Black Guillemot 2 Roseate Terns and 2 Bonxies passed Whitburn Obs by 10.35 this morning. Magic Mark called the Whale blow and Boy Wonder, Pink Floyd and myself discussed which cetacean it could be. Minke and Humpback were the most common off our coast so we waited for it to show. It did but distant, then later again with multiple sightings closer inshore. Piecing together the jigsaw of features i would say Humpback is the most likely. At about 7.30 i was just saying how Magic Mark knows when to miss a sea watch. It had been good earlier despite the poor light but it was now very quiet and i said we would struggle to stay till 8am never mind the 9am planned finish.
At 07.40 i politely asked is that a duck coming north or a black auk, Saint Mark called Black Guillemot and everyone got on it even though a cool Boy Wonder left it till the death. From then on in it was just bonkers. First the Whale, then as i nipped out for a call of nature i called Willow Tit, the rest as they say is history, a real Obs mega.
My Obs year list has made little progress in June and a Cuckoo seen yesterday was not from the obs mound so not countable. A Stonechat was seen behind the obs this week but i was unaware till it was mentioned in passing this morning so its a relief to get a couple of year ticks
I am currently having a cold beer, cheers!
This is what we saw in order of appearance
Saturday 25th June 04.25-10.35 W1-2 bright sun 1/8
Gannet 166n 160s
Sandwich Tern 20n 163s
Puffin 15n 8s
Swift 9s
Black h Gull 1n 5s
Bonxie 1n 1s
Common Scoter 178n 3s
Arctic Tern 16n 16s
Common Tern 6n 24s
Common Gull 1n 9s
Manxie 43n 7s
Red th Diver 3n
Sandwich Tern 20n 163s
Little Tern 3s
Roseate Tern 2n
Shag 2n
Arctic Skua 1n
Redshank 1s
Porpoise 3
Black Guillemot 1n 07.40
Eider 3s
08.05 Whale Blow, large flipper noted and white on under tail on subsequant sightings till 09.18
Turnstone 4n
Ringed Plover 1n
09.25 Whale closer inshore small fin noted low on back not dolphin like, last seen 09.40
Teal 4n
Willow Tit 1s
Red br Merganser 1n
