Seawatching slip ups

After a quiet few days (did manage one more very uneventful Barton session since the last entry) this morning saw me down at Milford Shelter with a few others with strong southwesterlies having been forecast. After a couple of hours of mostly quiet seawatching in less-strong-than-hoped-for winds, having seen little more than a Kittiwake and 5 Shags decided my time would be better spent sorting out some pre-Kenya essentials.

I had barely got to the bank however when I got a message informing me of a Sooty Shearwater that had been seen landing on the see off Milford. So I drove straight back down there of course. Needless to say it wasn't seen again. Spent another couple of hours there though, and was rewarded with 2 Arctic Skuas, 1 Bonxie, 2 Red-throated Divers, heaps of very close Gannets, a Guillemot and several Common Scoters, so I was more than satisfied when the lure of lunch proved too great.

It's probably best not to repeat what I said when I discovered that less than an hour after I'd left for the second time I'd missed close fly-pasts by a Long-tailed Skua and a Balearic Shearwater, as well as Manxies and much more. So that's two year ticks I've managed to miss today, and with only myself to blame I suppose.

The afternoon was spent buying some currency and an International Driving Permit, so I'm now pretty much ready to roll with departure due in just 17 days' time. It will be very nice to get back to Africa.

Anyone who wants to pay me to go there 3 or 4 times a year shouldn't feel shy about asking. I really won't mind  

9:29 PM - Tuesday, October 6, 2009 - post comment

Barton sub

08/10/2009 - With our upcoming Kenya trip so close SK is out earning because at some point they are going to demand some readies. I'm an utter novice when it comes to vis-mig but I had a bash around Steve's patch this morning - See CHOG for more realistic numbers. Tawny Owl calling as I arrived, Carrion Crow helped me locate it sat against a trunk in someone's garden. 1 Wheatear, 9 Stonechat, 186 Mipits E & 61 W, 70 Alba Wags E & 26 grounded, 165 Goldfinch mostly E but some circling, 1 Woodlark, 14 Skylark, 19 Chiffchaff, 1 Dartford Warbler, 3 Goldcrest, 1 Firecrest, 2 Bullfinch, 180+ Greenfinch, 4 Reed Bunting E & 38 Canada Geese N. SK probably saw and heard more at work but I had a very enjoyable couple of hours on his patch - SP.

Steve P. - 10:50 AM - Thursday, October 8, 2009

---

supersub

Tawny Owl?!? One go at it and you've got something on MY patch that isn't on MY patch list! If you think I'm showing you Mackinder's Eagle-Owl if I see it first then think again Piggott!!
Seriously though, glad you got the Woodlark, presumably times tie in with me having had it at 0820. There wasn't much going on it the bit of Barton I was working in, but I can add Siskin (11) to that lot.

SteveKeen - 8:19 PM - Thursday, October 8, 2009

---