Manxies Are Go

I was up early for a seawatch this morning, though I wasn't too hopeful given that there was no wind at all and the visibility was crystal clear with beautiful blue skies!! But before I had even got to the Spot On Kiosk I was surprised, by this...

Some beach huts have already been put up - which means it must be summer!!!

This one isn't any old beach hut either! It's Mum and Dad's beach hut to be precise, which also doubles up as a very efficient seawatching hide (with tea and coffee making facilities!!!).

As the title suggests my seawatch (06:50 - 08:10) produced some Manxies, which I was kind of expecting, but I wasn't expecting 54 of them! The first flock (11) came through at 07:30, then they passed in flocks of 14, 10, 9 and 10. Another brief seawatch tonight showed plenty more Manxies on the move - some distant east, others close west - so I wonder whether they've been winging it through all day?

Other birds seen during this mornings seawatch included a VERY nice winter plumaged Black-throated Diver which flew west at 07:04 - it's closeness and the excellent light allowed me to have a real good look at it, easily my best ever flight view of this species; a species I am usually hesitant about claiming in flight. A female Red-breasted Merganser west at 08:06 was notable, and five Sandwich Terns, two Kittiwakes, two Mallards, five Common Scoters and a very VERY distant Skua sp. complete the list of sightings.

With the weather like this from dawn....

.... it wasn't a surprise that there were very few migrants about!

I did see one of note though, thanks to a text from Dad; a lovely male Whitethroat on Beer Head - really smart and rather an early one too! I have seen a few hirrundines today with a House Martin over Lower Bruckland Ponds and 15 Swallows and two Sand Martins over Bridge Marsh.

Am going to give the sea another look in the morning, tonight is set to be a rough one so I hope for big things. And as you can see from that cool moon gadget to the right of this text, it is full moon time - which means only one thing - plenty of waders!!