3 Ravens flew south at Whitburn Obs this morning right along the cliff top only yards away from Rob and myself. Yes Stoney was in the house and we were enjoying a pleasant watch with little of quality and lots of Common Gulls moving north. In recent days Carrion Crows have become more obvious and abundant with groups close by and also flying distantly out to sea, a regular event this time of year. We always check them out as we are due or annual Hooded Crow. Rob was watching some Crows go north close in and commented one looked rather chunky. I jumped up and threw open the north shutter as if an Albert Ross was passing but we couldn't see any big black birds. Then three corvids flew south with a smaller bird and i said 'is that a Jackdaw' and lifted my bins to find it was a Crow dwarfed by the three Ravens that were flying ahead of it at eye level. We ran outside and they were already well south looking like landing on Jackies Beach but instead hurried south.
Not my first from the Obs but a great year tick.
This is what we saw in order of appearance
Wednesday 14th March 06.05-10.05 SSE3 6/8
Pink-footed Goose 32n
Black h Gull 12n 46s
Fulmar 127n 2s
Common Gull 336n 37s
Cormoranat 8n 9s
Gannet 6n
Curlew 5n
Guillemot 40n 3s
Kittiwake 10n 10s
Red th Diver 5n 3s
Shag 2n 5s
Razorbill 11n 3s
Shelduck 2s
Common Scoter 20n 5s
Eider 1n
Magpie 29 in reserve
Red br Merganser 1n
Mallard 2n (distant birds)
Grey Heron 1s
LBBGull 1s
Lapwing 1s
Carrion Crow 2 in off
Raven 3s
