Wednesday 29 September 2021

 So the winds had a switch to the North West and promised of great things at sea. We were not disappointed with a very brisk for 5-6 at dawn.

I began seawtaching from the Cristin terrace at 0715hrs and Gannets were on the move. The day was to about quantity and quality (but I am not grumbling about the birds that were seen of course!)

Birds were pouring through, heading south along the west coast, I sat seawtaching all day, and clocked up some fantastic numbers. After nine hours of looking through my scope, my eyes suggested politely that the left one belonged to someone else! My fingers and thumbs had decided to go on strike as they had been clicking away at the counters all day... Still it was a brilliant day...

A Red-throated Diver and a summer-plumaged Great Northern Diver flew south. 

The Gannet count at  1453 was the second highest day count for the island (with 1718 being the highest in September 2004).

Gannet

There were 34 Fulmars, and 28 Manx Shearwaters. A single Balearic Shearwater was only the second of the autumn

quite possibly the worst image of a Balearic  Shearwater that has ever been posted anywhere in the world... EVER!!
Screen grab of a digiscoped bird at 1.75 miles away... 

Shags totalled 28, whilst a dozen Common Scoter moved past. A flock of ten Golden Plover headed south way out to sea and nine flew north over the island. 

It was a great day for skua passage with all four regular species seen:  A juvenile Long-tailed Skua, and adult Pomarine Skua were the highlights, but Arctic Skua with 18 and Great Skua with 16 were the most numerous. 

Gulls and terns fared well too with 15 Great Black-backed Gulls, 401 Herring Gulls, five Common Gulls, 672 Black-headed Gulls, seven Mediterranean Gulls, two juvenile Sabine's Gulls (the first of the autumn)and 11 juvenile Little Gulls.

Common Gull

Lesser Black-backed Gull

this Herring Gull flew past the North Hide - it is the first time it has been recorded since it was ringed in 2020

The most numerous species for the day was Kittiwake with a minimum of 11,172 clicked during the day! 

I was saddened however to see this young Kittiwake carrying a ballon being harassed by several immature gulls, all who thought it was food!

Kittiwake with a balloon being chased by gulls
Kittiwake with a balloon being chased by gulls

There were 11 Sandwich Terns and a single Arctic Tern.  Razorbills were in good number with a total of 1268, along with 28 Guillemots,  and a single Black Guillemot

quite possibly the worst image of a Black Guillemot that has ever been posted anywhere in the world... EVER!!
Screen grab of a digiscoped bird at 1.5 miles away... 

Guillemot

Guillemot

Away from the sea the Snow Bunting was still present and two Grey Wagtails were the only passerines of note during a very windy day.

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