Many apologies. My guest blogger from the previous post appears to be a little confused about what is real and what is cult movie. You'll be glad to know that I am alive, though I did have a bit of a brush with a fat-arsed Shh-mutant Wicker man.After Skye, starting to think that maybe the seawatching season is starting. Soooo... ignoring the offshore winds and apparent absence of birds:
Sunday 26th July 09. 18:36-19:40
6 Manx Shearwaters north
1 Great Skua south, attacking Kittiwakes, and then probably the same one, going back north for another go.
1 Red-throated Diver S
22 Red Knots, South.
AND, my first kill of the autumn. It was me or him. Nasty vicious fangs in my toes. Wouldn't let go.
Pygmy ShrewWednesday 29th July 09
Late morning... the house starts to fill up with kids, not all of them mine, so I head out for a bit of mid-day July birding. Unsurprisingly, very few birds (1 Common Whitethroat), but plenty of butterflies, including Dark Green Fritillary and Ringlet (both second patch records) up the cliff steps, with the usual Small Coppers, Common Blues, Meadow Brown and Small Whites.
Offshore for 30 min from 12.00, just 1 Arctic Skua, 10 Eurasian Teals, and a few Atlantic Puffins and Northern Gannets.
As I walked back to the house, 4 Black-tailed Godwits flew over, going south along the coast, itself unusual (have previously seen them once or twice on seawatches). This was about 12.30. Interestingly, at 5.30 pm, 4 were on the lagoons at Musselburgh, according to Birdguides. Reckon it would take a Black-tailed Godwit about 4-5 hours to make the journey. Wonder if they were the same ones.
Sunday 2nd August 09
Seawatch 07:10 - 08:40. S winds still.
Rather boring...
1 Great Skua N, 11 Common Scoters and 1 Velvet Scoter S. Also 3 Eurasian Teals and Common Goldeneye. 25 Annoying Small Waders S, and a Guillemot (Common Murre) on the water with a single chick.,. The first I've seen here this year.
Late morning... the house starts to fill up with kids, not all of them mine, so I head out for a bit of mid-day July birding. Unsurprisingly, very few birds (1 Common Whitethroat), but plenty of butterflies, including Dark Green Fritillary and Ringlet (both second patch records) up the cliff steps, with the usual Small Coppers, Common Blues, Meadow Brown and Small Whites.
Offshore for 30 min from 12.00, just 1 Arctic Skua, 10 Eurasian Teals, and a few Atlantic Puffins and Northern Gannets.
As I walked back to the house, 4 Black-tailed Godwits flew over, going south along the coast, itself unusual (have previously seen them once or twice on seawatches). This was about 12.30. Interestingly, at 5.30 pm, 4 were on the lagoons at Musselburgh, according to Birdguides. Reckon it would take a Black-tailed Godwit about 4-5 hours to make the journey. Wonder if they were the same ones.
Sunday 2nd August 09
Seawatch 07:10 - 08:40. S winds still.
Rather boring...
1 Great Skua N, 11 Common Scoters and 1 Velvet Scoter S. Also 3 Eurasian Teals and Common Goldeneye. 25 Annoying Small Waders S, and a Guillemot (Common Murre) on the water with a single chick.,. The first I've seen here this year.
4 comments:
Nice to see a post on this blog, although you are still in serious decline with a forecast 61% reduction in posts year on year. The RSPB will be planning a reintro programme before you know it.
Yes, life keeps getting in the way.
RSPB need to reintroduce me to somewhere that's got a lot of birds and free time.
Are you sure that shrew wasn't just asleep?
or lazy
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