White beaked and Bottlenose Dolphins were seen off Whitburn Obs this morning as well as Porpoise. So once again the birds took a back seat as cetaceans stole the show. Stoney and myself fancied a four cetacean species day and after Saturdays Minke Whales on a flat calm sea anything was possible.....but we were not fussy any species of Whale would do and Rob deserved it for calling two of the pods. Sadly it wasn't to be but watch this space things are hotting up
We were busy at times with decent numbers of birds passing and i struggled to look up at the birds for recording them in the log, its about time i got an apprentice. Foss popped in and called the Med Gull, a cracking bird but gone in a flash as it was very close inshore
This is what we saw in order of appearance
Monday 18th July 04.35-09.00 SW1-2 cloud 4/8 flat calm sea
Gropper still reeling
Black h Gull 9n 4s
Common Gull 7n 4s
Common Term 7n 39s
Sandwich Tern 18n 195s
White beaked Dolphin 3s the usual large male with a female and fairly mature youngster i think 04.42-05.10
close at first but moved out to circa 1km
Sand Martin 59s
Arctic Tern 4n 33s included the 1st sum bird
Red th Diver 1n 1s
Manxie 92n 5s
Puffin 26n 1s
Whimbrel 6s
Common Scoter 129n 19s
Porpoise 2s
Redshank 2n 1s
Red br Merganser 2n 1s
Common Sandpiper 2s
Curlew 2n 2s
Bonxie 1n
Bottlenose Dolphin 12 plus north but distant circa 1.5 km spread out over a large distance 06.15-06.45
Eider 2n
Great crested Grebe 2n
Knot 1n
Med Gull 1s 2nd sum a real cracker
Ringed Plover 1n
White beaked Dolphin at least 5 came north but distant 1km off 06.45-07.05
Dunlin 5s
LBBGull 2s
Swift 6n 3s
Teal 8n
The Dolphins were not seen again after 07.05 they just seemed to disappear hopefully to return tomorrow
