Black throated and 3 Great northern Divers passed Whitburn Obs by 10 this morning. Saint Mark and myself were able to practise our Diver identification skills based on foot size as a late flurry of Divers went north. Two great northerns together then a Black throated flying with a Great northern for comparison. We didn't get the White billed we craved but we will be back tomorrow...
It was a canny sea watch with the return of Terns to our coast we had plenty to look at. This is what we saw in order of appearance
Saturday 18th April 05.30-10.00 ENE2 broken cloud calm sea
Eider 6n 7s
Fulmar 159n
Gannet 140n 30s
Sandwich Tern 27n 137s
Common Tern 2n 2s
Curlew 2n 1s
Red br Merganser 1n
Common Gull 25n 6s
Manx Shearwater 2n
Velvet Scoter 3n
Puffin 4n
Common Scoter 17n 17s
Red th Diver 9n 1s
Black h Gull 1n
Arctic Tern 3n 2s
Goosander 2n
Wheatear 1 on Jackie's beech
Sand Martin 17n
Sparrowhawk 1n
Great northern Diver 3n
Shag 1n
Black th Diver 1n
