Bonaparte's, Barnacles and Brents passed Whitburn Obs in over 10 hours today. The three B's and the Bonaparte's was the star. Hoggie and myself were in the obs this afternoon enjoying the Barnacle passage when Fos came in for a rest from birding the bushes. No sooner had he sat down and put his scope up when he leapt in the air shouting 'Bonapartes' and sure enough it was right under our noses dip feeding just beyond the surf. I had just got my camera onto my tripod when it headed off north fast and gone
Peter Bell arrived for some goose action and was a bit disappointed he had missed out, i said you never know it might come back and bloody hell a few minutes later i called it heading south close in. It came back for a third time and we were loving it. Video on Twitter later
The sea watching today includes over 10 hours of records and this is what was seen in order of appearance, sort of
Wednesday 5th October 06.45-16.50 SE 2-3 cloud 7/8 early on and 2/8 later
Black h Gull 63n 23s
Common Gull 249n 16s
Wigeon 631n 16s
Common Scoter 142n 3s
Velvet Scoter 3n
Curlew 5n 2s
Teal 159n 2s
Eider 26n 12s
Red th Diver 8n 3s
Little Gull 6n
Brent Goose 8n 2s pb 1n db
Shag 2s
Sandwich Tern 1n
Bonxie 2n
Puffin 6n
Manxie 3n
Pintail 3n
Arctic Skua 13n
Shelduck 2s
Barnacle Goose 212s
Pom Skua 3n 1 ad w/spoons
Pochard 2n
Sooty 1n
Long tailed Skua 2n juvs
Mallard 1n
Bonaparte's Gull 1n 14.57-15.00 then south 15.20-15.25 then nth/sth 15.55-16.00 hat trick
Shoveler 2n
