Roseate Terns and SEO

Short-eared Owl - Orcombe Point

 

I was on Orcombe for 6am and back home for about 7am. It was really overcast this morning and it felt 'birdy'. I was on my way back, walking along the cliff-top footpath, when I bumped in to a Short-eared Owl hunting the un-grazed fields. A good record for Orcombe and a joy to watch as always. I could have watched it for ages but I had to get back for work. Otherwise the highlight was a high flock of 17 Whimbrel that circled high overhead before tumbling out of the sky and presumably landing on the beach below. A single Wheatear was by the Geoneedle and a solitary Willow Warbler was feeding in the Blackthorn scrub. 

Having been wet and windy overnight I couldn't resist a quick five minute look off Maer Rocks on the way home. The rocks themselves held just one Turnstone but offshore, diving around buoy number 1, were 2 Common Tern and my first 2 Roseate Tern of the spring. A Great Northern Diver flew past further out. It was really frustrating to have to leave as there had clearly been an arrival of birds.

I popped down to Maer Rocks late this afternoon, hoping for Terns, but the light was bad and I only managed c10+ Sandwich Terns. On Maer Rocks there were 5 Dunlin and 6 more Whimbrel flew 'in-off'.

My first Swift of the Spring went over the house this afternoon and last night I scoped the flock of 100+  Pale-bellied Brent Geese that Kev had from the Warren.