The wanderer returns.....

2 Arctic Terns went north past Whitburn Obs this morning our first of the year. It was a busy morning and my obs year list continued to grow, as well as the Arctic Terns i added Goldcrest, Kestrel and the first Whitethroat of the year was singing by the obs. Here is what i saw on today's watch

Thursday 17tth April 05.30-07.30 SW2-3 full cloud cover

Cormorant 4n 29s
Eider 7n 4s
Razorbill 215n 42s
Guillemot 13n 8s
Gannet 11n 1s
Kestrel 1n
Goldcrest 1 calling
Shag 1n 1s
Red th Diver 1s
Sandwich Tern 2n 20s
Common Scoter 1n 17s
Whiethroat 1 singing by the obs
Arctic Tern 2n
Shelduck 2s
Black h Gull 11n

fox on the run.........

Manx Shearwater and a Blue Fulmar went north past Whitburn Obs early morning. Otherwise it was a quiet sea watch even the Sandwich Terns slept in. Gannets were just starting to move as i left so it might improve. There was no sign of the South Tyneside mega Red legged Partridge filmed by Jarrow Birder Doug in the obs field yesterday but i did see Red Fox for the first time this year......no surely not!. Lets hope its still about to get it on my obs list
This is what i saw

Tuesday 15th April 05.30-07.30 WNW2 bright sun

Cormorant 4n 18s
Fox 05.45
Puffin 3n
Sandwich Tern 3n 11s
Black h Gull 4n
Goosander 3n
Manx Shearwater 1n
Eider 8n
Blue Fulmar 1n (L)
Red th Diver 2n 1s
Common Scoter 5n 2s

Bottlenose Dolphins past the Obs

A pod of 10+ Bottlenose Dolphins went slowly north past Whitburn Obs this morning. Magic Mark picked them up and we followed them for the best part of two hours on and off. The Obs year list hit 100 as expected with the addition of Blackcap, and beyond with a Yellow Wagtail
This is what we saw in order of appearance

Sunday 13th April 05.45-10.00 WNW2 partial cloud

Cormorant 19n 48s
Eider 17n 6s
Gannet 11n 2s
Shag 3n 1s
Red th Diver 9n 9s
Sandwich Tern 5n 96s
Curlew 3n
Common Scoter 7n 14s
Shelduck 4n 1s
Greylag Goose 3n 3s
Blackcap 1 singing
Chiffchaff singing
Black h Gull 8n 23s
Turnstone 6s
Tufted Duck 1n 2s
Bottlenose Dolphins 10+ north from 07.45-09.15 at circa 3/4 mile distance
Peregrine 1n
Yellow Wagtail 1n

n n nervous 90's........

5 Whimbrel were the stars of the show passed Whitburn this morning. and Sandwich Terns passed in three figures for the first time this year. I was joined as usual by Magic Mark and we had a great watch with lots of variation. Puffin and Whimbrel were new to my Obs year list which is now on 99. Wonder if we will get the ton up tomorrow. This is what we saw in order of appearance.

Saturday 12th April 05.45-10.30

Eider 10n
Cormorant 35n 53s
Common Gull 310n
Common Scoter 46n 53s
LBBGull 1s
Black h Gull 4n 25s
Sandwich Tern 19n 87s
Whimbrel 5n
Gannet 5n 21s
Red th Diver 5n 6s
Puffin 7n 2s
Shelduck 1n 2s
Curlew 2n 2s
Shag 7n
Redshank 3s
Goosander 1n 1s
Pink footed Goose 31s
Canada Goose 3n 3s
Greylag Goose 1n
Mallard 5n
Goldeneye 3s
Siskin 1s
Pied Wagtail 1s
Ringed Plover 1s
Yellowhammer 1 singing
Redpoll 1s

vis mig makes the day

5 Black tailed Godwits 2 Whooper Swans and a Brent Goose passed Whitburn by 10am this morning.
Magic Mark and New Mark joined me today with a late appearance by Unlucky Dave, just as well really with a name like that. The viewing conditions were poor with heat haze but we still managed a good selection of birds helped by some vis mig. My Obs year list continued to flourish with the addition of the Black Witts the Shoveler and an Obs mega, a Coot in the nature reserve showed itself . Bringing my list to 93.
Here is what we saw in order of appearance

Sunday 6th April 05.40-10.00 SSW2-3 then SW 3-4 moderate cloud cover

Cormorant 17n 75s
Black h Gull 43s
Common Gull 200s
Shelduck 3n 3s
Kittiwake 123n 13s
Fulmar 115n
Eider 6n 20s
Red th Diver 3n 3s
Guillemot 17n
Razorbill 52n
Gannet 3n 3s
Sandwich Tern 4n 8s
Shag 5n 2s
Common Scoter 5n 16s
Shoveler 2s
Tufted Duck 1n
Brent Goose db 1n
Coot 1
Black tailed Godwit 5s
Pied Wagtail 3s
Wood Pigeon 22s
Dunlin 1s
Goldfinch circa 20s
Meadow Pipits 73s
Crow 30s
Oyster Catcher 70n
Sand Martin 2s
Curlew 3s
Lesser bb Gull 1s
Mallard 3s
Whooper Swan 2n

retern of the terns

A Blue Fulmar and 9 Sandwich Terns passed Whitburn Obs by 09.40 this morning. I was joined by Magic Mark, New Mark and Pink Floyd for a sea watching extravaganza with lots of variety and no fog. Sandwich Terns were back and i had 3 new Obs year ticks bringing my list to 90. I had to leave the watch early due to grandad duties but this is what we saw in order of appearance by the time i had to leave

Saturday 5th April 06.05-09.40 SW2-3 cloud cover

Cormorant 20n 52s
Mallard 1s
Common Gull 260n
Kittewake 450n
Fulmar 254n
Razorbill 92n
Tufted Duck 2n 2s
Eider 11n 13s
Curlew 16n 1s
Red th Diver 4n 10s
Shelduck 3s
Sandwich Tern7n 2s
Black h Gull 11n 43s
Goosander 5s
Guillemot 34n
Bar t Godwit 1s
Common Scoter 20n 19s
Mute Swan 1n
Shag 5n 1s
Sand Martin 1s
Canada Goose 1s
LbbGull 2s
Grey Heron 1s
Blue Fulmar 1L lingering
Red br Merganser 2n
Pochard 1s

Spring is in the air.......

A Blue Fulmar went north past Whitburn early morning, a nice dark DD bird, you cant beat DD.Spring arrived in the form of my first singing Chiffchaff of the year at the Obs. It was misty when i first arrived but overall visibility wasn't bad but by the time i left the fog Had rolled in. This had a positive effect when 3 Fieldfare went over clucking, another new Obs year tick bringing the total to 87. This is what i saw on my short watch

Wednesday 2nd April 06.20-07.30 NNE2 mist and fog

Common Gull 26n 1s
Kittiwake 34n
Curlew 1n 3s
Cormorant 3n 14s
Red th Diver 2n
Black h Gull 14n 1s
Razorbill 13n
Wigeon 4n
Guillemot 1n
LBB Gull 1n
Gannet 3n
Blue Fulmar 1n DD
Mallard 2n
Chiffchaff 1 singing
Fieldfare 3