16th & 17th July, 2011. Pendeen, Cornwall

We decided to have a week-end sea-watching from Pendeen with the unsettled weather coming in off the Atlantic, so we travelled down Friday afternoon and went self-catering in Pendeen. We spent all day sea-watching on the 16th, and on the 17th we sea-watched until 3.30pm when we then returned home. On both days all the sea-birds were moving South.

16th July, 2011:

Good numbers of Fulmars moving, but no count made.

Manx Shearwater 3,500

Balearic Shearwater 1 showed very well from c200 yards range, and was in intermediate plumage.

Sooty Shearwater 3

Storm Petrel 7-8

Gannet Very large numbers moving some extremely close but no count made.

Shag 40 present on the rocks etc off Pendeen.

Guillemots & Razorbills in small numbers

17th July, 2011:

Again good numbers of Gannets and Fulmars, but no counts made.

Manx Shearwater - Huge numbers moving from dawn until we left at 3.30 pm. Counts made on several occasions during the day were around 100 per minute and at one stage almost 40 per second. An estimate for our watch was around 25,000 although it could well have been considerably higher. Many of the Shearwaters were moving from between 150-250 yards range. An incredible movement.

Cory's Shearwater 1 Excellent views, the bird was sighted way to the North and we watched it as it past us at around 300 yards distance. The under-wing was very well seen with the black on the under-wing was extensive on the primaries and a broad black trailing edge. Also large black band on the yellow bill.

Sooty Shearwater 4

Storm Petrel 21

Shag 40 again present.

Bonxie 2

Puffin 4

Approx. 100 Guillemots & 25 Razorbills.