Loony tunes......

Black throated Diver and 3 Velvet Scoters passed Whitburn Obs by 10.00 this morning. From the start of the watch Common Scoter were heading north, 3 Velvets went through close in as well but no Surfer...yet. Star bird was a moulting adult Black throated Diver supported by some nice close Red throats some calling/singing
The light became poor with bright sun and distant mist so i bailed out, 90 Pink feet went south as i got in my car, i was nearly  tempted to go back but....tomorrow

Monday 31st October 06.40-10.00 W1-2 cloud 6/8 some mist

Black h Gull 12n 83s
Common Gull 14n 24s
Common Scoter 517n
Cormorant 1n 8s
Red th Diver 12n 9s
Tufted Duck 1n
Blackbird 3 in/off
Scan Herring Gull 1s
Eider 2s
Brent Goose 1s pb
Shag 3s
Grey Wagtail 1s
Curlew 6n 1s
Goldeneye 2n
Goosander 1n 1s
Black th Diver 1n 08.22 moulting adult
Teal 4n
Turnstone 5n
Velvet Scoter 3n 1 ad and 2 not all drakes
Redshank 1s
Pink footed Goose 90s

Faster than a speeding bullet......

2 Great northern Divers and 4 Long tailed Ducks passed Whitburn Obs by 10 o'clock this morning. Magic and Saint Mark joined me and we filled our boots with birds. Another 2000 plus Pinks south bringing our total this autumn to over 10,000 and a high class supporting act. Magic Mark was giving directions for me to get on another group of Little Gulls heading south, just in the wake of that speed boat he said, I got on them and was amazed as they overtook the boat. Just like Superman...faster than a speeding bullet
This is what we saw in order of appearance

Sunday 30th October 06.30-10.00 W1-2 cloud 8/8

Common Gull 29n 15s
Common Scoter 44n 8s
Black h Gull 64n 27s
Red th Diver 13n 10s
Cormorant 2n 18s
Eider 6n
Turnstone 1n 11s
Shag 1n 18s
Curlew 4n 1s
Porpoise 1n
Little Gull 31s
Redshank 2s
Long tailed Duck 4n
Bonxie 3n
Pink footed Goose 2110n
Grey Wagtail 1n 4s
Fulmar 1n
Goldeneye 1n
Sparrowhawk 1s
Great n Diver 1n juv landed on sea in front of obs 1s ad
Whooper Swan 3s
Sandwich Tern 1n
Wigeon 2s
Starling 10 in off
Grey Heron 2n

Mellow Yellow.......

24 Whooper Swans and 1980 Pink feet passed Whitburn Obs by 11am. Stevie Thunder called 2 Yellowhammers south an Obs MEGA and a year tick, it left me feeling very mellow cheers Steve.
A flock of 42 Whoopers were reported coming south by @Elliottatchev but sadly we didn't connect but thanks for the heads up. We did get a few though and along with the Geese gave the watch a winter feel
We all headed off for more views of the Daurian Shrike and another 160 Pinks flew south over the Leas
This is what we saw in order of appearance

Saturday 29th October 07.35-11.00 SW1-2 cloud 6/8

Black h Gull 17n 80s
Common Gull 7n 34s
Eider 4n 2s
Common Scoter 31n 7s
Cormorant 8s
Red th Diver 19n 16s
Redpoll 3s
Whooper Swan 24s
Curlew 4n 1s
Redshank 1n 2s
Porpoise 1n
Little Gull 4s 2ads
Tufted Duck 3n 1s
Mallard 1n
Velvet Scoter 1s
Pink footed Goose 1980s
Shag 17s
Goosander 1s
Yellow Hammer 2s
Skylark 2s
Goldeneye 2n 2s
Grey Heron 1s
Golden Plover 75s
Whimbrel 1n

Beanz meanze geeze.....

2 Bean Geese went south past Whitburn Obs yesterday morning and the goose theme continued today with Pinks and Canada's south. Its been a quiet couple of days but we had a few more birds of note today after yesterdays no blog. Hoggie and co joined me late on and he called a cracking Long tailed Duck, then as i was about to leave the Pink feet started to move. I hope they got lots more than the 2 skeins i saw but it was sea watch over for me and back tomorrow eyes rested and fully refreshed
This is what we saw in order of appearance

Thursday 27th October 07.30-10.30 SW1-2 cloud 7/8

Common Gull 4n 37s
Black h Gull 25n 76s
Siskin 1s
Red th Diver 4n 12s
Eider 11n 11s
Teal 1s
Shag 1s
Little Gull 2n
Curlew 1n 1s
Common Scoter 8n 5s
Redshank 2n 3s
Turnstone 1n 1s
Grey Heron 1s
Canada Goose 14s
Cormorant 2n 1s
Red br Merganser 2n
Redpoll 2s
Bonxie 1n
Long t Duck 1n dr
Fieldfare 1 in off
Wigeon 1n
Pink footed Goose 133s

A little bit of what you fancy....

275 Little Gulls and some quality Ducks passed Whitburn Obs by 11.20 today. I was joined by Ian a blogger fan who travelled far to sample the obs experience, Hoggie and the newly retired Peter Bell who has yet to be christened with a printable blog name
Things started very quiet then i noticed a few very distant Little Gulls, i fancied a few more and the swarm arrived circling above the incoming Ferry. More were on the sea put up from time to time but never counted and thankfully 20 or so showed really well going north close in
A Drake Scaup and 2 Velvets were memorable  near the end of the watch ensuring i will be back for more tomorrow
This is what we saw in order of appearance

Monday 24th October 07.20-11.20 NE2 cloud 6/8

Common Gull 118n 8s
Black h Gull 112n 12s
Red th Diver 9n 6s
Eider 24n 2s
Curlew 2n
Wigeon 50n
Fulmar 1n 1s
Shag 6n 1s
Common Scoter 6n 1s
Manxie 1n
Little Gull 275n
Bar t Godwit 1n
Bonxie 4n 6s
Arctic Skua 2n 1s
Porpoise 1
Teal 9n
Skylark 2n
Tufted Duck 1s
Scaup 1n cracking close in drake
Velvet Scoter 2s drks

One Hundred and Eighty.......

King Eider and a Pom Skua passed Whitburn Obs by 11.30 this morning. Magic Mark called the King Eider as it went north close inshore. Its a County Durham MEGA being only the second ever recorded, the first being in July 98. Six were in the obs to see this most royal of ducks. Well done Mark. It also brought my Obs year list to 180 species and still two months to go, it may be a struggle next year to better 2016's total

It was a quieter day as the North Easterly continued, and a little stronger than yesterday but the birds had dried up somewhat until the King went north
This is what we saw in order of appearance

Sunday 23rd October 07.20-11.30 NE3 cloud 8/8

Common Gull 46n 13s
Guillemot 1680n
Razorbill 1n
Black h Gull 56n 7s
Red th Diver15n 10s
Common Scoter 35n 4s
Tufted Duck 1n
Common Eider 15n
Manxie 3n
Bonxie 7n 5s
King Eider 1n 08.30 dr
Great n Diver 2s
Wigeon 1n
Goldeneye 1s
Shag 2n
Teal 3s
Pom Skua 1n ad
Cormorant 1n
Red br Merganser 1s
Dunlin 1n

The long and the short of it.....

5 Long tailed Ducks and 4 Scaup passed Whitburn Obs by 11 this morning. Saint Mark joined me and we were surprised at the lack of observers for such a cracking sea watch. The Long-tailed Ducks were the stars of the show in perfect light. The Balearic was a close second, so dark it could have been a Sooty. Auk movement was up but no Terns today and another Long tailed Skua. Beat that in County Durham today if you can
This is what we saw in order of appearance

Saturday 22nd October 07.20-11.00 NE2-3 cloud 7/8

Common Gull 69n 11s
Black h Gull 128n 12s
Guillemot 1960n
Razorbill 3n 1s
Tufted Duck 1n
Wigeon 76n 17s
Common Scoter 134n 17s
Red th Diver 15n 10s
Fulmar 2n
Eider 15n
Grey Wagtail 2s
Long tailed Duck 3n 2s all drakes
Puffin 2n
Sooty Shearwater 2n
Bonxie 8n
Balearic Shearwater 1n 08.56
Red br Merganser 1s
Teal 6n 1s
Goldeneye 3n
Redshank 2n
Long t Skua 1n juv
Shag  2n 1s
Goosander 1s
Scaup 4n drakes
Little Gull 20n