Skua's in the bag

With a rare Saturday free from coaching duties and a favourable forecast I made a late decision to head over to Strumble Head for my first seawatch of the year, picking up 11 British year ticks. Arriving bright and early, about 4:50am, I was first into the shelter, but it didn't take long before others arrived, including two who had traveled down from Liverpool for the day. As dawn broke the birding began. A couple of minutes into it and I picked up 3 Storm Petrels heading past, unfortuately no one else was able to get onto these, or the next two I picked up about half an hour later. Others were picked through the day though, as usual, I failed to connect with any of these. A bit galling partic' as one was thought for a short while to be minus any white underwing bar.

It was the the turn of the Skua's to put in apearences with strong showings from Bonxies and Arctic's but the single Pom and Long-tailed were enjoyed by all (a second, Adult, Pom was picked up after I left.)

A couple of Balearic Shears looked to be the sum total of the rarer fare until a Sooty was picked up. A Summer plumage Sab's Gull was well watched as it drifted slowly past. Several Sandwich Terns and 2 Little Terns were also nice fillers for the days list.

Away from the birds, up to 4 Sunfish, and up to a dozen Short-beaked Common Dolphins joined the regular Harbour Porpoise and Grey Seals.