 51n 6s
Teal 764n 7s
Little Gull 12n 20s
Redshank 6n 105s
Wigeon 58n
Common Tern 23n 37s
Arctic Skua 9n 3s
Sooty Shearwater 1n
Purple Sandpiper 2n
Knot 22n 16s
Manxie 8n
Grey Wagtail 1s
Turnstone 1s
Arctic Tern 9n 1s
Dunlin 2n 5s
Swallow 66n
Puffin 1s
Bonxie 3n
Tufted Duck 2n
Ringed Plover 1n
Pintail 3n

You Bustard You.....

I'm just back from a week long family holiday in Fuerteventura, my first visit to the area. As always i was looking to fit in a spot of birding along the way especially as i needed Fuertaventura Chat and Houbara Bustard, since its split from the birds i saw in Israel years ago.

I always go birding from first light on holiday and meet the family for breakfast and that's just what i did along with a couple of excursions. My walk out of Corralejo south through the Dunas de Carralejo Parque National to Riu Oliva Beach became a daily routine allowing me to get a 5 euro taxi back from the Riu hotel to breakfast and still have enough energy left to play in the pool with my Granddaughter Aimee.. Birds were thin on the ground but Berthelot's Pipit and Desert Grey Shrike were not hard to find so that was a good start. Also recorded were Raven, sometimes groups of 5+, Kestrel and Hoopoe. The shoreline held a few waders and i recorded Whimbrel, Grey Plover and Little ringed Plover.  Atlantic Yellow legged Gulls were common along with the odd Lesser black Backed and Audouin's.

A free flying Budgie added to the exotic flavour of Ring necked and Monk Parakeet. I saw a few Linnet, House and Spanish Sparrows but didn't connect with any Trumpeter Finch on the whole trip. It became obvious that i was going to need a buckets full of luck to find my target birds or a change in strategy.
So I booked a day trip on a Jeep Safari off the beaten track and it paid off....

We (6 jeeps) set off on a route around the north and north west of the Island. It could be best described as a hit and run event with a number of sites to be visited and little time at each site to be enjoyed, in fact some were 5 minute photo stops. We headed off west into barren volcanic Dessert and i soon had my first reward for the change in strategy with a Barbary Falcon overhead.

The first stop was to look into a volcano close to Corralejo. We trekked up a steep narrow stone path to a viewing area and many of the 6 jeeps passengers who were wearing sandals and flip flops and had young kids with them were struggling on the rough and sharp volcanic rock...
I was scanning the hills id seen the Falcon over when someone asked if id seen the Barbary Ground Squirrels that were coming very close at the viewing area, i hadn't so turned around to take some photos, a couple of small birds were feeding on the rock and i was overjoyed to see they were a pair of Fuerteventura Chats!
Fantastic but brief views were given as they quickly headed out of view. Sadly it wasn't safe to follow away from the platform. Lots of peanut kernel's were on the ground at the platform due to tourists feeding the Squirrels and i wonder if the Chats were feeding on them.

The break neck tour continued but our driver had little interest in birds so mentioning a Buzzard on a wall or a Desert Grey Shrike yards away did not bring the vehicle to a halt. We visited an Aloe Vera Museum in La Oliva, i did not enter the building but birded around and found Barbary Partridge on the wall.

It was frustrating to be very near the site at La Oliva that historically held good numbers of Bustard as described in the Gosney finding birds in the Canaries guide but our convoy had to move off at speed again.....

Realising how close La Oliva was to my hotel i decided another visit was required. I bribed the family and booked a Taxi the next day and got dropped off near the Rosade los Negrines at 2ish and told my driver Phillipe to pick me up at 6 o'clock
I never stopped scanning and working the area but had little of interest, certainly no Bustards so headed back in my Taxi and drowned my sorrows in cold beer. It cost circa 20 euro's each way, well worth it for the experience of birding this unique habitat

Next day was an Atlantic Adventure to Playa Blanca in Lanzarote with my family we had good views of Cory's Shearwaters and flying fish

I called for a taxi on my penultimate day and headed to Tindaya to continue my quest for the Bustard. It was close to the former site but had produced birds more recently. Antonio my driver stopped in Tindaya to check we were on the road to Punta Paso Chico as we had seen no sign posts. We called at the Los Podomorfos restaurant and chatted with the owner who spoke perfect Spanish and was English. Our route was confirmed and we agreed to meet back here for my return journey to my hotel.

As i approached the copse of fig trees mentioned in the Gosney guide i scanned the terrain and nearly fell over when the first bird i saw was an Houbara Bustard. It was a little distant and heat haze was unreal but i managed some record shot photos and video. I birded the area for a few hours in the hope of finding Black bellied Sandgrouse and Cream Coloured Courser but could not. After a few hours i decided to head back to my rendezvous point and try to get an earlier taxi before the heat took me.

My bilingual host rang the taxi company for me as my mobile phone had drowned in the swimming pool at my Hotel,  and managed to arrange an earlier pick up, phew and thank you
Much beer, Sangria and Rum and Coke was drank in celebration. My family were happy as i would stop being grumpy, job done you Bustard you...

A big thanks to Dave Gosney and Richard Howard who's 2015 report i used. This is not a full report i did see Plain Swifts and a few other species, its more a description of my quest

Good to be back.....

18 Little Gulls and 4 Arctic Skuas passed Whitburn Obs by 10.30 this morning. Yes it is good to be back after a week in Fuerteventura, sadly i missed Kingfisher, Yellow legged Gull and Greenshank while i was away, but still time to pull back a few. I was joined by Saint Mark with a guest appearance by Foss. The lack of wind didn't help but otherwise we are not complaining. We managed to record Dolphin, Porpoise and Lobster toward the NT big count today. This is what we saw in order of appearance

Sunday 30th August 05.40-10.30 SW1 calm sea light cloud

Black h Gull 6n 78s
Dunlin 34s
Turnstone 5n 4s
Little Gull 13n 5s a mixture of adults and juvs with some nice close birds
Teal 23n 2s
05.50 White beaked Dolphin 4+ till 06.45
Curlew 11n 3s
Common Scoter 27n 26s
Eider 4s
Common Tern 19n 38s
Arctic Tern 7n 2s
Sandwich Tern 9n 32s
Manxie 3n 12s
Redshank 5n 53s
Knot 42s
Arctic Skua 4s
Peregrine 1s
Red th Diver 1n 2s
Shag 34s
Common Gull 3n 6s
LBBGull 2n
07.15 White beaked Dolphin 3plus
Ringed Plover 3s
07.30  White beaked Dolphin 4 and 1 juv
Wigeon 6n
Porpoise 4
Grey Heron 1n
Swift 3s
Sparrowhawk 1n

May all of your Terns be black.......

Spotted Redshank and 3 Whimbrel went south past Whitburn Obs this morning on another good day for wader passage. The Spot Shank was another Obs year tick bringing the list to circa 146. Stoney was in the house and we did our best to find a Black Tern after yesterdays record passage at Hartlepool but to no avail. Light conditions were difficult with the heavy cloud and the heat haze was unreal. This is what we did manage to see in order of appearance

Friday 21st August 05.30-07.30 S2 poor light and heat haze

Teal 86n 48s
Common Tern 2n 95s
Common Scoter 39n 13s
Black h Gull 19s
Sandwich Tern 14s
Common Gull 1s
Oyster Catcher 11s
Golden Plover 4s
Whimbrel 3s
Sanderling 25s
Redshank 1n
Spotted Redshank 1s
Knot 2n 7s
Wigeon 3n
Dunlin 22s
Turnstone 3s
Red th Diver 2s
Swallow 12s
Ringed Plover 3s

WWW.....

Bonxie and 2 Arctic Skuas passed Whitburn Obs by 7.30 this morning. I was joined by Magic Mark and Stoney was in the house.  WWW, Whitburns wave of Waders, we've had such a good year recording wader passage this year and it continued this morning with good numbers passing, sadly i had to leave for work. Don't want to think about what they will see now I've left..

Thursday 20th August 05.30-07.35 S2 full cloud cover till just before i left

Teal 81n
Knot 57s
Oyster Catcher 90s
Curlew 1n
Common Gull 3s
Common Tern 13n 27s
Common Scoter 74n 2s
LBBGull 5s
Turnstone 4n 5s
Sandwich Tern 37n 6s
Black h Gull 3n 4s
Arctic Tern 1s
Whimbrel 2s
Dunlin 50s
Manxie 1s
Redshank 54s
07.03 White beaked Dolphin 1n
Bonxie 1n
Arctic Skua 2n
Sanderling 3s
Ringed Plover 4s

Green for go....

3 Pom, 5 Arctic and 2 Great Skuas passed Whitburn Obs by 7.40 this morning but sadly no Long tail for me yet. Stoney was in the house and it was an interesting watch, you always felt anything could happen and it did when a Green Sandpiper went south to get my Obs list on the move again. That's four ticks in as many days.
This is what we saw in order of appearance

Wednesday19th August 05.30-07.40 SW1-2 full cloud cover till we left, heavy swell

Black h Gull 2n 2s
Manxie 11n
Common Gull 2n 3s
Arctic Skua 4n 1s
Teal 6n
Pom Skua 3n
Whimbrel 6s
Common Scoter 17n
Arctic Tern 1n
Shag 1n
Eider 1n 2s
Sandwich Tern 19n 11s
Common Tern 20n 9s
Velvet Scoter 1s
Med Gull 1s 2nd sum
Sparrowhawk 1s
Bonxie 2n
Red th Diver 1n
Green Sandpiper 1s
Wheatear one on the way back to car

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, its off to...............

8 Velvet Scoter and a Merlin passed Whitburn Obs by 07.30 this morning. Despite the northerly wind and promising bird passage i had to leave for work, and leave the Obs empty This is what i saw in order of appearance

Tuesday 18th August 05.30-07.30 N2-3 full cloud cover, rain started as i left

Kittiwake 5400n
Common Gull 7n 1s
Black h Gull 10n 2s
Redshank 25n 1s
Arctic Skua 1n
Common Scoter 3n
Max Shearwater 12n
Knot 5n
Velvet Scoter 8n
Common Tern 6n
Sandwich 3n 4s
Grey Plover 1n
Sanderling 1n
Teal 5n 4s
Arctic Tern 3n
Eider 1n 2s
Shag 1n 22s
Merlin 1n
Med Gull 1s 2nd sum

Billy no mates again......

3 Little Gulls and 2 Arctic Skuas passed Whitburn Obs by 9 o'clock this morning and the Whitburn Whitebeaks were on show most of the time. No helpers today, it was just little old me so just as well it was quiet. With little wind to encourage birds to get up it was very quiet after the initial morning rush hour. As usual the Dolphins stole the show on a calm sea, tho they were distant further north but not difficult to see.
My Obs year list got an unexpected boost with Great spotted Woodpecker following on from a Pintail yesterday. Bringing my year list to circa 144, its not looking like a record year but you never know.......

Sunday 16th August 05.30-09.00 SSE1-2 then 1, flat calm sea light cloud

Redshank 19n
Dunlin 18n 8s
Knot 2n
Black h Gull 12n 7s
Common Scoter 2n
Whimbrel 10s
Arctic Skua 1n 1s
Sandwich Tern 2n 32s
Common Tern 9n 51s
Manxie 2n
Arctic Tern 5n 3s
Little Gull 3s 1 ad
Eider 1n
Turnstone 2n
Porpoise 1

07.10 White beaked Dolphin 7+ north still visable feeding to the north when i left

I headed off to WWWT to look for the reported Hawfinch.....but thats another story

Hello Kitty......

Sooty Shearwater and 2 Little Gulls passed Whitburn Obs by 10am this morning. I was joined by Magic Mark, Stevie Thunder, and Stoney was in the house. At first light they were like a snowstorm teaming past, Kittiwakes going north, we had 8500 by the end of the watch. This is what we saw in order of appearance

Saturday 15th August 05.15-10.00 W2-3 cloud cover early on but clearing

Black h Gull 14n 5s
Arctic Tern 20n 7s
Kittiwake 8500n
Common Gull 3n 1s
Gannet 1260n
Manxie 45n 10s
Little Gull 1n 1s ad
Sandwich Tern 29n 33s
Golden Plover 3n
Curlew 1s
Common Tern 18n 66s
Eider 4n 1s
Sooty Shearwater 1n
Grey Heron 1n
Common Scoter 45n
Med Gull 1s ad
Velvet Scoter 1n
Shag 3n 1s
Pintail 2n
Wigeon 1s
LBBGull 2n
Ruff 1n
Oyster Catcher 9s
Porpoise 1
Goosander 1s
Arctic Skua 1n
Fulmar 120n
Sparrowhawk 1s

It might not rain until September.......

Arctic Skua 15 Manxies passed Whitburn by 8am. Its northerly and it didn't wait until September
Magic Mark joined me and this is what we saw in order of appearance

Friday 14th August 05.20-08.00 N2-3 rain

Common Gull 2n 3s
Common Scoter 64n 45s
Sandwich Tern 95s
Black h Gull 1n 4s
Gannet 574n
Manxie 11n 4s
Shag 3n 16s
Arctic Skua 1n
Common Tern 20n 16s
Teal 23n
Bar tailed Godwit 1n
Knot 1n
Arctic Tern 13n 2s
Wigeon 3s
Sanderling 3s
LBBGull 5n
Curlew 1n

Dolphins in the dark......

Whitburns Whitebeaks were back on show this morning, 7 ish went north close inshore feeding along the flagline.The heavy low cloud made it almost dark but i still managed to get some half decent video. Not much bird movement today except for a movement of Shag south
This is what i saw in order of appearance

Wednesday12th August 05.10-07.00 NW1-2 broken cloud 6/10

Curlew 5n
Black h Gull 1n 1s
Common Gull 2s
05.23 White beaked Dolphin 7 north till 06.25 feeding along the close flag line
Common Tern 4n 9s
Arctic Tern 6n 9s
Shag 51s
Manx Shearwater 6n
Sandwich Tern 5s
Dunlin 3n
Whimbrel 1s
Redshank 2n
Common Scoter 2n
Soveler 1n

Record breakers.......

Pom Skua, Little Gull and a Blue Fulmar passed Whitburn Obs early morning. The record breaking team of  Magic Mark, Saint Mark and myself were back in action. We recently set a new Obs record for Redshank passage in a day and today it was the turn of Dunlin. 340 Dunlin went south by 10.10 beating the previous best day total of 290 set in Nov 2005. We left Saint Mark in the Obs no doubt adding to our total
It was a busy morning and the wind encouraged birds to move after yesterdays dead calm
This is what we saw in order of appearance

Sunday 9th August 05.10- 10.10 SSW 3 cloud cover early on then broken cloud

Common Gull 9s
Black h Gull 9s
Common Scoter 219n 9s
Pom Skua 1s
Sandwich Tern 8n 580s
Manxie 1n 49s
Common Tern 30n 120s
Shag 2n 9s
Dunlin 340s
Ringed Plover 10s
Turnstone 10s
Knot 4s
Oyster Catcher 16s
Shoveler 3n
Teal 24n 4s
Redshank 23s
Blue Fulmar 1s L
Sanderling 26s
Arctic Skua 2n 2s
Bonxie 1n
Kestrel 1s
Curlew 4s
Black tailed Godwit 2s
LBBGull 1n 1s
Whimbrel 2s
Little Gull 1s ad

Having a Whale of a time....

33 White beaked Dolphin went south past Whitburn Obs this morning our highest ever count. Yorkshire was keeping all the Minke's for itself and having a Whale of a time, so maybe tomorrow...Somebody must have told them the National Whale and Dolphin watch was over, they all came out to play. Thanks to everyone who took part in the survey, we did ok, two species of  Dolphin and Porpoise recorded
It was a perfect Cetacean sea dead calm and flat but no cloud and bright sun made viewing difficult.I was joined by Saint Mark and Pink Floyd and this is what we saw in order of appearance

Saturday 8th August 05.10-10.00 NW1 then dead calm, clear sky bright sun, flat .sea state

Curlew 1n 5s
Dunlin  10n 36s
Oyster Catcher 2n 8s
Manx Shearwater 54n 13s
Sandwich Tern 83s
Common Tern 3n 76s
Common Scoter 111n
Arctic Tern 10n 4s
Shag 3s
Redshank 2n 2s
Grey Heron 1n
Ringed Plover 2n
Whimbrel 1s
Teal 1s
Knot 1s
Wigeon 3s
Black h Gull 1n 1s
Turnstone 5n
 

The tide is Terning........

Roseate Tern and 2 Little Gulls went south past Whitburn Obs by 8 o'clock this morning. Magic Mark joined me and we thoroughly enjoyed our sea watch. Conditions were excellent with good light and enough wind to encourage birds to move. Terns are heading south at an increasing rate of knots and i will be sad when they have gone, but for now enjoy....
This is what we saw in order of appearance

Wednesday5th August 05.05-08.00 SW2-3 cloud cover, calm sea

Common Gull 16s
Black h Gull 16s
Curlew 1n
Sandwich Tern 12n 75s
Arctic Tern 3n 27s
Common Scoter 21n 9s
Common Tern 27n 225s
Oyster Catcher 12s
Swift 7s
Peregrine 1s
LBBGull 1s
Redshank 7s
Arctic Skua 2s
Roseate Tern 1s juv
Little Gull 2s 1ad 1 1st sum
Dunlin 1s
Porpoise 1s
Knot 14s
Red th Diver 4s
Whimbrel 2s
Puffin 1n 1s

Coming up Rosies.....

Balearic Shearwater and 2 Roseate Terns passed Whitburn Obs early morning. Sea watching conditions were difficult early on with bright sun and a stiff SEasterly wind and rough sea. I was having trouble getting on a bird that wasn't a Kittiwake. When Stoney arrived it took him 10 minutes to make his first note and things did improve. Two pairs of eyes are better than on. We saw our now daily Rosy Terns and Rob saw his first Balearic of the season, alls well.......
This is what we saw in order of appearance

Tuesday 4th August 04.55-07.05 SSE3-4 clear sky and rough sea

Sandwich Tern 32n 21s
Common Scoter 7n 5s
Black h Gull 12s
Bar tailed Godwit 2s
Knot 2s
Common Tern 6n 4s
Common Gull 4s
Oyster Catcher 14s
Arctic Tern 3n 4s
Roseate Tern 2s 1ad 1juv
Swift 3s
06.30 Balearic Shearwater 1n
Porpoise 1n
Red th Diver 1 on sea
Arctic Skua 1s

Lora Lora Birds......

A Pom Skua and 2 Roseate Terns passed Whitburn Obs on my early watch today. I was joined by Aggie Gordon and Stoney was in the house. The fantastic bird movement from yesterday continued and the extra eyes were important. Tara Cilla
This is what we saw in order of appearance

Monday 3rd August 05.05-07.05 SSE2-3 cloud cover clearing by 07.00

Common Scoter 245n 38s
Common Gull 1s
Black h Gull 1n 2s
Sandwich Tern 27n 94s
Common Tern 15n 18s
Dunlin 9s
Whimbrel 4s
Teal 17n 9s
Eider 3n
Manxie 5s
05.45 Dolphin sp 1 seen through the flags but not i d'd
Arctic Tern 3n 15s
Knot 2s
Sanderling 2s
Pom Skua 1n ad
Bonxie 1bn
Peregrine 1 feeding/chasing waders
Red th Diver 1s
Roseate Tern 2s 1ad 1juv
Arctic Skua 1s
Swift 3s
Curlew 3n
Little Gull 1n 1st sum

A bit of Ruff......

Pom Skua and 2 Roseate Terns passed Whitburn Obs this morning on a busy sea watch. I was joined by Magic and Saint Mark and later Hoggie and Walter. Despite the nothing conditions we managed to see a load of birds, its on days like this you wish you wernt doing the log. Star birds were the Ruff,  a new Obs year tick on a good wader day.
This is what we saw in order of appearance

Sunday 2nd August 05.05-10.05 SW1-2 then SE2 cloud cover

Curlew 4n 2s
Sandwich Tern 12n 65s
Ringed Plover 3s
Common Tern 12n 168s
Common Scoter 171n 57s
Arctic Tern 35n 38s
Manxie 12n
Common Gull 4n 5s
Dunlin 2n 80s
Teal 8n 3s
Black h Gull 10n 7s
Redshank 6n 9s
Whimbrel 23s
Puffin 14n 5s
Eider 5n
Red th Diver 1s
Turnstone 1n 1s
Sanderling 30n 10s
Grey Plover 1sArctic Skua 2n 4s
Little Gull 1n 1s ads
Roseate Tern 2s 1 ad 1 juv
Knot 1s
Pom Skua 1n adult with spoons
Ruff 2s
Bar t Godwit 2n 1s
Great n Diver 1 on sea drifted north

No (R)Egrets........

6 Little Gulls a Velvet Scoter and no Egrets passed Whitburn Obs by 10.45 this morning. We knew the Great White Egret had gone north over Harlepool, thanks for the news guys, and waited for it, a mega Obs tick. It never came and we soon heard it was at Boldon Flats. I was joined by Saint and Magic Mark this morning and later by Pink Floyd and Desperate Den. This is what we saw in order of appearance

Saturday 1st August 05.05-10.45 SW2 broken cloud

Whimbrel 3n 10s
Common Tern 37n 14s
Teal 27n 4s
Black h Gull 11n 4s
Curlew 13n
Sandwich Tern 33n 15s
Arctic Tern 160n 4s
Little Gull 4n ads 2s ad and 1st sum
Common Scoter 619n 42s
Common Gull 2n 3s
LBBGull 1s
Manx Shearwater 27n 2s
Velvet Scoter 1n
Puffin 13n
Porpoise 1
Shoveler 5n 2s
Dunlin 1n 16s
Knot 3s
Ringed Plover 5s
Redshank 1n 1s
Kestrel 1s
Swift 1n
Sanderling 6s
Mallard 2n
Siskin 2s
Med Gull 1s 2nd sum
Bar tailed Godwit 1s

Better late than never .....

2 Little Gulls and a Blue Fulmar passed Whitburn Obs by 8.15 this morning. I was late into the Obs this morning following a late night encounter with a Leach's Petrel(thanks Kieran). I was a little disappointed with the lack of birds in my first hour but it did start to improve, sadly work beckoned.
This is what i saw in order of appearance

Thursday 30th July 05.55-08.15 N2 cloud cover then broken cloud, heavy swell

Sandwich Tern 7n 50s
Arctic Tern 14n
Gannet 380n
Arctic Skua 1n
Common Gull 2n
Common Tern 5n 3s
Black h Gull 4n
Grey Wagtail 1s
Puffin 10n
Manxie 23n
Little Gull 2s (1 ad)
Blue Fulmar 1n
Bonxie 1n
Goosander 1n

Daydream Believer.............

2 Arctic Skuas 2 Med Gulls and a Blue Fulmar passed Whitburn Obs by 7am this morning. Good light and a nice mix of birds made for an enjoyable watch. No cetaceans on my watch today. As i was leaving another watcher arrived he asked what i had seen and said he had come down to see Pom Skua and Sooty Shearwaters. I wished him good luck and thought dream on mate, dream on
This is what i saw in order of appearance

Wednesday 29th July 05.00-07.05 WNW2-3 cloud cover

Curlew 2n
Gannet 606n
Manxie 14n 1s
Grey Heron 1n in/off
Arctic Tern 32n 3s
Common Tern 5n 6s
Puffin 15n 1s
Med Gull 2n (2nd sum and juv)
Swift 1sGoosander 4n
Blue Fulmar 1s L
Common Scoter 1n 7s
Arctic Skua 1n 1s
Turnstone 2n
Sandwich Tern 5n 9s
Bar t Godwit 1n

Is that a Skua i see before me

5 Bonxies and 7 Arctic Skuas passed Whitbun Obs by 09.00 this morning. No two days are alike in the Obs and yesterdays Arctic Tern passage was not repeated. However the Bottlenose Dolphin passage was. What seemed like the same size pod 7/8 animals moving north at much the same time as yesterday, but as they were well north it became obvious not all had been showing and i counted 15 at least. Yesterday they came south again at 12.30, but I'm not sure if anyone will be in to see them today
I was joined by Magic Mark and Steve Chinnery and this is what we saw in order of appearance

Tuesday 28th July 04.50-09.00 NW2-3 full cloud cover calm sea

Black h Gull 10n 2s
Curlew 2n 2s
Common Gull 15n 3s
Arctic Skua 5n 2s
Med Gull 1n ad
Manx Shearwater 116n 8s
Dunlin 2n
Common Scoter172n 123s
Sandwich Tern 8n 56s
Bonxie 5n
Common Tern 5n 22s
Puffin 6n 2s
Arctic Tern 79n 20s
Eider 1s
Little Gull 1s ad
07.55-07.50 Bottlenose Dolphin circa 15 north
08.10-08.12 Porpoise 1n 1s
Redshank 2n
Blue Fulmar 1n

Arctic Storm.....

2117 Arctic Terns passed Whitburn Obs in 13 hours today, smashing the previous record of 1171 in July 2013. Thanks to Steve Chinnary, Derek Charlton. Colin Wilson, Magic Mark and 3 birders from Teeside for putting in the time
Here is what was seen during the watch in no particular order

Monday 27th July 04.55-18.00 ENE 4-5 full cloud cover rough sea

Manx Shearwater 209n 13s
Gannet 630n till 08.30 only
Common Scoter 302n 150s
Curlew 2n 3s
Black h Gull 7n
Common Gull 2s
Wigeon 3n
Common Tern 52n 1s
Sandwich Tern 149n 41s
Arctic Tern 2117n
Arctic Skus 1n 4s
Puffin 42n 1s
Sooty Shearwater 1n
Bonxie 8n
Velvet Scoter 1n
Red necked Grebe 1n
Teal 5n
Little Gull 6n 1st sum
Pom Skua 1n ad dark phase with spoons
Turnstone 1n 10s
Bar tailed Godwit 1n
Knot 2n
Whimbrel 2n
Dunlin 1n
Red th Diver 1n
Bottlenose Dolphin 7n 07.40-07.50 then 7s 12.30-12.40

Arctic Blast.......

320 Arctic Terns and 2 Arctic Skuas passed Whitburn Obs by 08.00 this morning. It was an Arctic blast as i fought my way to the Obs this morning with my brolly getting blown inside out. The Arctic Tern passage was fantastic and a pod of Bottlenose Dolphins going north at the end of my watch was a real bonus on the National Whale & Dolphin watch fortnight.
This is what i saw in order of appearance

Monday 27th July 04.55-08.00 ENE4-5 rain, rough sea

Curlew 2n 1s
Fulmar 36n
Gannet 630n
Black h Gull 1n
Arctic Tern 320n
Manxie 29n
Common Scoter 1n 2s
Sandwich Tern 16n 30s
Common Tern 4n 1s
Common Gull 1s
Puffin 1n
Arctic Skua 1n 1s
07.70 Bottlenose Dolphin 7+ north close in shore till 07.50
Wigeon 3n

Eye strain stops play....

7 Arctic Skuas and 164 Manxies passed Whitburn Obs by 08.30 this morning.Saint Mark and Robin Hood joined me on a frustrating watch.early on movement was brisk but it soon died off and the light was always difficult. After yesterdays marathon watch my scope eye is done in so i packed in early to save it for the forecasted northerlies next week. Still managed a 4 hour watch and this is what we saw in order of appearance

Sunday 26th July SW2 bright sun then thin cloud calm sea

Common Scoter 51n 1s
Common Tern 7n 40s
Sandwich Tern 35n 218s
Arctic Tern 16n 27s
Manxie 124n 40s
Arctic Skua 6n 1s
Shelduck 6s
Common Gull 5s
Puffin 10n 5s
Teal 7n
Curlew 2n 6s
Oyster Catcher 37s
Black h Gull 3s
Redshank 5n 10s
Red th Diver 1s
Whimbrel 1n 1s
Dunlin 1s
Turnstone 1n
Sadly no cetaceans today even though it was a nice calm sea..... maybe tomorrow

The longest day....

61 Manxies and the Red Arrows passed Whitburn Obs this afternoon. Yes 04.30am start and i left the CCG BBQ at Souter Lighthouse at 07.30 to head home...phew. An excellent time was had at the annual Coastal Conservation Group BBQ a great social gathering and a chance to catch up with a few friends thanks. Sadly i left before the White beaked Dolphins showed up but hope to see them early tomorrow. I was joined by Derek Charlton and friends and this is what we saw

14.25-17.30 Whitburn Obs

Common Tern 32n 1s
Black h Gull 2n 2s
Sandwich Tern 25n 10s
Manxie 61n 1s
Arctic Tern 25n
Common Scoter 3n
Golden Plover 70n
Curlew 2s
Turnstone 13n
Red th Diver 1s
Common Gull 1n
Puffin 4n

17.45- ...   Souter Lighthouse
Porpoise 1 at 18.45
Whit beaked Dolphins at 20.24 still waiting to hear details

Off to bed now and back int Obs first light

Hang on Sooty....Sooty hang on...

A Sooty Shearwater 3 Bonxies and 2 Arctic Skuas passed Whitburn Obs by 10.30 this morning. I was joined by Magic Mark, Saint Mark with Robin Hood, Pink Floyd was back from a hat full of holidays and Hoggie and Walter arrived late on. It was my first Sooty of the year and it was over far too quickly, more soon I'm sure.
I made an early start as its the first day of the 2015 National Whale and Dolphin watch fortnight. Just as well as my only sightings were early on, but its nice to get some scores on the doors
This is what we saw in order of appearance

Saturday 25th July 04.30-10.30 NNW4 broken clourd rough sea

Curlew 7n 3s
04.42 White beaked Dolphin one breached close inshore
Fulmar 62n
Common Scoter 218n 78s
Manxie 122n 2s
Gannet 945n
05.00 White beaked Dolphin 2 north close inshore
Puffin 115n 25s
Common Tern 25n 5s
Turnstone 5n 1s
Arctic Tern 156n 1s
Common Gull 1n 5s
Bar tailed Godwit 7n 1s
LBBGull 6n
Tufted Duck 2n
Shag 3s
Black h Gull 4n 6s
Grey Plover 1n
Teal 65n
Arctic Skua 2s
Red th Diver 3n
Swift 3n
Whimbrel 2n
Mallard 2n
Bonxie 3n
Oyster Catcher 15s
Sooty Shearwater 1n

Whitburn's Whitebeaks head south for the day........

10 plus White beaked Dolphins went south past Whitburn Obs early morning. I am seeing them so often I've claimed them for the Obs. I first picked them up at 05.20 and they slowly went south through the flags feeding on the way, last noted at 05.55 off Roker. It is difficult to get an accurate count but i would say between 10-20. It was flat calm which helped as they can be amazingly elusive at times.
As you are all now aware its the 2015 National Whale and Dolphin watch from the 25th of July till the 2nd August so i am hoping they show again over the weekend. Unfortunately its the Airshow this weekend so parking and access will be a problem

Friday 24th July 04.55-07.05 W1-2 dead calm sea

Sandwich Tern 6n 92s
Common Tern 8n 29s
Black h Gull 3s
Common Scoter 11s
Arctic Tern 16n 23s
Manxie 4n 20s
Turnstone 1s
Common Gull 1s
Red th Diver 1s
Whimbrel 4s
Teal 2n
Knot 1s
Puffin 1n 3s
Eider 1s
Little Gull 1s ad
Redshank 3n
Shag 1s
White beaked Dolphins 10-20 south feeding through the flag line 04.55-05.55

Time = Sightings

A Velvet Scoter and 24 Manxies passed Whitburn Obs on my early morning sea watch today. In the Obs we always say the more time you put in the more birds you will see. As the 2015 National Whale and Dolphin Watch takes place between the 25th July and the 2nd August its worth mentioning the same applies to Cetaceans, the more time you put in the more chance you have of seeing Whales and Dolphins. Please record what you see in the log book and i will forward the completed sightings forms to the Sea Watch Foundation
I did manage to see a Dolphin and some Porpoise today but only briefly, lets hope they hang around for the survey
This is what i saw in order of appearance

Thursday 23rd July 04.55-07.00 W1-1 broken cloud calm sea

Grey Heron 1s
Common Scoter 71n 9s
Black h Gull 1s
Whimbrel 2s
Common Tern 1n 23s
Sandwich Tern 13n 61s
Red th Diver 1s
Curlew 4s
Common Gull 2s
Manxie 16n 8s
05.20 White beaked Dolphin only 1 seen mid distance coming towards me, unusually i didn't see them again
Puffin 4n 1s
05.25 Porpoise 2 feeding
Arctic Tern 1n 26s
Knot 2s
Velvet Scoter1n
Redshank 6n 1s
Turnstone 1n

Beauty and the beast........

2 Bonxies and 55 Manxies passed Whitburn Obs by 7am this morning. It was a case of beauty and the beast with 2 Bonxies and some fantastic elegant Arctic Terns passing, we should see more of them in coming days
This is what i saw in order of appearance

Wednesday 22nd July 04.55-07.00 WNW1-2 cloud cover calm sea

Common Tern 7n 7s
Porpoise 2
Manxie 46n 9s
Common Scoter 12n
Bonxie 2n
Arctic Tern 18n 18s
Dunlin 2s
Common Gull 1s
Sandwich Tern 13n 122s
Teal 1n
Redshank 8n
Peregrine 1 over the sea

Just a reminder that the 2015 National Whale and Dolphin watch takes place from the 25th July till the 2nd August. We will betaking part again this year so please try your best to spend some time in the obs and record what you see in the log
Many Thanks

Black Velvet.........

2 Velvet Scoter went north past Whitburn Obs this morning and 5 White beaked Dolphins were on show for an hour. It was a mixed bag today but a nice start with the local fox starting my mammal list
This is what i saw in order of appearance

Tuesday 21st July 05.00-07.00 SW2

Fox by the obs
Velvet Scoter 2n
Common Tern 2n 6s
Manxie 3n 2s
Arctic Tern 12n 12s
Common Gull 2n
Common Scoter 136n
Redshank 1n 2s
Grey Wagtail 1s
Eider 1n
Sandwich Tern 18n 36s
Puffin 1s
Curlew 2s
Swift 9s
Bar tailed Godwit 2s
White beaked Dolphin first seen at 05.07 till 06.00 circa 5 feeding and moving slowly north

Waders, what waders......

5 Little Gulls and 25 Arctic Terns passed Whitburn Obs on my early morning watch by 7am today.
Yesterday it was all about waders with 830 smaller waders passing at a rate of circa 166 per hour. Today i saw 1 Knot in two hours!

Monday 20th July 05.00-07.00 WSW1-2 cloud cover calm sea

Manx Shearwater 7n 5s
Sandwich Tern 40n 206s
Whimbrel 2s
Black h Gull 1n 2s
Common Gull 2n 13s
Shelduck 7s
Puffin 4n 3s
Common Scoter 4n
Curlew 1n 1s
Little Gull 4n 1s ads
Arctic Tern 7n 18s
Red th Diver 1s
Knot 1s
Swift 2s

Whitburn hit by wave of waders....

492 Redshank passed Whitburn Obs by 11 am this morning smashing the previous best day total of 187 set in August 2012, and giving us one of the best East Coast totals in modern times
Saint and Magic Mark were in attendance along with Stevie Thunder to enjoy our wave of waders.
Still no Green or spot shank for my obs year list but it was all about the wave
This is what we saw today in order of appearance

Sunday 19th July 04.45-11.00 S1-2 then 2-3 cloud cover and rain

Curlew 7n 2s
Redshank 14n 478s
Common Scoter 143n 3s
Porpoise 4-5
Black h Gull 11n 8s
Sandwich Tern 14n 630s
Manxie 6n 2s
Knot 99s
Common Tern 9n 37s
Arctic Tern 15n 29s
Teal 4n
Puffin 68n 7s
Black tailed Godwit 37s
Sanderling 66s
Swift 6s
Dunlin 153s
Red th Diver 2n 3s
Common Gull 1n 1s
Ringed Plover 2s
Turnstone 5n 3s
Little Gull 2s ads
Whimbrel 1n 2s
LBBGull 1s
Eider 3n

An absurd little bird is popping up to say......... Cuckoo

An Arctic Skua and 2 adult Med Gulls passed Whitburn Obs this afternoon. Magic Mark rang me to say he was finished at work and was on his way to the Obs...Well that was all the encouragement i needed after the disappointment of no Obs year ticks this morning, a second chance. And it was a bird thats hard to catch up with in the Obs that popped up on a post, a juv Cuckoo.
It was a memorable watch that started slowly but as the tide rose the waders increased, maybe i would get my Greenshank after all......, maybe tomorrow
This is what we saw

Saturday 18th July 13.10-17.50  W2

Manxie 2n
Common Scoter 7n 4s
Grey Heron 3s all in/off
Golden Plover 1s
Dunlin 88s
Redshank 59s
Whimbrel 11s
Curlew 2n 4s
Arctic Skua 1n
Black h Gull 6n 8s
Common Gull 1n 9s
Med Gull 2n both ads
LBBGull 1n
Sandwich Tern 61n 52s
Arctic Tern 1n 1s
Swift 2s
Porpoise 2s
White beaked Dolphin 2-4
04.40 2 north close inshore
05.25 2 distant breaching