3 Little Stints and 2 Whooper Swans passed Whitburn Obs by 10.45 today. It was a slow start with little wind but good light, nothing much was happening. Then i heard that familiar sound Red-throated Divers calling, and looked up and sure enough a 'flock' of 5 were flying high south. It happened another couple of times when i heard them before looking and finding them and on one occasion they were miles out, that call must travel a long way. The watch got better as the morning went on with the local Peregrine chasing Golden Plovers and amazingly 3 Little Stints flying with Dunlin for comparison. A wader was flying with the feeding Black headed Gulls but landed on the sea before i could sort it out and never showed again. Pink Floyd arrived with the pie and pea boys and continued his recent good form calling the Whooper Swans and the Merlin
This is what was seen in order of appearance
Thursday 12th October 07.00-10.30 SW1-2 8/8
Black h Gull 181n 309s
Common Gull 22n 52s
Eider 4n 1s
Red-throated Diver 10n 35s
Meadow Pipit 32s
Curlew 18n
Redpoll 2 in off
Cormorant 18s
Dunlin 5n 8s
Little Stint 3n
Guillemot 453n
Redshank 2s
Grey Heron 1s
Common Scoter 5n 9s
Gannet 20n 4s
Goosander 4s
Red br Merganser 1s
Wigeon 9s
Peregrine 1s juv
Common Tern 1n
Turnstone 2s
Arctic Tern 1n 1s
Manx Shearwater 1s
Ringed Plover 1s
Whooper Swan 2s
Merlin 1s (looked like a male)
