Bridges of Ross 1st Sept 2013

Time: 06:30-19:30

Weather: F3-4 W, dry, good visibility, overcast & cold.

Observers: Niall T. Keogh, Noel Keogh, Dave Cooper, John Cooper, Victor Caschera, Neal Warnock, 'Er' Neill Hunt, 'Mickey Boy' Mike Stocker, John 'Brick' Dempsey, Barry 'Bazzo' McCarthy, Andy Pryce, Des Higgins, Lee Gregory, Stewart Ford, Roy Teale et al. 

Balearic Shearwater: 2

Sooty Shearwater: 214

Manx Shearwater: 2,700+ in 4 hrs (am)

Storm Petrel: 16

Common Scoter: 4

Great Skua (Bonxie): 12

Pomarine Skua: 8 (6 pale phase & 2 dark phase)

Arctic Skua: 18

Long-tailed Skua: 5 adults & 1 juvenile (John Dempsey, Dave Cooper & Noel Keogh)

Skua sp: 1 juvenile (prob Long-tailed but very distant)

Sandwich Tern: 3

Arctic Tern: 55

Whimbrel: 2

Bar-tailed Godwit: 1 

Peregrine: 1 juvenile

Common Dolphin: 1

Ocean Sunfish: 4-6 (one seen breaching)

Wind strength & direction was not exactly 'classic' but certainly favourable and delivered a very nice run of skuas in the evening which was most appreciated. Fantastic views of cracking birds! Fine adult Long-tails with streamers, dark phase Pomarine with ladles (spoons an understatement) hanging out the back of them & a ginger nut biscuit of a juvenile Arctic were the highlights. A passage that John Graff would be delighted with! (in joke for the Oz seawatchers)

Here's some dodgy digi-scoped pics of a Pomarine Skua & a Sooty Shearwater...