During the morning I did a bit of seawatching off Overstrand where a flock of c500 Common Scoter were feeding offshore which is a very notable tally for this part of the coast. I was hoping they would drag something good in, but all I could manage was a drake Pochard amongst them.
A female Pintail, my first of the year on the patch was noted amongst a small flock of Wigeon, and the other highlight was a Black-throated Diver, probably first seen briefly yesterday, which again was new for the year.
In the afternoon I again went to the pier to count the Shags, seeing 5 Swallows along the seafront on the way. By dusk again large numbers came into roost with a total of 75 being noted, which I believe is a new record high for the county. I suspect there is probably even more than that present but viewing the whole area, including those on the sea, at the same time to get an accurate account is pretty impossible but I was more than happy with the tally counted.
Below is a record shot, taken through a window in the lifeboat station, hence the poor quality, but it shows the main bulk of the roosting flock with a minimum of 66 birds present in the picture.
