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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Hoylake Bird Observatory (3 Viewers)

I went to Marsden (just south of the Tyne) on saturday to see the Black redstart and noticed at least half a dozen Fulmars including one that seemed to have picked out a prime "nest" site is this unusual or are they just more common on the east coast?
 
There's a large breeding colony of Fulmars here in St Andrews and recently there have been several hundred about, usually sitting on the sea just offshore but sometimes prospecting the cliffs. As the winter goes on I expect them to be around more and more and to go up on to the cliffs more regularly until they start breeding in April. In fact the only time of the year when they are hardly ever about is between about late September and early November, after which time they start trickling back periodically. In recent winters particularly, there have been at least some birds around almost throughout the winter.
 
Denis,

They can apparently be seen on the ledges at St Bees, Cumbria in December (per Cumbria Atlas) so it doesn't seem to be an east coast thing.

Needs to be seen in context - numbers passing Lancashire seawatch sites have been dropping like a stone in recent years. This has happened with other species too, particularly Guillemot.

Stephen.
 
There are over 1000 Bar-tailed Godwits out there and indecent numbers of gulls.

Took a few half-hearted pix in atrocious light and managed to have a brief moment of excitment...see anything that catches your eye?
 

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I'm tempted to say you have about half a dozen smithsonianus Herring Gulls - but maybe that's just the light. ;)

Maybe a Glaucous Gull out there too? About the middle in the top row, preening.
 
Glauc would be a house tick....which precipitated a panic and its not there in life... I'd spot the wingtips for sure...Have just started a quiz on the subject
 
The house year list is now 61. Snow Bunting, Fulmar, Gannet and Bonxie added in the last couple of days.

I have a new scope, so the pics are going to be a bit brighter now.
 

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This was an experiment. Taken in bad light! That is HE2, and its just about exactly 2 nautical miles away. It the limit that I feel comfortable identifying rarer seabirds!

All I need now is for a Frigatebird to land on it :)
 

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Jane

I think you will find that the Frigatebird is just behind, flying right to left - I was in the shelter (getting cold as usual)when you took this photo and the bird was clearly visible from there!
 
Been a lovely day today. There was a nice wader roost that was scattered by two Peregrines, the usual male and a new immature female. There are a few meadow Pipits moving overhead and some Goldcrests in the front garden, the first spring passage of the year.

Been taking pics with the new scope!
 

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Nice light again today - so here is a small section of the wader flock...

They were so close to the garden today I needed to go in for some digi-binning!
 

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I've not read up properly yet... but I think I've just seen something unusual.

The local Peregrine - I think the local ad male nailed what looked like a Grey plover on the beach this afternoon. I missed the kill, but its a long winged bird with a stong wing bar! Its miles away.. hence the slightly iffy pics.

It ate the plover for 40 minutes... flew about 50ft and had a sleep in some spartina... then went back and ate the carcass of an already dead Black-heded Gull that washed up on the beach today. Hope its not carrying botulinus!
 

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