COLL SEAWATCH 10TH SEPTEMBER 2011

A superb sea-watch again this evening from 1830-1930. At times I didn't know where to look there was so much going on. All the shearwaters were moving SW-NE whilst pretty much everything else was moving into the wind in a NE-SW direction. Highlights were a flock of 3 adult & 4 juvenile Long-tailed Skuas which passed within 100m of the pier then banked up high and headed off inland in a westerly direction. Other best bits were at least 3 Sabine's Gulls (1 adult & 2 juveniles) with probably two others that were just too far out to be 100% certain. Totals were c.1000 Manx Shearwaters, 146 Sooty Shearwaters, c.50 Fulmars, c.300 Gannets, 19 Arctic Skuas, 14 Bonxies, 7 Long-tailed Skuas, c.1100 Kittiwakes (mostly adults), 3-5 Sabine's Gulls, 260 Arctic Terns including one flock of 160+, 100+ auk spp, 2 Red-throated Divers, 7 Great Northern Divers and 5 Common Scoters. Amazingly, not a single petrel!
Earlier in the day I went looking for waders and despite the huge numbers of Yanks around just now was disappointed that the best bird was a single Little Stint amongst the Sanderlings & Turnstones at Cliad.

juvenile Arctic Skua

Manx Shearwater