With the overnight northerlies picking up in strength, I was out shortly after dawn today to do a seawatch from the patch, and was rewarded with some really excellent birds.
Main highlights were 4+ Little Auks, all singles which passed by close inshore, and a Grey Phalarope, which was the first one that I've ever recorded on a seawatch so was a very notable record. A couple of Pom Skuas, 2 Velvet Scoter and a Shoveler were all new patch birds for the year too.
Back-up birds were also very good with a Short-eared Owl in off the sea, Great Skua, Goldeneye and Red-breasted Mergansers, plus lots of Auks, Brent Geese and Kittiwakes, along with a Tufted Duck, Wigeon, Teal, Common Scoter, Mallards, Red-throated Divers and Gannets.
The new birds for the year saw me break the 190 barrier, a very good total indeed as my previous highest patch year list was 182 back in 2008. I'm fast running out of possible species so 200 seems an impossible task but with 2 and a half months to go only time will tell.
