Evening Seawatch

An evening look at the sea turned into an unexpectedly good 45 minute seawatch till the light was lost. There were around 20 Gannet, 20 Kittiwake, two Sandwich Tern and at least one Common Dolphin feeding actively offshore with a few birds also passing, especially further out where feeding flocks were visible across the horizon.

The millpond like sea conditions enabled a Phalarope, presumably Grey, to be easily picked out as it jagged its way south, also passing at least 11 Balearic Shearwater and a juvenile Arctic Skua, with over 20 distant shearwater and two skua sp. Towards dusk, Kittiwake passage picked up as birds headed to roost in Torbay with c200 south.

White Stork, WeBS

A busy morning with a vocal White Stork south over the estuary at 10:45 the standout bird, even though it is almost certainly a released individual. Passers-by mentioned that it had roosted overnight on the roof of the Passage House hotel. The recent good run of Osprey sightings continued with one catching a fish off Passage House, before disappearing towards Haldon. Less glamorous but also noteworthy was a party of five Jays flying east.

On the estuary itself good numbers and variety of waders - 302 Oystercatchers, 59 Curlews, 27 Turnstones, 23 Dunlins, 19 Ringed Plovers, 16 Greenshanks, four Redshanks, six Common Sandpipers and one Whimbrel. Other totals included 32 Little Egrets, three Sandwich Terns, 42 Mallards, 23 Mute Swans, five Cormorants, five Shags and singles of Teal, Little Grebe and Kingfisher.

White Stork