Sea Watching At Last.

 

Though more sea watching than seawatching, but hey.

Despite a notable lack of decent weather - in seawatching terms - with frontal systems all passing far to the north in the driest Summer since 'a long time ago', I've still given it a go in mostly short bursts at the beginning or end of the day.

The Ore Stone

All lit up by evening Sun and so on...

Manxie

Fairly typical of views [and that's through the scope..]

Let's get to the numbers, shall we? 

[Directions s{/n} unless stated, as usual. Spp caveats as standard.]

2/7, 2.5hr AM

Manx 615/11, shear sp. 1, Gannet 49/3, C Scoter [n] 21, Tufty 1, Mallard 4, Fulmar 2,

Kitti 9 

[also Eider, GND on sea]

3/7, 1hr AM

Manx 8, Gannet 4, Med Gull 3, Fulmar 1

[also 5+ Swift]

22/7, .5hr AM

Gannet 9+ 

[also 12+ dolphin sp.]

23/7, 2hr PM

Manx 214/2, shear sp. 1, Gannet 56, Med Gull 5, Guille 2, Raz 1,  Fulmar 1, Kitti 32, 

BHG 5, Sarnie 5, tern sp. 2, tern sp. 7

[also 9++ Common Dolphin, 1 Swift]

24/7, 5hr PM

Manx 138, Balearic 2, shear sp. 1, Gannet 66, Med Gull 8, Guille 5, Raz 4, Fulmar 4,

Kitti 23, LBB 3, Com Gull 2

[also 8+ Common Dolphin, 1 Swift]

31/7, 1hr PM

Balearic 2, Arctic Skua 1, Gannet 29/7, Med Gull 3, BHG 23

So that's a puny 12 hours of seawatching in July...

And yes, that Arctic Skua on the 31st was my first of the year?!? [Though tbf, I have seen several 'skua sp.' which were probably Arctic but invariably way out and in bad viewing conditions..]

 

Still need Arctic Tern, btw.

Yeeesh.

The weather has been horrific for seawatching, with only very very odd patches of decent frontal weather. Bladdy high pressure... :(

Let's have another picture,

Trouble the Herring Gull

Look at her, all grown up and not letting her gammy wing stop her.

:D

Be Seeing You...

[[ Trouble has been my companion on many a seawatch since she was a juvenile, her right wing having been injured and not properly healed the whole time I've known her. Often sidling right up to me to shelter in the lee of my brolly, and adept at denying the poor Rockits any spare bits of sammitch or japflack going.. ]]