Seven Whistles

It has been three days since I have been out birding proper, and I say birding proper as I have been out in the field these past few days carrying out pond surveys. Even though my work has been surveying for Great Crested Newts I have been recording plenty of birds whilst scrambling around ponds setting bottle traps!

This morning I went to the Obs and spent four hours birding in a cold northeasterly wind with some hazy sunshine and at times murky conditions out at sea. The 'vis' this morning was quite slow probably as a result of a 'blocking' low pressure system to the south of us. Nevertheless there were a few birds on the move including 64 Swallows, eight Linnets, four Siskins, ten Alba Wags, 17 Goldfinches, seven Lesser Redpolls, a Tree Pipit, a Sand Martin, a House Martin, five Meadow Pipits, seven Pink-footed Geese, twelve Whimbrel (the seven whistler) and three Carrion Crows.

 Whimbrels

Waders are building up nicely and this morning on the shore were 77 Turnstones and 760 Dunlins. Grounded migrants were just six Wheatears and two White Wagtails.

 Dunlins

The main movement at sea consisted of 95 Arctic Terns with a supporting cast of three Red-breasted Mergansers, seven Gannets, 32 Common Scoters, five Sandwich Terns, a Shelduck, a Red-throated Diver, a Guillemot, three Eiders and two Little Gulls. In addition to this there was an Atlantic Grey Seal bobbing around in the surf just off shore.

 Gannet

 Atlantic Grey Seal

It's more Newts for my sins this week and it's unlikely that I'll be out birding 'proper' until Friday; eek!