4 Black Terns went north passed Whitburn Obs this morning. Saint Mark is back from yet another month long holiday and it was good to catch up with him. The fact that Manxie, Arctic and Common Terns were year ticks for him shows just how long he's been on his travels. Stoney was in the house which was just as well. My Obs list is in the doldrums a bit like today's windless weather. He called the four marsh terns even though they were well out and we enjoyed watching them feed and land on the sea, a year tick at last
This is what we saw in order of appearance
Wednesday 17th May 04.55-08.45 W1 dead calm 7/8
Sandwich Tern 19n 403s
Common Tern 8n 23s
Puffin 17n 5s
Whimbrel 2n
Eider 6n 2s
Gannet 19n 19s
Common Scoter 9n 4s
Black h Gull 6n 17s
Common Gull 2n 19s
Swallow 1n 12s
Arctic Tern 8n 11s
Manxie 12n
Red th Diver 3n 4s
Porpoise 2s
Sand Martin 13n 10s
Turnstone 5n 1s
Tufted Duck 4s
Shag 1n 8s
