Tuesday 21 August 2012

First Leach's: Bridges of Ross 21st August 2012

Time: 06:30-10:30 & 12:00-19:50
Weather: F2-3 SW, largely dry, bright & warm but some showers (am). F4-5 W-SW, sunny, warm & hazy but with heavy showers in evening (pm).
Observer(s): Niall T. Keogh, Keith Langdon, Mikey Hoit, Dave Farrow, Reg Land, Simon Woodhouse, Dave Andrews, Alan Clewes, Dan Pointon, Brian Porter, Paul Flint, Cory Flint et al.

Balearic Shearwater: 2
Sooty Shearwater: 84
Manx Shearwater: 3,000+
Fulmar: 1,000+
Leach’s Petrel: 1
Storm Petrel: 88
Kittiwake: 54 incl. 18 juvs.
Common Scoter: 6 (4 males & 2 females)
Great Skua (Bonxie): 15
Pomarine Skua: 9 (adult & subadult pale phases)
Arctic Skua: 39
Sandwich Tern: 6
Common Tern: 2 juvs.
Arctic Tern: 19
Razorbill: 90+
Guillemot: 15 
Auk sp: 40+
Puffin: 3
Black Guillemot:  1 juv.
Lesser Black-backed Gull: 1 adult
Common Gull: 1

Teal: 6
Whimbrel: 10
Dunlin: 7
Sanderling: 21
Knot: 2

Merlin: 1

Common Seal: 1 close offshore for much of the day.
Bottlenose Dolphin: 8+ in the evening.
Common Dolphin: 10+ in the morning.
Ocean Sunfish: 1

Another slow morning, livened up by some cracking Pom Skuas. Passage picked up from about 5pm when nice numbers of Manxies, Fulmars & skuas moved through. The first Leach’s Petrel of the season appeared at 19:08 which was most unexpected. I figured it would be a week or so before we would see one. 

F5 Westerlies tomorrow...bring it on! 


Pomarine Skua (video grab) © Niall Keogh
Dan Pointon...nuff said © Niall Keogh
"World of Pain" weather © Niall Keogh

1 comment: