Black throated Diver and Red-necked Grebe passed Whitburn Obs by 10 o'clock this morning. The crab sandwich boys arrived but alas after all the good birds had gone , hope they get a consolation bird
It was bust straight away and i heard the Pinks before i saw them nice way to start the day, i expect more to be heading off soon
This is what i saw in order of appearance
Tuesday 28th February 06.45-10.00 W2 cloud 4/8
Cormorant 3n 15s
Common Gull 19n 66s
Black h Gull 19n 56s
Guillemot 17n 4s
Fulmar 17n 2s
Shag 3n 1s
Common Scoter 12s
Shelduck 1n
Red th Diver 11n 7s
Black th Diver 1n
Eider 3n 15s
Pink-footed Goose 95n
Razorbill 4n
Kittiwake 9n 6s
Porpoise 2n 1s
Mallard 3s
Red Necked Grebe 1s 08.34
Song Thrush 1
2 Great Northern Divers and 2 Iceland Gulls were seen from Whitburn Obs this morning. Saint and Magic Mark joined me and it was a return to normal service as we saw some decent birds on our weekend watch which is how it should be. Great Northerns are back on the menu that's four in recent days. The strong winds yesterday meant that both doors were damaged and would not shut but man mountain Magic Mark managed to shut the damaged north door that none of us wimps could shift. Our landlords the National Trust are on the case with speedy repairs, thanks guys much appreciated
This is what we saw in order of appearance
Sunday 26th February 06.50-10.30 SW4 cloud 7/8
Eider 3n 3s
Common Gull 10n 24s
Gannet 22n 2s
Fulmar 40n
Guillemot 40s
Black h Gull 26n 33s
Turnstone 17s
Razorbill 19s
Cormorant 3n 19s
Kittiwake 9n 7s
Red th Diver 12n 3s
Iceland Gull 2n both juvs 07.35 and 08.40
Oyster Catcher 5n
Shag 7n 2s
Porpoise a pod of 6 went north and 3s
Shelduck 1n
Great Northern Diver 1n 1s
Goldeneye 1n
Common Scoter 2n 17s
Shoveler 2s
Great Northern Diver and a Blue Fulmar passed Whitburn Obs by 10 am today. I don't know about bye bye miss American Pie but its bye bye Doris. A weather front i will be glad to see the back of, it did nowt for sea watching. No blogg all week tells its own story, the only bright spots were a year tick when a Tufty went south and the first Great Northern since mid Jan.
Boy Wonder and Saint Mark joined me on another blasting SW wind but we did manage to see a few quality birds today. The Obs has suffered some wind damage but more of that tomorrow.
This is what we saw in order of appearance
Saturday 25th February 06.45-10.00 SW4/5 then gusts 6+ cloud 8/8
Common Gull 8n 30s
Black h Gull 4n 13s
Fulmar 8n 170s
Cormorant 3n 8s
Guillemot 18s
Eider 4n 2s
Red th Diver 5s
Gannet 5n 8s
Porpoise 4n 1s
Razorbill 3s
Curlew 1n
Kittiwake 2n 4s
Brent Goose 3n db
Shag 9n
Blue Fulmar 1s D
Common Scoter 1s
Great Northern Diver 1n
Velvet Scoter 4n
Shelduck 1s
Not much to report from a quiet Whitburn Obs this morning, the easterlies are gone and it was back to a south westerly. The Obs year list has been ticking over nicely and today i added Linnet and Red Breasted Merganser bringing my list to 90 for the year not a bad start
This is what i saw in order of appearance
Thursday 16th February 07.00-10.00 SW2-3 cloud 6/8
Common Gull 7n 77s
Black h Gull 7n 74s
Turnstone 4n 18s
Red th Diver 6n 10s
Guillemot 10n 9s
Cormorant 1n 11s
Shag 1n 3s
Red Breasted Merganser 3n 4s
Slavonian Grebe went north passed Whitburn Obs by 10 o'clock this morning. Stoney was in the house briefly before heading to Ruforth which was just as well. Joe Cocker was right you do need a little help from your friends especially when your doing an Obs year list. The sun had broken through the mist so i went out the back of the Obs to look at the LBJ's, Linnet is still required..Rob shouted for me to get back in quickly as he had a Slav Grebe coming north. A survey boat close inshore and straight out was a handy marker and i easily got on the bird, cheers Rob
The watch had a different feel to it with the end of the easterly wind and this is what we saw in order of appearance
Wednesday 15th February 07.10-10.10 SSW2 mist cloud 7/8
Black h Gull 16n 32s
Common Gull 16n 101s
Guillemot 16n 22s
Fulmar 52n 13s
Cormorant 4n 13s
Red th Diver 21n 14s
Eider 2n 3s
Meadow Pipit 1s
Razorbill 2n
Shag 5s
Shelduck 5n 1s
Curlew 5s
Sanderling 10s
Turnstone 11s
Porpoise 2s
Kittiwake 2s
Common Scoter 2n 1s
Skylark 4s
Scan H Gull 1s
Slavonian Grebe 1n 08.30
2 Glaucous Gulls and a Bonxie passed Whitburn Obs by 10.30 this morning. Both Marks and Stevie Thunder joined me on the stormiest day of the year so far. The first Glauc went by as we were sitting down with hail in our faces. The sea was spectacular the birds in truth were a little down on what was hoped for but Kittiwakes and Fulmars made up for the lack of ducks
This is what we saw in order of appearance
Sunday 12th February 07.20-10.30 ENE5 cloud 8/8
Black h Gull 3n 3s
Glaucous Gull 2n both juvs 07.22 and 09.05
Fulmar 237n 3s
Common Gull 10n
Kittiwake 123n 3s
Med Gull and 2 Brent Geese went south past Whitburn Obs by 11.00 today. Saint Mark and Pink Floyd kept me company on another very cold day, but the light was good and sharp. Star birds again were the Shag with another passage south, wonder if the white one will come past.....
This is what we saw in order appearance
Friday 10th February 07.25-11.00 E2 then NE3 cloud 8/8
Iceland Gull went south passed Whitburn Obs today keeping up our recent run of white wingers. Stoney was in the house and the only other highlight apart from the Shags was a small bird going south with a wing bar that may have landed on the sea......but not confirmed sadly
It was brass monkeys and we headed off early
This is what we saw in order of appearance
Thursday 9th February 07.35-10.00 ESE3 cloud 8/8
Guillemot 14n 115s
Common Gull 3n 39s
Gannet 20s
Fulmar 15n 29s
Cormorant 5s
Razorbill 1n 2s
Red th Diver 17n 4s
Puffin 1n
Kestrel 1n
Shelduck 1n
Black h Gull 1s
Eider 1n
Porpoise 1n
Kittiwake 1s
Iceland Gull 1s probably a juv but distant
Common Scoter 1s
Shag 14s
2 Iceland Gulls passed Whitburn Obs by 10.45 this morning. Stoney was in the house and we hoped for a third which would give us a new day passage record but it wasnt to be. I was back from a short birding break in Goa and loving the rough conditions but the birds forgot to show
This is what we saw in order of appearance
Wednesday 8th Feburary 07.25-10.45 SE3 cloud 8/8
Common Gull 3n 41s
Guillemot 9n 292s
Black h Gull 2n 8s
Gannet 1n 52s
Scan Herring Gull 3s
Red th Diver 2n 7s
Shag 1n 2s
Cormorant 3s
Fulmar 21n 60s
Eider 4s
Kittiwake 1n 2s
Razorbill 6s
Iceland Gull 2n both juvs 08.25 and 09.25
