Weather: F5-6 SW, heavy mist & almost nil visibility at first, then clearing F4 W (am). F4 W-NW, sunny, dry & good vis (pm).
Observer(s): Niall T. Keogh, Noel Keogh, Jason McManus, Gordon McAdam & Mark Gibson.
Balearic Shearwater: 4
Sooty Shearwater: 223
Manx Shearwater: c.3,100
Leach’s Petrel: 45
Storm Petrel: 3
Common Scoter: 3 males
Red-throated Diver: 6 summer plumage
Great Northern Diver: 1 summer-winter plumage
Great Skua (Bonxie): 19
Pomarine Skua: 1 pale phase adult
Arctic Skua: 5
Long-tailed Skua: 3 juvs. (Niall T. Keogh & Noel Keogh)
Kittiwake: 29 incl. 15 juvs.
Little Gull: 1 1st cal-year & 1 2nd cal-year
Arctic Tern: 22
Sandwich Tern: 1
Black Tern: 1 juv.
Grey Phalarope: c.35
Puffin: 3
American Golden Plover: Adult type bird with 13 Golden Plover in the horse field at 18:25pm (Noel Keogh). Presumably the same bird as earlier in the week. Kestrel: 1
Raven: 2
Chough: 13
Common Dolphin: c.3 heading West in the evening.
Ocean Sunfish: 2
The first hour & a half this morning was shrouded in heavy mist, with little or no seabirds visible during that time. A perfect opportunity to snooze, eat biscuits & talk nonsense! After the mist lifted there was a welcome return to decent numbers of shearwaters. Amazing how much of a difference a constant trickle of Manxies makes to your concentration levels compared to the void that was afternoon passage during previous days. Grey Phalaropes were a nice feature of the afternoon & evening including one group of 10. Some serious nasty skua action also with the Pomarine nailing a Leach’s followed up by a Bonxie tackling into a Fulmar, killing it & eating it!
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| Less than ideal seawatching conditions! © Niall Keogh |
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| "More skuas for the people!!!" © Niall Keogh |
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| Leach's Petrels © Niall Keogh |
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| Pomarine Skua © Niall Keogh |
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