30th April, 2017 Beachy Head Overcast cold ESE 6 with rain later

 A cold breezy end to April. With a ESE wind we again decided to sea-watch from 06.00-12.15 and were joined by RKH, RE, RHC, RAB, CB, AM, and LP. An excellent watch with the highlight being 53 Pom Skuas. As far as I am aware, no one attempted to bird the area.

Red-throated Diver 6 E
Black-throated Diver 2 s/p E
Great-crested Grebe 1 on sea
Gannet 160 E
Little Egret 2
Brent Geese 33 E
Bar-headed Geese 2 E
Shelduck 26 E
Pintail 4 E
Shoveler 2 E
Eider 1 female E
Common Scoter 931 E
Velvet Scoter 15 E
Grey Plover 31 E
Knot 55 E
Sanderling 2 on the beach
Bar-tailed Godwit 60 E
Whimbrel 14 E
Turnstone 3 E
Pomarine Skua 53 E
Arctic Skua 18 E
Bonxie 7 E
Little Gull 3 E
Black-headed Gull 22 E
Kittiwake c50 E
Sandwich Tern 85 E
Comic Tern 50 E
Little Tern 10 E
Guillemot 1 E
Swift 1 in off the sea
Swallow 6 in off the sea

Gannets-our best day so far this year

 

Some of my poor attempts to photograph Poms.

Seven Bonxie's seen today

Good numbers of Common Scoters also moving

with 15 Velvet Scoters with some in the  above parties.

Small numbers of Brent Geese were also moving.

 

Two Bar-headed Geese migrating back to the

Himalayas via West Rise Marsh