Migration Magic.......

42 Whooper Swans and 95 Pink feet went north past Whitburn Obs by 11am this morning. Saint Mark and Pink Floyd joined me and Stoney was in the house. We were looking for some migration action and we certainly got it with the Whoopers and Pinks. This is what we saw in order of appearance

Saturday 28th Feb 06.35-11.00 SW2-3 cloud cover and good visibility

Mallard 7s
Black h Gull 3n 59s
Common Gull 25s
Scan Herring Gull 4s
Eider 1n 4s
Guillemot 3n 2s
Turnstone 3s
Rock Pipit 2s
Razorbill 3n 4s
Cormorant 12n 33s
Gannet 15n 15s
Curlew 11n 1s
Red th Diver 10n 2s
Shelduck 4n 1s
Redshank 6s
Greater B B Gull 1 leucistic bird south
Kittiwake 6n 16s
Porpoise 2
Pink footed Goose 95n (10 & 85)
Common Scoter 6n 2s
Whooper Swan 42n (35 & 7)
Black th Diver 1s
Goldeneye 3n 1s
Shag 1s
Peregrine 1s
Skylark 3E
Mistle Thrush and Kestrel were added to my obs list along with Whooper Swan bringing it to 88

...........feel the width

5 Velvet Scoter and 19 Pink feet passed Whitburn Obs by 11am this morning. The A team was back with Magic and Saint Mark and Stoney was in the house. Hoggie and Walter were late arrivals. We had lots of variety but it left us feeling like we wanted more quality. This is what we saw in order of appearance

Sunday 22nd Feb 06.50-11.00 SW2 cloud cover

Common Gull 13n 28s
Black h Gull 63n 14s
Eider 15n 8s
Guillemot 69n 13s
Porpoise 2n 1s
Common Scoter 19n 28s
Red th Diver 4n 1s
Razorbill 26n 7s
Mallard 4s
Gannet 31n 11s
Knot 1n
Curlew 2n 12s
Turnstone 9s
Cormorant 6n 16s
Velvet Scoter 2n 3s
Goldeneye 2n
Kittiwake 2n 1s
Shag 5n
Golden Plover 85s
Grey Heron 1n 1s
Red br Merganser 1s
Wigeon 2n
Great crested Grebe 1n
Shelduck 1s
Pink footed Goose 19n

In the pink.....

Little Gull, Med Gull and a skein of Pinkfeet passed Whitburn Obs this morning. I was joined by Pink Floyd and Skinny Dipper this morning, not a Mark insight and we didn't do bad for a westerly with bright sun. I was tickled pink to get my first pinkfeet of the year past the obs bringing my year list to circa 84 they were close enough to hear them calling and they win bird of the day for me
This is what we saw in order of appearance

Saturday 21st February 06.50-11.00 WNW2 bright sun

Common Gull 30n 9s
Black h Gull 36n 21s
Eider 5n 3s
Guillemot 7n 2s
Mallard 4s
Common Scoter 14n 6s
Turnstone 10s
Cormorant 5n 12s
Little Gull 1n ad
Curlew 21n 2s
Shelduck 1n
Gannet 30n 5s
Med Gull 1s ad
Shag 3n
Red th Diver 3n 11s
Goose sp 2s
Razorbill 5n
Scan Herring Gull 1n
Porpoise 3n 1s
Red br Merganser 5n
Pink footed Goose 85n
The local fox was sunning itself in the coastal park and linnets, Redpol and Goldcrest were seen from the obs

When the going gets tough....

Shelduck passage kept our interest at Whitburn Obs today as we said tara to an easterly wind weekend, not sea watch friendly. We managed to see 39 Shelduck which is the 2nd highest recorded passage in recent years. Otherwise Magic Mark, Stoney and myself were reliving past glories such as the Surfer, Fea's and Bridled Tern to stay awake the going was tough
This is what we saw in order of appearance

Sunday 15th February 07.10-10.30 SE2 cloud cover

Black h Gull 5n 27s
Common Gull 3n 9s
Scan Herring Gull 8s
Guillemot 32n 18s
Cormorant 4n 8s
Red br Merganser 2n
Curlew 1n
Eider 2n 4s
Gannet 6n 9s
Shelduck 34n 5s
Kittiwake 2n
Red th Diver 4n 1s
Goldeneye 1n
Common Scoter 2n
Rock Pipit 1n 1s

Spring is in the air..

A Black throated Diver went north past Whitburn Obs this morning easily taking the bird of the day prize. Early morning movement of Guillemots and Kittiwakes hinted at spring but otherwise it was uneventful. I was joined by Magic Mark and Pink Floyd and Stoney was in the house. This is what we saw in order of appearance

Saturday 14th February 07.15-10.30 E1-2 cloud cover

Cormorant 5n 13s
Guillemot 71n 8s
Black h Gull 5n 20s
Eider 1n 4s
Common Gull 6n 16s
Kittiwake 41n
Gannet 6n 16s
Fulmar 22n
Porpoise 2
Red th Diver 13n 3s
Curlew 7n
Redshank 4s
Turnstone 3s
Greylag Goose 2n
Red br Merganser 3n 1s
Shelduck 13n
Rock Pipit 1n
Goosander 1n
Black throated Diver 1n

I see no ships or Little Auks....

8 Red throated Divers passed Whitburn Obs by 10.30 this morning. After a good run of Little Auks it was hard to find an Auk with early fog eventually clearing to bright sun. Magic Mark was back from Morocco with tales of Black Wheatears and Moussier's Redstarts but even he could not find us any quality birds. This is what we did manage to see in order of appearance

Saturday 7th February 07.15-10.30

Black h Gull 39n 20s
Common Gull 27n 4s
Eider 4n 1s
Cormorant 1n 12s
Scan Herring Gull 5n
Red br Merganser 1n
Curlew 5n
Rock Pipit 1s
Golden Plover 46s
Red th Diver 7n 1s
Common Scoter 3n
Guillemot 3n 1s
Turnstone 4n
Shelduck 2n
Redshank 1n
Kittiwake 1n
Gannet 1n

Waxing Lyrical.....

5 Little Auks a Bonxie and a Short eared Owl passed Whitburn by 11.00 am today. Stevie Thunder sent me a text to say he had seen a Waxwing on the southern edge of Shearwater Estate near the Obs. He didn't realise i was on my way, i didnt see the bird on the way down but it soon showed from the back door of the Obs sitting up on a tree in the garden, well done Steve! A Short eared Owl was hunting around the Obs while i looked for the Waxwing...not a bad start to the day. Hoggie was also in and enjoyed both birds but missed my third year tick when a Siskin flew over. Stoney was in the house
This is sort of what we saw in order of appearance

Thursday 5th February

Fulmar 47n
Blue Fulmar 1n L
Shelduck 12n
Guillemot 12n
Rock Pipit 2s
Shag 1n 2s
Little Auk 5n
Eider 1n 1s
Goldeneye 2s
Scan Herring Gull 1n
Sparrowhawk 1s
Porpoise 1
Bonxie 1n

My Obs year list is off to a good start on a healthy 84

Blue Blue Sunday

341 Little Auks, 2 Pom Skuas and 15 Blue Fulmars passed Whitburn Obs by 13.00. I was joined by Saint Mark, Foss, Pink Floyd, Stevie Makem, the Chairman, Mike the Shrike and more, Stoney was in the house
Nip and a punch for the 1st of the month, i had to nip myself to check i was at Whitburn not Flamborough. We had what must be a record Blue Fulmar movement for Whitburn Obs and a canny Little Auk passage to boot
This is what we saw in order of appearance

Sunday 1st February 07.20-13.00 NW3-4

Black h Gull 40n
Common Gull 86n
Turnstone 1n 1s
Eider 29n
Guillemot 74n
Fulmar 641n
Blue Fulmar 14n (10 x L 4 x D)  1s (L)
Porpoise 1s
Gannet 42n 4s
Goldeneye 36n
Shag 1n 1s
Shelduck 7n
Golden Plover 310n
Little Auk 336 n 5s
Wigeon 2n
Razorbill 4n 1s
Common Scoter 2n
Med Gull 2nd w
Curlew 2n 1s
Red th Diver 1s
Kittiwake 5n
Scan Herring Gull 1n
Pom Skua 2n juvs
Cormorant 3n 1s
Velvet Scoter 1n
Tufted Duck 1n
Puffin 1n
Short eared Owl 1 in/off