Work has been getting in the way this week, hence why I've not done a post since Tuesday. Don't worry it's not because I'm becoming lazy, or because I've been changing nappies (one week to go!).
I'll start this post with today, and today has been a Swift day. Even whilst at work it's been great watching flock of Swifts flying east over Seaton, proper real migration in action and I absolutely love it. These weren't my first Swifts of the year though as I had three over Axe Cliff yesterday morning, and a couple more over Seaton later in the day.
With the wind nudging a little more southerly, and with a few Pom Skuas being seen off the south coast today, I went down the beach tonight and had a sea watch 18:45 - 19:50 and noted;
1 Great Northern Diver (west)
47 Manx Shearwater
1 Arctic Skua (a gorgeous and delicate pale-phased adult close east at 18:55)
12 Whimbrel
12 Ringed Plover (in off)
There were also numerous flocks of Swallows and House Martins arriving in off, along with several more Swifts.
A quick whizz along the Estuary showed two Bar-tailed Godwits (all five were still with us up until yesterday), plenty of Whimbrel and a first-summer Grey Plover. This week there have been more small gulls about, on Wednesday evening I counted 37 Common Gulls (two adults the rest first-summers).
The most frustrated I've felt this week was Wednesday morning. I had work at 9am, got up early, walked the dog, but before returning home spent a few minutes looking over the sea. In that time a tight flock of seven Sanderling flew east along the beach, three Whimbrel flew west, eight Sandwich Terns flew into the bay and began fishing and a Wheatear and a flock of Swallows flew in off. Oh how I wish I had arrived here earlier, or had more time to stay. There was clearly lots of passage going on.
And to finish the post, and to ensure it's not a photo-less one, I was pleased to see three Hare at Axe Cliff on Thursday, a leveret and these two adults...
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