Saturday 14 May 2016

Loony tunes.......

5 Great northern Divers and 223 Arctic Terns passed Whitburn obs by 10.15 this morning. I was joined by Magic and Saint Mark, Boy Wonder and our guest from London Barns Birder.
The Great northern Loons stole the show with 4 sum plum birds north and 1 winter plumage south, a spring day record count. It was a good watch early on but the light deteriorated as the cloud broke and we headed off. Boy Wonder reminded me it was 10 years to the day since my best ever find a Turkestan Shrike landed on a sign post in front of me in the Obs. Sadly the bird didn't hang around for long and few birders were lucky enough to connect, we are due another.......
This is what we saw in order of appearance

Saturday 14th May 05.05-10.15 NNE3 part cloud

Gannet 255n 29s
Fulmar 213n
Puffin 92n 14s
Great northern Diver 4n 1s
Turnstone 29n
Common Tern 24n 6s
Common Scoter 3n 2s
Sandwich Tern 13n 50s
Dunlin 17n
Manxie 23n 3s
Red th Diver 8n
Eider 1s
Common Gull 4n 2s
Arctic Tern 220n 3s
Whimbrel 10n
LBBGull 5n
Sand Martin 7n
Swallow 3n
Shelduck 3n
Curlew 3n 1s
Black h Gull 4n 3s
Porpoise 1
Ringed Plover 4n
Shag 1n