A Reasonable Passage of Solan Geese

I was out at the coast for first light this morning as there was an early morning tide. There was a bit of an autumnal nip in the air and the wind was a stiff southeasterly. A few Pied Wagtails moved east, but it was difficult to tell whether they were moving or not. However, a few Hirundines were definitely on the move and I had 53 Swallows and 5 House Martins head east. A Grey Heron heading east over the sea could easily have been moving and 2 Swifts doing the same definitely were.

Ian was also watching further along the coast and whilst glued to my telescope eye-piece I heard someone shouting "S E U M U S   M   A   R   S  H    H  A  R  R  I  E  R"  and I looked round and it was Ian. I picked the juv. Marsh Harrier up as it climbed heading east being mobbed by a Herring Gull. I wondered why Ian hadn't phoned me until I realised that I hadn't switched my phone on! It's a good job it wasn't anything rarer.

Just off the shore at the obs a large gravel/shingle bank has developed which is only covered by relatively high tides. The high tide this morning was only low so it remained uncovered. On it and flying to and from it were 128 Cormorants and as the tide dropped 70 Terns (probably Sandwich; it's a long way out) roosted on a sandbank that developed. 

There were a few waders on the shore, but not as many as recently, and included 2 Curlew, 25 Sanderling, 22 Dunlin, 63 Turnstones and 91 Ringed Plovers.

 Ringed Plover preening

As the title suggests there was a reasonable passage of Gannets this morning and I counted 57 along with 84 Common Scoters, Common Tern, 10 Sandwich Terns, Arctic Tern, 9 Manx Shearwaters and an Atlantic Grey Seal bobbed up and down close in.

The only grounded migrants I had was a single Wheatear on the sea wall further along the coast. It's an office day for me tomorrow, so depending on the weather I may try and have a look on the sea again tomorrow morning.