Sunday 18 February 2018

Winter Birding Weekend.....

 2 Long-tailed Ducks and a  Red-necked Grebe went north on this mornings Whitburn Obs sea watch. They were my first Long-tailed Duck of the year and brought my Obs year list to 91 species, a bit of a slow start but plenty of time to improve. Both Saint and Magic Mark made it in today and Stoney was in the house to round off a great weekends seawatching. Today's Snow Bunting and yesterdays Pink feet added to that winter feel. We may have to rename Pink Floyd due to his ability in finding impossible to see skeins, Goose got a few votes
This is what we saw today in order of appearance followed by yesterdays sightings.

Sunday 18th February 06.55-10.00 S1-2 7/8

Black h Gull 14n 64s
Fulmar 170n
Guillemot 116n
Razorbill 38n
Goldeneye 1n
Shelduck 2n 1s
Shag 5n 4s
Common Gull 10n 13s
Cormorant 2n 17s
Scan Herring Gull 1s
Red th Diver 7n 20s
Porpoise 2s
Eider 2n 2s
Red br Merganser 1n
Snow Bunting 1n
Greylag Goose 3n
Mallard 3s
Redshank 8s
Red-necked Grebe 1n 08.48 (thanks for the heads up Graham Stoker)
Grey Heron 1s
Long-tailed Duck 2n drakes
Curlew 1s
Kittiwake 2n
Gannet 7s
Skylark 1n

highlights of Saturday 17th February 07.05-10.30

GBBGull 166s
Great Northern Diver 1s
Pink-footed Goose 261n
Med Gull 1s ad (3rd different adult in 2 days)