Friday 14 September 2012

Bridges of Ross 14th Sept 2012

Time: 06:55-11:30 & 12:45-19:10
Weather: F5-6 W-NW later F4-5 NW, bright, good vis & some showers (am). F3-5 NW, sunny, warm & spray (pm).
Observer(s): Niall T. Keogh, Noel Keogh, Brian Porter, Conor Foley, Jason McManus, Gordon McAdam et al.

Balearic Shearwater: 1
Sooty Shearwater: 123
Manx Shearwater: c.1,000
‘Blue’ Fulmar: 1 intermediate
Leach’s Petrel: 32
Common Scoter: 8
Red-throated Diver: 18 summer plumage
Great Skua (Bonxie): 71
Pomarine Skua: 4
Arctic Skua: 39
Long-tailed Skua: 3 juvs. (Jason McManus & Niall T. Keogh)
Sabine’s Gull: 1 adult
Kittiwake: 79+ incl. 30 juvs.
Arctic Tern: 28
Sandwich Tern: 35
Grey Phalarope: 20
Puffin: 5

Knot: 12
Golden Plover: 2
Dunlin: 2
Raven: 2
Chough: 4

Good passage this morning with lots of variety, slacking off in the afternoon & then livening up again in the evening. Still relatively low numbers of Manx but plenty of Gannets to make up the volume, including lots of juveniles. Much better views of the juv. Long-tailed Skuas today, two of which came by together at close range. Stunning beasts. Could well be birds of the season for me so far. Numbers of Bonxies & Arctic Skuas picked up from about 17:30pm with groups of 3-5 birds going by at regular intervals for an hour or so. An excellent tally of Red-throated Divers this early on in the autumn also. Great stuff altogether!

Massive swells today, some waves from which were breaking a bit too close for comfort! © Niall Keogh 

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