Thursday 31 December 2015

Ring out the old......2015 obs list totals..

2 Black throated Divers and 11 Little Gulls passed Whitburn Obs by 10.45 this morning. My last sea watch of the year enjoyed with Stevie Makem. Once again we would be happy with this lot tomorrow, but you know birding...

My Obs year list finished on 169 for the year and i am happy with that, beating last year by 2 species. Highlights include Great and Little Shearwater, Bewick Swan, Buff breasted Sandpiper, White winged Tern, Pallid Swift, Great White Egret, OBP etc etc
Biggest regrets Spoonbill and Black Guillemot
Remarkably the number of species i have seen over the 3 years of doing an obs list is 196
So plenty to go at next year

This is what Stevie and i saw today in order of appearance

Thursday 31st December 08.00-10.45 SW2-3 broken cloud

Black h Gull 11n 349s
Common Gull 9n 54s
Eider 11n
Curlew 35n 65s
Shag 2n 26s
Turnstone 3s
Fulmar 2n 4s
Red th Diver 19n
Shelduck 3n 1s
Kittiwake 5n 1s
Canada Goose 1s
Gannet 12n 3s
Little Gull 1n 10s
Great northern Diver 1n 1s
Porpoise 2n 1s
Wigeon 10n
Mallard 3s
Scan Herring Gull 3s
Black th Diver 1n 2s    the bird north was probably the same bird that had recently flown south
Little Auk 1n
Bonxie 1n