The black and white guille show....

Black Guillemot and Curlew Sandpiper passed Whitburn Obs by 09.30 today along with a load of waders. It was a different watch to yesterday with dead calm sea and little wind so the duck passage all but disappeared as well as Tern movement. Stoney was in the house and in truth it was very leisurely apart from getting on and identifying the fast moving waders. I had started going through all the Kitts and Auks on the sea hoping for something good and Rob must have been doing the same as he found the Black Guillemot on the sea fairly close inshore. Probably the same bird i called north 2 days ago and it slowly drifted south still being seen an hour or so after we picked it up.
Hoggie had missed that bird in the panic on that day so when i rang him and he got over for sloppy seconds we were all pleased about that. Remarkable that he could get up get dressed drive across and walk down to the obs and still get the bird, well done Peter and well done to Rob who is on a roll
I tried for video but the full cloud cover was challenging, i got a bit and will put it on my youtube channel if its any good
I know a few people County ticked the bird today, a tricky species to catch up with unless your a regular sea watcher.

This is what we saw in order of appearance

Wednesday 7th September 06.00-09.30 S1 cloud 8/8 then 6/8
Black h Gull 4n 54s
Common Tern 19n 30s
Common Gull 2s
Golden Plover 4n
Bar tailed Godwit 1n 6s
Curlew 3s
Grey Heron 2n 2s
Ringed Plover 15n 66s
Common Scoter 31n 5s
Teal 40n
Dunlin 5n 48s
Shag 3s
Red th Diver 3s 2n
Turnstone 16n 2s
Sandwich Tern 20n 4s
Knot 7s
Red br Merganser 1s
Redshank 29s
Curlew Sandpiper 1s
Little Gull 1s juv
Porpoise 3s
Manxie 1n
07.20 Black Guillemot moulting adult drifting south close inshore
Eider 4n
Meadow Pipit 14s
Whimbrel 2s
Arctic Tern 2n
Black tailed Godwit 3s

Well stone me.......

Sabine's Gull and 5 Roseate Terns went south past Whitburn Obs by 10.30 this morning. Septembers sea watching just gets better and better, Stoney was in the house today and called a juv Sabs Gull coming south into the sun affected area, sure enough as it came out of the sun and into view it was a Sabs and very close inshore giving amazing views as it moved south, well done Rob. That brings my Obs year list to 167 just 3 short of a new record total and loads of time to do it in.  In the last few days we have seen Cory's, Balearic, Long Tails, Poms, Black Guilli and now Sabs..bring on the Great Shearwaters
Its been another super watch with loads of Teal moving and a good supporting cast, this is what we saw in order of appearance (by the way I'm loving this retirement lark)

Tuesday 6th September 05.55-10.30 SW1-2 cloud 4/8
Curlew 7n
Cormorant 236s
Black h Gull 8n 35s
Shoveler 2n
Red br Merganser 2s
Common Tern 44n 114s
Sandwich Tern 13n 25s
Common Scoter 105n 5s
Teal 803n 35s
Turnstone 10n 6s
Whimbrel 1n
Wigeon 46n
Red h Diver 11n 14s
Grey Wagtail 2s
Arctic Tern 16n 6s
Sand Martin 65s
Common Gull 3n 2s
Manxie 1n
Goosander 7n
Knot 5n
Oystercatcher 1s
Redshank 34n 5s
Arctic Skua 2n
Dunlin 14n 5s
Grey Heron 1n
07.33 Sabine's Gull 1s juv
Shag 3n 2s
Pintail 2n
Porpoise 3s
Golden Plover 2n 2s
Meadow Pipit 3s
Green Sandpiper 1s
Wheatear 1s

Don't panic don't panic....

5 Sooty Shearwaters and 3 Roseate Terns passed Whitburn obs by 09.30 this morning. I had expected a quiet morning watch after yesterdays madness with the wind swinging round to southerly. I couldn't
have been more wrong as it was crazy busy from the off, my clicker was working flat out and ducks were like war planes coming at me from every angle, bandits at ten o'clock.....
I was panicking and hoping someone else would be in when Stoney arrived, phew
News of Cory's heading north from Long Nab gives us 4 hours ish to wait so I've headed home to freshen my flask and will be back int obs later
This is what we saw in order of appearance

Monday 5th September 06.00-09.30 S2 cloud 4/8

Curlew 12n
Gannet 849n 53s
Black h Gull 92n 32s
Dunlin 11n
Teal 571n 21s
Common Tern 74n 212s
Knot 12s
Black tailed Godwit 2s
Red th Diver 7n 4s
Common Scoter 354n 49s
Oystercatcher 2s
Arctic Tern 2n 1s
Arctic Skua 6n
Goldeneye 1n
Sooty Shearwater 5n
Manx Shearwater 43n 2s
Roseate Tern 3s
Redshank 3s
Bar t Godwit 1n
Bonxie 3n
Goosander 6n
Sandwich Tern 4n 26s
Ringed Plover 3n 1s
Eider 3s
Turnstone 1s
Whimbrel 1n
Pintail 4n
Meadow Pipit 45s
Wigeon 28n
Pink footed Goose 6n
Mallard 1s

Couldn't be nowt else......

Cory's, 4 Sooty and 106 Manx Shearwaters passed Whitburn Obs by 11.30 this morning bringing to 5 the species of Shearwater seen this weekend. Magic Mark predicts a Great next week to add o our haul while he is off to California. Stoney was in the house as well and Sir Ian, Hoggie and Walter joined us.
It was a hot and cold watch with frantic movement early on with Terns, Kittiwakes and Manxies passing close inshore.  Then it would go quiet at times as fronts moved through. As you will see the number of species and birds was impressive and once again we were surprised that so few observers were in on a NNW wind.
Hoggie called the Cory's as it passed by a large ship all but one of us managed to get on it as it headed south, but quickly the mist and fog hid its line from further detection. Hoggie was teased as to its identity but of course in his well known manner said 'it couldn't have been nowt else'. Great find Peter, thanks
This is what we saw in order of appearance

Sunday 4th September 06.00-11.30 NNW4 cloud 8/8

Curlew 11n
Fulmar 172n
Common Tern 376n 64s
Gannet 1941n 72s
Shelduck 4n 2s
Sandwich Tern 24n 12s
Shag 3n 2s
Roseate Tern 7n (2 juvs) 1s
Manxie 97n 12s
Black h Gull 72n 13s
Arctic Tern 9n 2s
Teal 832n 58s
Common Scoter 21n 11s
Sooty Shearwater 4n
Arctic Skua2n 4s
Ringed Plover 1n 1s
Common Gull 3s
Eider 2n
Bonxie 2n
Puffin 2n
Turnstone 5n 1s
Pintail 8n
Whimbrel 1s
Red th Diver 3n 8s
Porpoise 1n
Sparrowhawk 1n
LBBGull 1s
Oystercatcher 5s
Tufted Duck 2n
Wigeon 20n
Red br Merganser 1n
Goldeneye 2n
Knot 3n
Long tailed Skua 1s juv 09.25
Velvet Scoter 1n
Cory's Shearwater 1s 10.05
Grey Heron 1n 2s
Ruff 1n
Redshank 3n 1s
Golden Plover 1n
Dunlin 1s
Black tailed Godwit 17s

Whole lotta rosie...

Balearic Shearwater and 7 Roseate Terns passed Whitburn Obs by 10.40 this morning. That makes 28 Roseate Terns ive seen in the last 7 days, a whole lotta Rosie. The Saturday club were all in except Saint Mark off on his hols. It was another bumper watch with loads of birds, the 1st w Little Gull was a real stunner and the waders were magic in the great light
This is what we saw in order of appearance, so many birds

Saturday 3rd September 05.50-10.40 SW2 cloud 8/8
Oystercather 9s
Redshank 97s
Common Tern 66n 362s
Black h Gull 55n 117s
Fulmar 45n
Sandwich Tern 79s
Common Scoter 9n 11s
Red th Diver 1n 11s
Manxi 11n 8s
Shelduck 4s
Common Gull2n 15s
Ringed Plover 44s
Grey Wagtail 1s
Shag 3n 6s
Turnstone 4n 2s
Puffin 2n
Arctic Tern 2n 6s
LBBGull 1n 15s
Curlew 6n 1s
Bar t Godwit 3n
06.52 Balearic Shearwater 1n our 3rd
Arctic Skua 9n 9s
Dunlin 5n 11s
Goosander 8s
Purple Sandpiper 1n
Eider 2s
Yellow Wagtail 1s
Roseate Tern 2n (1 juv) 5s (1 juv)
Meadow Pipits 57s
Ruff 1s
Sand Martin 2s
Chiffchaff 1
Mute Swan 1n 1s
Knot 22n 39s
Little Gull 1s 1st w
Wheatear 2
Sparrowhawk 1n 1s
Reed Bunting 3n
Porpoise 2s

Cetacean mix up.....

Balearic Shearwater and a Black hroated Diver were off Whitburn Obs his morning as well as a load of Dolphins. Stoney walked in the house as i was watching a pod of Dolphin, i'd firstly identified them as White-beaked but as Rob and i watched them go south close inshore it became obvious some were Bottlenose. Ive never seen a mixed pod before and add in some Porpoise and youve got a Cetacean mix up.
After the Dolphin fun i called a Shearwater which landed on the sea and generally just loitered for 20 minuites it was our second Balearic of the year. Then Rob pointed out a Black throated Diver on the sea, what the....Did i mention the Curlew Sands, Med Gull, Skuas etc
We saw a load more decent birds including fantastic views of Roseate Terns, as i left the Bottlenose came back north capping a great mornings sea watch. Sadly we could not locate the Red backed Shrike photographed the previous day.
This is what we saw in order of appearance

Friday 2nd September 05.50-11.45 SW1-2 cloud 8/8

Black h Gull 22n 33s
Cormorant 16n 376s
Curlew 16n 2s
Redshank 7n 48s
Eider 3s
Peregrine 1s juv
Common Tern 107n 280s
Sandwich Tern 7n 35s
Shag 5n 1s
06.15-06.35 circa 12 White-beaked and 20+ Bottlenose Dolphin went south together close inshore
Manxie 3n 6s
Red th Diver 1n 6s
Dunlin 1n 24s
Balearic Shearwater 1s 06.40-07.00 lingering and landing on sea
Grey Plover 1s
Arctic Tern 2n 3s
Puffin 2n
Common Gull 1n 9s
Arctic Skua 3n 7s
Med Gull 1s 1st w
Ringed Plover 6s
Porpoise 4s (not together)
Black th Diver 1 on sea
Ruff 1n
Roseate Tern 9n (2 juvs) 1s
Teal 47n 4s
Turnstone 2n 12s
Bonxie 1n
Common Scoter 6n 8s
Curlew Sandpiper 2n
House Martin 6s
10.45-11.00 Bottlenose Dolphin 10 plus n

Last of the summer wine....

2 Roseate Terns and 14 Arctic Skua's passed Whitburn Obs by 10.15 this morning. It's my first day of retired life and i was joined later in the watch by the local retired birders, it felt a bit like last of the summer wine, and its the first day of autumn to boot. Stoney was in the house, just as well some young eyes were in and alert as you never know when a good Shearwater could pass....
Magic Mark reliably informs me we finished August with 986 hours of coverage so far this year, 44 hours ahead of he same time last year and hopefully lots of extra hours to come now I'm done with work
This is what we saw in order of appearance

Thursday 1st September 05.45-10.15 cloud 4/8 SW1-2

Curlew 12n
Common Tern 39n 142s
Arctic Tern 1n 3s
Ringed Plover 1s
Red th Diver 1n 11s
Common Gull 4n 1s
Wheatear 1 on rocks 1 on range
Turnstone 1n 1s
Common Scoter 10n 1s
Sandwich Tern 3n 23s
Black h Gull 22n 23s
Redshank 70s
Whimbrel 1n 1s
Grey Heron 2n
Cormorant 15n 300s
Shag 1n
Dunlin 2n 3s
Arctic Skua 11n 3s
Meadow Pipit 35s
Golden Plover 5n
Teal 1n
LBBGull 1s
Roseate Tern 2s 1 ad
Porpoise 1s
Bonxie 1n
Swift 1s
Scan H Gull 1s
Puffin 1s