The Lincolnshire Bird Club

A late start, bad visibility, sandstorms, hailstorms and rainstorms but still managed to see;

Sooty Shearwater - 5N
Manx Shearwater - 1N
Kittiwake - large numbers
Gannet - large numbers
Common Tern - good southward passage
Sandwich Tern - plenty
Arctic Tern - 1S close in
Arctic Skua - sev
C. Scoter - sev
RT Diver - 1S

Cheers

Steve (with JA)

I seawatched from 07:00 - 12:00 at Chapel Point and am posting here to compare seawatches.

Bonxie - 17 - non at Mablethorpe
Sooty Shearwater - 1 - 5 at Mablethorpe
Kittiwake - c30 only - loads at Mablethorpe
Arctic Skua - 8 same as Mablethorpe
Arctic Tern - 20+ only 1 at Mablethorpe
Common Tern - 11 only before 09:00 many at Mablethorpe
RT Diver - 9 only 1 at Mablethorpe
Sandwich Tern - c15 good passage at Mablethorpe
Gannets - big passage - as Mablethorpe

I expected much more passage but most interesting to see differences between seawatch points.

In company with Colin & Sheila Jennings from 10:00

Hi Ed, seawatching is often startlingly different at varying coastal locations as you'll know. Today, the differences may be partially explained by the timings - our seawatch took place from about 1030- 1415, and all our shearwater sightings came in the last hour. (Jim stayed longer than me and may have seen many more after I left).
The real frustrations always arise when someone up the coast gets a rarity and you don't, which has happened countless times to all of us seawatchers I'm sure!

Hi Steve/Ed
I was at Gib from 0630 till 1000 and again Skeg Seafront from 1615 till 1845 and had the following
Gib
Gannet Lots all over. North and South
R T Diver 5N 14S
Kittiwake 6N
Bonxie 9S 5N
Arctic Skua 19S 2N
Arctic Tern 14N
Common Tern 6N
Commic Tern 6N
Sarnie Tern 30N
Pinkfeet 60S
Auk sp 14N 1S
Pintail 2S
Teal 15N 9S
Wigeon 4N

Skeg Front
Gannet. 46N and 9S. Not as busy as earlier
Common Scoter 47 (42 on sea and 5N)
Arctic Skua 2S
Bonxie 5N
Kittiwake 35N
Little Gull 7N
Sooty Shearwater 1N
Arctic Tern 5N
Common Tern 1S
Commic Tern 11S
Leach's Petrel 1N at 1645
Balearic Shearwater 1N at 1835

Be interesting to keep comparing seawatches at different locations. Any chance of you getting up earlier Steve??

Regards

Nige

Would I get such excellent results looking out to sea from Skegness seafront?

Hi Katherine.

Seawatching is a form of birdwatching which can become very addictive. People either love it or hate it. I would suggest you go with someone who knows what they are doing to a location such as Huttoft Car Terrace (where you can watch from your car in relative comfort!) or even Flamborough Head. Off the Lincs coast many birds are distant and require many hours of practise to identify them correctly. Some birds seen are impossible to ID and it can be a daunting prospect if on your own. Good seawatches are often in cold, wet and windy conditions too but you should give it a try!! One good bird seabird can make your day!

Regards

Nige

The problem is, is that I haven't got my own car and am therefore dependent on my dad's driving or public transport to get around...... would there be any possibility of gaining seawatching tuition from yourself or another keen seawatcher? I'd naturally need pickup from Skegness railway station......

There is no hope of my ever learning to drive through disability.....

Nige,

I'd prefer it if the birds got up later.

I'll re-adjust my alarm clock!