Little Tern, Stormies

Wet and windy today. Moderate SW wind and heavy rain first thing. Drier but still blustery later. A Little Tern with 1 Sandwich Tern on Cockle Sands around 9am this morning. Earlier - a sea-watch from the raised beach huts (0520 - 0720) produced 4+ Sandwich Terns, 4 Fulmars, 12 Common Scoters (including a flock of 10), 8 Great Northern Divers (south), 14+ Manx Shearwaters, 2 first-summer Mediterranean Gulls and 8 auk sp. Disappointed with the lack of stormies I was able to try again this afternoon (1430 - 1615) - 5 Great Northern Divers (on sea), 2 Fulmars, 2+ European Storm Petrels, 2+ Sandwich Terns, 2 'commic' terns (probably Arctics), c25 Kittiwakes, 2 or possibly 3 Arctic Skuas and c10+ Manx Shearwaters.

Balearic Shearwater

At least 1 Balearic Shearwater off the seafront this evening. A single bird flew west into the bay and then flew back east a little while later. What could easily have been a second bird flew west across the bay, further out, about 10 minutes later. I also counted up to 15 Manx Shearwaters, 11 Kittiwakes and 6+ Gannets in the short time I was looking.

Ham Wall/Shapwick Heath

Barn Owl. A real novelty to watch at least two birds day-hunting. Hungry mouths to feed...

Time spent wandering around the Somerset Levels with Derek today. Always a wonderful place to be. Species totals included Great Reed Warbler (singing for prolonged spells close to Noah's Hide but never in view), 10+ Cattle Egrets, 2+ Cuckoos, 2+ Barn Owls, 1+ Bittern (booming), 6+ Marsh Harriers, 7 singing Garden Warblers, c25 Swifts, 11+ Great Egrets, 5+ Lapwings, c50 Gadwall, 13+ Black-tailed Godwits, 4 Pochard, 5 Tufted Ducks, 2 Little Grebes, 6+ Hobbies, c20 Sand Martins, 6+ Greylag Geese, 2 Egyptian Geese, 3 Shoveler, 2 Buzzards, 1 Grey Heron, 1 Jay, 2 Red Kites, 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, c70 Mute Swans, 1 Raven and 2+ Kingfishers. Two Common Cranes were seen on the way home.

Lesser Emperor - Shapwick Heath. Many thanks to Kev for help with this one.

Marsh Harrier.

Four-spotted Chaser. Masses of these took to the air as the morning warmed up.

Drake Pochard.

Greylag Goose, Gadwall, Black-headed Gull and Pochard.

Great Egret causing some consternation amongst the breeding Lapwings.

Variable Damselfly.

Marsh Harrier.

Grass Snake.

Common Cranes.