Sunday 17th August, 2014

Mostly cloud cover during the day, with winds from the WSW force 5 and temperatures 13-16c.

There were two seawatches from the headland today, with an early morning session and again during the early evening. Highlights from these included 207 Fulmar north, four Manx Shearwater, 13 Common Scoter north, 14 Redshank south, one Arctic Skua south, two Great Skua, two juvenile Caspian Gulls flying north, 10 Sandwich Tern south and 99 north, 14 Common Tern north and four Arctic Tern north. Birds present off the headland included 16 “sinensis” Cormorants.

Early in the morning an adult Yellow-legged Gull was located on the Golf Course again, with one Ruff and five Dunlin at South Landing and one Knot, four Dunlin and one Curlew at Old Fall Flash. On the outer headland there were also 65 Greylag Goose, six Lesser Black-backed Gull and a very large group of at least 775 Great Back-backed Gulls.

It was considered that there were up to four juvenile/1st-winter Caspian Gulls present on the outer headland.

juv Caspian Gull by Martin Garner
juv Caspian Gull by Martin Garner
"sinensis" Cormorant by Andy Hood
“sinensis” Cormorant by Andy Hood