7th Jan.
It’s rarely stopped raining since our dry walk on patch last Saturday,
but the weather forecast suggested brightness as the day went on today, so we
agreed that a walk from Seaton Sluice to St Mary’s Island
would be a good way to spend a few hours.
The weather forecast was wrong and the rain, murkiness, chill and rough
sea that greeted us on arrival at Seaton Sluice headland only worsened as the
day went on. We got no further than the
headland, but nevertheless made some good sightings as we lived up to our all
weather birder titles. On our journey to
the coast sightings included a flock of Lapwing
and Great Black-backed Gull near
temporary flashes (or perhaps better to say mini lakes, such were the
conditions).
First birds of note at Seaton Sluice were three Velvet Scoters showing wonderfully well
flying south past and fairly close to the headland. A single Little
Gull appeared close to the headland as it also flew south under the cliff
and then we had a Little Auk
appearing just as close before it disappeared underwater having been dive
bombed by one of the many Great
Black-backed Gulls. As the Little Auk appeared, so too did Gannet and Eider Ducks.
Other birds noted included Red-throated Diver (SH only) Cormorant (hugging the shoreline), Shag (SH only), a single Wigeon
flying south, Common Scoters flying
north (BM only), Oystercatcher, Sanderling, Dunlin (all in flight close to the
headland), Kittiwakes, Guillemots
and two Razorbills.
We broke for lunch and on return found the area ever more
gloomy and bird passage negligible although as we spoke with another birder out
walking his dog another Little Auk
flew south and again close to the headland.
No comments:
Post a Comment