Kick About Part 2

Another stroll along the sea wall only produced the usual suspects.It did produce a gathering of birders on the other side of the estuary at Northwick Warf.As i returned home the Ladies of the house informed me that they were going shopping.Long-Billed Dowitcher at Chew or 3-4 hours of being dragged around New Look River Island and the like.45 minutes later i was watching the Dowitcher at Chew, although a bit distant and the light wasn't the best for taking pictures.The bird favoured a small area until a peregrine flushed everything.

Bird emptyBlack Rock Area

Chew.What a place.They even got an Ice Cream Van.

Kick About

A long walk along the sea wall didn't produce the hoped for Birds this morning.Did produce 6 Tree Sparrows 1 Reed warbler 1 Willow and millions of Chiffs.Also 1 Barwit on the foreshore and a couple of Siskin and Redpoll flyovers.

Same Old

A slight difference in numbers at the pools this morning with 43 Avocet up 4,Little Stint 4 up 2.A flyover Golden Plover a few siskins and a redpoll were the only difference from yesterday.Apart from this no turnover of birds occurring,things are a bit static.

Part of the Avocet flock.

Morning And Afternoon

Done the morning tide at goldcliff were the best of the birds were 2 Little Stints 1 Curlew Sand and 2 Ruff.An evening visit to Uskmouth in search of Spotted Crakes(there must be some somewhere) reveled 3 Water Rails and 1 snipe all on show at the same time.If a Gwent spotted crake will show up its got to be here.

What Would You

What would you give for one of these to be floating past the golden cliffs of Goldciff?

Terns

Nipped up to Llandegfedd in the week to see if there were any stragglers left from the flock of 20+ Common Terns that had been seen that afternoon.4 Commons were left on the boat.The weather took a turn for the worse with low cloud and drizzle.With this a huge (70+) flock of Common with a few Arctics came in low from the NE,hung around the boats for a few minutes before circling high and then departed to the SW.

Somewhere near Gwent.

I wonder how many of these flew over Gwent airspace?Or how many are in Gwent as I'm writing?Has anyone checked the Neddern area?

Cornwall Pics

Pendeen

A trip down to Cornwall was thoroughly enjoyable.Not the Mega Seabirds as hoped for but still pretty good all the same.Rough totals were 4 Sabine's gulls,40+ Balearic Shearwaters 10 Sooty 10+ Grey Phals 1 Pom Skua 1 Puffin 1 Little Tern and millions of Manxies and loads of Arctic and Great Skuas.Also picked up the Baird's sand at Penzance and the Wilson's Phal at Exminster Marshes.

Pendeen as we arrived Pendeen at DawnThe Wheatabix at Dawn Tradition Continues.

Goldcliff Point

Had a quick look at the Little beach at Goldcliff Point yesterday.1 Little Stint,1 Sanderling 1 Knot 9 Turnstone and 32 Dunlin.

Cornwall

A quiet family break in Cornwall ended up with a car that had to be recovered and brought home on a tow truck.(never buy a car that don't need a spare wheel).Meaning holiday cut short.Missing Fea's Petrel Citrine wag and lots of other Cornwall delights.Did manage Balearic Shearwater and numerous Stooty shearwaters ,Arctic Skuas and Bonxies galore from the briefest seawatch ever.Never mind no one was hurt and we all got home safely.

Going Going Gone

A call this morning had me rushing down to Uskmouth for an Aquatic Warbler.What a little beauty!!!

Ringed Released Vanished.

Wood

Showed on the left hand side of the 3rd platform.Missed a Spoonbill but it could have been on the back lagoon.I couldn't be bothered to walk all the way around to the sea wall.Maybe i should make the effort.

St Ives Pelagic

Three brave souls headed down to St Ives at silly o'clock and boarded the Golden Princess and sailed out 7 miles in a NW direction.Nice and calm for the first couple of miles or so and then it was more like a roller coaster than a boat.The engine was cut and the chum went out.Fulmars appeared first then a few Stormie's and then the main price floated by.Wilson's was the cry.
Another Wilson's made a few passes as we headed for Shearwater Alley at about 1 mile off St Ives island,and a few Stormie's followed the boat.The Gates were locked as no Shears came through.Nice trip tho and Wilson's well and truly on me list.

White Beaks

An excellent trip yesterday down south and then on to Huntress 2 into Lyne Bay For White Beaked Dolphins and whatever birds we came across.It took two and a half hours to get out to the Dolphin site where they showed upon arrival.Some came as close as 10 Ft to the boat.Very difficult to photograph fast moving objects when the boats rocking from side to side as well.

Best of the trip were:

20+ White Beaked Dolphins

2 Balearic Shearwaters

20-30 Manx Shearwaters

1 Arctic Skua

2 Great Skuas

3 Common Scoters and millions of Gannet and Fulmar.