Tern the other Rosy cheek

4 Roseate Terns,272 Sandwich and 200 Common Terns went south past Whitburn by 7am. Yes a spanking good Tern day, Mark Newsome(@whitburnbirds) was in the Obs and we heard the Rosy Tern first then picked it up close inshore. Mark called the other 3 as they went south more distantly a great spot. I left him in the Obs so expect more
This is what we had

Wednesday 31st July 04.45-07.00 W1 dead calm full bright sun

Cormorant 3n 26s
Common Tern 9n 191s
Black h Gull 1n 6s
Manxie 17n 2s
Arctic Tern 2n 7s
Common Scoter 38n
Sandwich Tern 7n 258s
Oyster Catcher 34s
Swift 15n
Dunlin 3s
Roseate Tern 4s
Arctic Skua 1s
Eider 1 on sea
Yellow Wagtail 1s
Gropper reeling again early am only
Puffin 1n

We were reflecting on what a good July it has been, but tomorrow is August, bring it on

White beaked Dolphins passs the Obs

10 White beaked Dolphins went south past the Obs this morning 2 Arctic Skuas and 18 Manxies were the best birds on another very quiet day
I was joined by Pink Floyd for the last half and and it was just as well or i might have fell asleep
Here is what i saw in order of appearance

Tuesday 30th July 04.50-07.00 SW1 dead calm broken cloud

Curlew 2s
Cormorant 7n 18s
Common Scoter 108n 6s
Manxie 13n 5s
Common Tern 2n 47s
Puffin 2n 2s
Black h Gull 2n 8s
Sandwich Tern 13n 95s
Turnstone 4s
Arctic Tern 13s
Knot 1s
Red th Diver 1s
Arctic Skua 2s
White beaked Dolphin circa 10 sth @06.25
Porpoise 1

Fly away Peter....

4 Arctic Skuas, 14 Whimbrel and 10 Arctic Terns past Whitburn was the best i could do today as all the birds seem to have flown away. You can see from the numbers how quiet it was, least said the better

Monday29th July 04.50-06.50 S2 broken cloud

Sandwich Tern 32n 3s
Common Tern 6n 31s
Cormorant 8n 37s
Arctic Skua 1n 3s
Common Scoter 65n
Whimbrel 14s
Black h Gull 2s
Manxie 7n 3s
Curlew 1n
Puffin 1n 1s
Redshank 1n 4s
Arctic Tern 3n 7s
Teal 3n

British Summertime?

2 Arctic Skuas and a Bonxie went past Whitburn early am and a nice mixed bag of species on a wet and windy Sunday morning
In total contrast to yesterdays balmy summer weather it was hoying down all morning with early mist making viewing only possible with bins
The boss (Mark Newsome) joined me eventually and we did our best heres what we managed in order of appearance

Sunday 28th July 05.30-10.00 NE 3 rain, heavy a times, mist

Gannet 410n
Kittiwake 1120n
Common Tern 12n 4s
Sandwich Tern 44n 17s
Bonxie 1n
Common Scoter 136n
Black h Gull 7n 17s
Arctic Skua 2n
Arctic Tern 49n 13s
Manx Shearwater 9n 1s
Redshank 5n 12s
Puffin 7n
Teal 25n
Tufted Duck 2n
Wigeon 1n
Swift 73s
Knot22s
Bar t Godwit 1n
Turnstone 6n
Shoveller 4n

Minke Magic

2 Minke whales give outstanding tho distant views from 06.30 till 08.10 at least, 91 Arctic and 489 Sandwich Terns were the birding highlights
i was joined by Derek Lawrence and eventually Steve thunder Addinall
The sea watch was ended early as its Airshow day and i need to go get my granddaughter to watch it and because the light was becoming impossible, the Whales were magnificent


Saturday 27th July 04.30-08.30 SW1 dead calm

Curlew 1s
Black h Gull 4s
Common Gull 2s
Cormorant 3n 24s
Common Tern 62n 57s
Common Scoter 21n 17s
Redshank 7n 13s
Sandwich Tern 35n 452s
Arctic Tern 29n 62s
Puffin 4n
Manxie 7n 24s
Arctic Skua 1n
Shelduck 3s
Porpoise 1
Minke Whale 2 feeding offshore 06.30-08.10 at least

Mega past the Obs ........well an Avocet first for the Obs

98 Manxies 34 Whimbrel Bonxie and an Avocet were the best passed the Obs this morning
On a lovely morning with a bit of cloud cover a nice selection of birds were passing, including the star bird an Avocet a first for Whitburn Obs and my 138th Obs year tick. I missed Curlew Sandpiper yesterday so am hopeful of more passing this weekend. I was joined by Rob Stonehouse, i think we need to give him a nickname, how about Stoney, and i am glad i called the Avocet and not Stoney as it was a first
And a big thank you to Pink Floyd for sorting out the north shutter

Friday 25th July 04.55-07.15 SW 1-2 part cloud and calm sea

Common Tern 15n 34s
Whimbrel 2n 32s
Manxie 34n 62s
Sandwich Tern 31n 223s
Common Scoter 57n 12s
Black h Gull 3n 12s
Puffin 6n 8s
Redshank 1n 6s
Arctic Tern 28n 17s
Curlew 2s
05.40 3 Dolphin's distant prob white beaked
Oyster Catcher 6s
Knot 10s
Bonxie 1s
Red th Diver 1n 2s
Avocet 1s
Red br Merganser 2n
Turnstone 3n
Shelduck 4n
Yellow Wagtail 1s
Mallard 2n

Oh no not Knot

412 Knot and 50 Whimbrel were among the waders that passed Whitbun this afternoon. Mark Newsome started the watch at 15.00 and i finished it at 18.30
This mornings watch was abandoned due to fog/mist and i checked my new moth trap out for the first time instead, but that's another story

Some of the birds logged here were seen by Mark and not me but it seems too much trouble to sort it all out, suffice to say waders were on the move today

Thursday 25th July 15.00-18.30 S2-3 still some mist and heat haze to contend with

Manxie 1n 4s
Blue Fulmar 1s
Common Scoter 17n 25s
Oyster Catcher 22s
Sanderling 40s
Dunlin 16s
Whimbrel 50s
Redshank 10s
Knot 412s
Turnstone 17s
Arctic Skua 1s
Black h Gull 2n 7s
Common Gull 4s
Sandwich Tern 39n 32s
Common Tern 13n 17s
Arctic Tern 9n 2s
Little Tern 1s
Puffin 1n 14s
Ringed Plover 2s
Curlew 1s

Lets hope the wader passage continues early morning