Skua and Shearwater boat trip

Yesterday myself and Dave Evans went to Bridlington and had a very decent morning out at sea. We saw Purple Sandpipers in the harbour before setting off and I photopgraphed a very tame Turnstone on the harbour wall. On the boat we had close encounters with Red-throated Diver, Common Scoter, Eider, Arctic Skua, Great Skua, Common Guillemot, Puffin, Razorbill, Manx Shearwater, Sooty Shearwater, Kittiwake, Arctic Tern, Gannet and Fulmar. The pictures came out a lot better than I expected in difficult rocky conditions on the boat.

American Vagrants

Went to the northeast yesterday and myself and Dave managed to see the Baird's Sandpiper at smelly Seaton Snook which was a miracle with all the dog walkers about. The waders were buzzed by two Peregrines and a Lapwing had to throw itself into the sea to avoid becoming lunch! Highly entertaining.
We also had a quick visit to Saltholme RSPB to see the Pectoral Sandpiper. Nice numbers of waders including Snipe, Black-tailed Godwit, Greenshank and a female Garganey.


                                                             BAIRD'S SANDPIPER

PECTORAL SANDPIPER

GREENSHANK

PEREGRINE

American Golden Plover

A short camping trip to Norfolk at the beginning of the week proved quiet on the rare migrant front so I returned home after 3 nights in my tent. The highlights were a probable Barred warbler but again only seen flitting from bush to bush,  Little Stint, Artic Skua, Whimbrel, Curlew Sandpiper and Spoonbill.
Yesterday I went to Cockersand and saw the American Golden Plover. Good scope views in windy conditions.

Picture in Birdwatch Magazine

In September's Birdwatch magazine is my picture of the stunning male Montagu's Harrier me and Dave watched on Champion Moor in July. They commented on what a great garden tick it was for the presumably oblivious farmhouse owners.

American Black Tern

It was great to see the juvenile American Black Tern had relocated today at Pennington Flash after disappearing from Eccleston Mere this morning. Also present was a European Black Tern and the two went fishing together and then sat on adjacent bouys allowing a nice comparison! Less black on head looking like it has headphones, grey flanks and darker underwing than the European Black tern.

Sooty and Manx Shearwater

At Flamborough Head yesterday for a morning's seawatching. Plenty of Sooty and Manx Shearwaters to see, some in quite close. Whilst we were there a Great Shearwater was seen but sadly neither me or Dave could lock onto it