Ringed P's

After a few cracking pints of real last night an early start wasn't on the cards, particularly as I had been up since 0430! It was gone on eight this morning before I got to the Obs and I only had a couple of hours to spare. My aim was to count the waders at high tide, have a brief look on the sea and try and locate the three Ringed Plover chicks that Ian found yesterday before jetting off to Bulgaria!

It was hard work walking along the front in the blustery west-northwesterly wind without any shelter. I found the roosting waders and there were 146 Sanderlings, 27 Ringed Plovers, a Turnstone and six Dunlins.

 Sanderlings

I found the Ringed Plover chicks, or should I say chick, and I spent a great deal of time making sure that there wasn't more than one. There definitely was only one and I duly ringed it. Fingers crossed that it survives!

 Ringed Plover

I retreated to the front of the tower for some shelter and spent half an hour seawatching and had an Auk sp., five Gannets, two Fulmars and a Sandwich Tern. The only vis was two Swallows flying west into the wind.

It's going to be some more seawatching for me in the morning, although it will be wet, as the weather isn't good enough for survey work.