All At Sea

I knew high tide wasn't until 10.30 a.m. today but I still decided to have a look at the sea off the obs. As I got there just after first light I realised that I wouldn't see too many waders as it was unlikely that I would still be watching the sea at high tide. It was cooler than recent days and during the two and a half hours I was there I had a more or less constant very light drizzle.

Although I didn't see many waders I did have four Curlews, 79 Oystercatchers, my first returning Grey Plovers numbering twenty and heading west, 22 Turnstones and a Redshank.

As I walked west along the front a Ringed Plover alarm called from the shingle beach and then it was on the promenade doing a distraction display to lead me away from its nest or young. On the golf course I also had my first Golden Plover for the autumn as a single bird fed on the fairways.

Ringed Plover doing it's distraction display

There was a little vis this morning in the form of an Alba Wag west and two Swifts west. In fact there were a number of Swifts at sea and I had a further 35 flying east into the bay.

The sea itself produced 36 Manx Shearwaters, seven Gannets, four Sandwich Terns, 26 Common Scoters and an Atlantic Grey Seal.

We're having another ringing session at the Swallow roost this evening, so I'll let you know how we got on tomorrow.