It's Sooty time

A biggish sea and a WNW breeze, across the bay to The Old Nab at Staithes

A good morning seawatch with 3 Sooties. Picked the first one up way to the east and watched it all the way through, then remembered that there is often a second following .... sure enough a scope view or three to the east there was the second. I've noticed them do this a bit in the past, you don't see a Sooty for hours and then two come along but not flying close together. The third one was jumbled up with a couple of Manx for company. The Manx came through late(ish) - one rather brown looking one, certainly paler in appearance than the ones it was with but same shape and build and it was a Manx.

7 Arctic Skuas, 2 Bonxie, Red-throated Diver, 14 Manx, 1 Shag, 12 Common Scoter and 2 Puffin were in the accompanying cast. Lots of terns late on with at least 50 Arctic, 25 Common and 30 Sandwich. Did some sample counts of Gannets and Kittiwakes and of course I've been underestimating how many are passing.

There was 1 juvenile Arctic Tern, 3 Juvvy Common and a few Sandwich. Quite a few juvvy Kitts today, 20 - 25 at least. An interesting 1st summer went by also. Looking for Sabs amongst Kitts is a strange thing, you think you're in with a chance, you get a likely customer, you know for sure, immediately it isn't one (because they're smaller and more bouyant and do that funny stalling thing like they're on a piece of string) but those distant juvvy Kitts still get some scrutiny.

Common Gulls were moving today as well, must have missed loads because they come by so close, but an autumn trickle into the bay.

Whimbrel present again - may well be the same one.