The Lincolnshire Bird Club

Gib Point - 14th September

Arrived this morning to find road blocked and access to possible greenish warbler barred (no pun intended) by LWT staff and police! For a minute I thought my van was going to be check for photographic equipment (joke!) - BUT it seems that it was the official opening of the offshore windfarm - AND I was NOT on the guest list.... (Why not Kev??)

However, don't panic, the beach car park was open......

Seawatch 0815 - 0915

Gannet c300+
Common Scoter 33S 146N
Wigeon 26N
Sandwih Tern 22
'Common' Eider 2male 1 female
Red-thoated Diver 1N
Whimbrel 4S
Guillemot 1S
Diver sp 2N
Arctic Skua 2 N
Teal 12N
Red-breasted Merg 1 N (Male)
Sparrowhawk 1 female off the sea and up the beach!
Shearwater spp (all manxs??) – several (c20) too far to ID, flying north

Then I went a spent a lot of time looking at blue tits and great tits in the plantation, not a sniff of a yellow-browed, greenish or red-breasted fly...did see 2 more sparrowhawks....

Second Sea watch
1315- 1415
Arctic Skua 3
Bonxie 1
Skua sp – at least 10 – all very distant
Common Scoter 30N
Wigeon 8S
Red-throated Diver 1S
Manx Shearwater 2N (both very close in shore, very good views)

When I left the road block was stil in place....

Andrew

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Andrew Chick
Website: http://www.forktail.co.uk/

Andy

Slightly later, John Shaughnessy saw two Poms and a juv long-tail. I went out from 1700-1745 and there was very little happening offshore although the winds still seemed ideal. Also, given that most of the good seabirds have been passing north past Gib over the last couple of days, the only two skuas I saw in that period (2 juv arctic) were shearing south - so maybe there will be more birds to reorientate back north out of the deeper Wash, or maybe they will follow the river channells inland.

I recall coming across a series of records of high-flying arctics and poms moving inland via one of the river havens (the Nene I think) some years ago when I was helping LBC prepare annual reports. All very fascinating.

Cheers

Kev