Iceland and Med Gull went south past Whitburn Obs by 10 o,clock this morning. Yes i jammed onto another two white wingers bringing my January total to 23!. That's 13 Glaucs, 4 Iceland and 6 Med Gulls and still two January watches left.
This is what i saw in order of appearance
Friday 27th January 07.40-10.00 SSW2-3 cloud 6/8
Common Gull 3n 64s
Black h Gull 2n 45s
Fulmar 4n 6s
Scan Herring Gull 6s
Kittiwake 1s
Cormorant 3n 9s
Guillemot 1n 36s
Common Scoter 4n 3s
Wigeon 2s
Med Gull 1s ad
Curlew 6n 1s
Golden Plover 45s
Red th Diver 2n 1s
Iceland Gull 1s juv 08.55
the video is from the bird on Cleadon Flash a few years ago
Iceland Gull and Manx Shearwater passed Whitburn Obs by 11.30 this morning. A few Dabbling Ducks were moving and Gadwall was a nice year tick to add to my Obs list now on 83. My total for the end of January in 2016 was 86 so am hoping to match that before heading for a short break birding in Goa. Magic Mark called our first Manxie of the year and the now employed Stoney was in the house
This is what we saw in order of appearance
Glaucous and two Med Gulls passed Whitburn Obs by 10.45 this morning. After a blank few days the white wingers are back and we are only two more sightings of Glaucous Gull away from setting a new annual sightings record of 16, and we could do it in the first month of the year. Pink Floyd joined me early on and we enjoyed some good birds before the crab sandwich boys arrived.
Hoggie managed to notch up his 100th species of the year with Tree Sparrow and Lucky Dave's 100th was Med Gull. Ive got a while to go my Obs list is stuck on 80
This is what we saw in order of appearance
Tuesday 24th January 07.45-10.45 SW2-3 cloud 5/8
Black h Gull 2n 61s
Shag 1s
Cormorant 1n 2s
Common Gull 4n 68s
Scan Herring Gull 4s
Fulmar 3n 3s
Grey Heron 1n
Red th Diver 6n 5s
Eider 1s
Med Gull 1n 1s both ads probably different birds as the first bird i watched fly inland over the obs field, Ive probably got film of it but no time today so here's one from my library
Red necked Grebe and a Bonxie went south past Whitburn Obs by 10 am today. It was another flat calm day with little or no birds passing, plenty of Porpoise on view but my Glaucous Gulls have dried up for now.
In 2015 my January list ended on 78 and in 2016 a massive 86 so i was happy to add three new year ticks today to bring me onto a healthy 76. Yes Song Thrush, Knot and Red necked Grebe kept me ticking over
This is what i saw in order of appearance
Thursday 19th January 07.50-10.05 W1 cloud 8/8
Curlew 145s
Redshank 14s
Common Gull 1s
Porpoise 7
Black h Gull 6n 2s
Cormorant 1n 4s
Red th Diver 12n 4s
Eider 7n 1s
Fulmar 6n 2s
Pink footed Goose 12 in/off
Red necked Grebe 1s 08.35
Turnstone 9n 31s
Bonxie 1s
Dunlin 70s
Knot 2s
Great White Egret, Black throated Diver and 3 Great Northern Divers passed Whitburn Obs this morning. My Obs year list was in the doldrums and yesterdays sea watch had been less than inspiring but from the off today had a different feel. It was a bit dark and dank but visibility was ok and i had full cloud cover. By the time the crab sandwich boys arrived id had three species of diver and a good supporting act so by this January's standards a cracking watch. Hoggie had hardly sat down and hadn't had time to ask if the tide was coming in when i called a Glaucous Gull going south close inshore (3 more needed for the record) even Walter with bins only got great views.
Pink Floyd and Unlucky Dave arrived just as i called ten Brents going north, things were really starting to happen. I saw two Ducks coming north and called them as Scaup then had second thoughts as they headed toward us, couldn't quite nail them but they came closer and blow me over they landed in front of the Obs. As it often proves my first call was the right one.
Pink Floyd called a large skein of Pinks going north then a close Peregrine, phew we were breathless.
At 11.30 i decided to call it a day and headed off crab sandwich in hand (thanks Wal) id just reached the south east corner of Shearwater when i stopped to ring the wife and i heard shouting, the guys were all on the Obs mound beckoning me. As i got closer Walter shouted run, well if you knew me you would know that I'm crocked and i don't do running, at this stage i didn't know what the bird was. As i got on top of the mound Unlucky Dave gave me directions and i saw the Great White Egret flying south fairly close in. I wont be able to walk for days but it was worth it thanks guys.
I later learnt that Unlucky Dave who really now needs to be called Lucky Dave, called a Little Egret flying south Hoggie got on it and realised it was Great White Egret and the rest as they say....
This is what we saw in order of appearance
Tuesday 17th January 08.00-12.00 SSW1-2 cloud 8/8
Black h Gull 3n 7s
Cormorant 2n 6s
Fulmar 15n 6s
Guillemot 31n
Red th Diver 51n 9s
Common Scoter 58n 7s
Porpoise 3+
Curlew 101s
Shelduck 23n
Black th Diver 1n
Scan Herring Gull 1n
Common Gull 6n 4s
Razorbill 1n
Turnstone 8n 9s
Shag 10n 1s
Kittiwake 1n
Goldeneye 1n
Gannet 3n
Great Northern Diver 3n
Eider 3n 1s
Grey Heron 2n 1s
Glaucous Gull 1s juv 09.30
Glaucous Gull and little else passed Whitburn Obs by 10 o'clock this morning. The juv Glauc brings our tally to 12 just 4 short of a new record of birds seen in a year. Now that might sound like a sure thing as its only the 16th Jan but keep in mind i didn't see one until the 5th of November last year...the tap can turn off.
A well known local sea watcher always asks within minutes of arriving 'is the tide coming in', i wont name him but lets just say his other catch phrase is 'couldnt have been nowt else'. I mention this as at one point this morning the waves were crashing in and i wondered.....
It wasn't but i had a chuckle
This is what i saw in order of appearance
Monday 16th January 08.00-10.10 NW2 cloud 8/8 rain mist drizzle yuk
Black h Gull 12n 30s
Cormorant 1n 4s
Common Gull 10n 7s
Fulmar 31n 4s
Scan Herring Gull 8n 2s
Glaucous Gull 1n juv 08.35
2 Great Northern Divers a Bonxie and a Blue Fulmar passed Whitburn Obs by 11.15 today.
Stevie Thunder was a surprise visitor today as we settled down to try and get our Glaucous Gull record. We've seen 11 and need 16 to set a new annual passage record and with all the birds seen on the east coast yesterday it was a cert......
That's birds for you, no white wingers seen but plenty of quality passage. We commented on how its always good to put out sea watching news with the coda 'and a Blue Fulmar' ala Flamborough and were pleased we got one
This is what we saw in order of appearance
Sunday 15th January 07.50-11.15 W2 cloud 8/8
Fulmar 267n 6s
Guillemot 545n
Black h Gull 26n 33s
Scan Herring Gull 7n 1s
Common Gull 15n 25s
Red th Diver 14n 3s
Shag 2n
Porpoise 1n 2s
Velvet Scoter 1s
Cormorant 11n 12s
Razorbill 9n
Grey Heron 2n
Long tailed Duck 1n
Gannet 3s
Bonxie 1n
Blue Fulmar 1s L
Eider 2s
Common Scoter 2n
Turnstone 2n
Great Northern Diver 2n
