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

Hoylake Bird Observatory (8 Viewers)

Two new species for the year today - unfortunately only one was ID'd. 5 Curlew Sands, 3 juvs seen together, one near wp adult and a more mottled one. I heard of a full summ plum bird too.

The better bird was a stint,2/3size of a Dunlin, quite hunchy, with rather grey appearance. Crown and rear ear covert spot stood out against a rather white face, leaving a prominent super. The mantle stood out as being warmer than the wing coverts (which were grey) there wereno mantlelines and there was a pectoral band. It fed rather deliberately for a stint. Alas I didn't have a big scope with me (I'd lumbered down to the bench on the prom). If the bill had been noticebly heavy, I'd have had no qualms about putting it out as a Semi P, even though I couldn't make out any feather details on my view. There was a guy with a camera the size of the Mersey tunnel, and I asked him to take a photo, since it was clearly an interesting bird. He just muttered and wandered off. I limped back to the house on my crutches, had my partner go and get my big scope and a camera, but I couldn't find it again. It was noticeable that I only saw one Curlew Sand to start with - mind I'd only been through about 40 of the 3000 calidrids when I found the stint. Hope its there tomorrow. It was either an incredibly small billed Semi-P or an incredibly dull adult Little Stint

114 for the year
 
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As with many of the last week or so, this morning saw a large tit movement through the garden. Like other mornings, there were plenty of Phylloscs associated with them, and just a tiny handful of Goldcrests. Today's was special, since the last flock to go through had a Treecreeper in it.New for the garden, and never common on north Wirral

115 for the year and 194 ever
 
Had at least 30 Pylloscs now, mostly Willow warblers, but a good few Chiffs and two Goldcrests. Overhead has been good too, 3 Grey Wags and plenty of pipits. Left it too late to look at the beach (had a proposal to write) There were only about 200 calidrids, but 3 juv Curlew Sands were present. A useless juv Peregrine has scattered everything now! It did a full loop at one point, but failed to get close to anything.
 
Today just keeps on improving. I heard an odd Chiffchaff calling, and while trying to get a view of it (it was a colly on looks) I saw an unstreaked acro hanging about by the stream as well as the two Whitethroats that have been in the back garden all day. I settled down to get a view of it, a process that took nearly half an hour. I decided in end to try pishing. I did get a clear and conclusive view proving it was a Reed Warbler, as ever, then another bird popped out a few feet from my head. Expecting a Robin, I was surprised to see it was a fem/imm Pied Flycatcher.

Tit flocks have been pouring through all day. At about 2.30 on that was mostly composed of Long-tailed tits also had my second ever Nuthatch in it.

Day totals Willow Warbler 40-50, Chiffchaff 6, Whitethroat 5, Blackcap 2, Goldcrest 2, Blue tit 300+ Great Tit 75+ Coal Tit 40, Long-tailed tit 50.

118 for the year

I so wish I could get to Red Rocks!
 
The sea was hot this afternoon. Leach's Petrels [119]passing at a rate of one per 3 mins, with between 5 and 10 visible in a sweep. They are coming through thick and fast still and I got to 53 last time I tallied. There were HUGE numbers of Kittiwakes well off shore, 400+ in view at any one time. It was hard to tell if they were moving though. Similarly I had over 70 Small Skua sightings, 30+ moved west close and many more were associating with and hassling the Kittiwakes. I also got very close views of the Long-tailed Skua that has been hanging about the Dee mouth, as it had a go at a Petrel near the tide edge. 4 Great Skuas also. There were also a lot of Auks moving, 75 Guillemots/Auk spp and 2 Razorbill [120]. Still plenty of terns, with the best being an imm BlackTern [121]. Manxies were moving through too, with about 30 close birds, including a couple of rough-looking ones and 100 or so distant birds out with the Kittiwakes. The Star bird was a Sooty Shearwater [122] that I picked up three times, and only on the last occasion was able to rule out Great. I gather it was also seen off Hilbre.

Looking good for the morning. The Leach's are coming along the promenade here, with the tide a good 1/2 mile out
 
Managed to connect with the Little Shearwater at 3.15pm off the Lifeboat Station at Hoylake!!! It was flying west along the tide line looking distinctly smaller than a Manxie with a much more flapping flight - about half way in size between a Leach's and a Manxie. Very white underneath. Luckily two birders far more experienced than myself also saw it off Dove Point, they got even better views than me and it was they who ID'd it. I'm still stunned.
 
There is a second LT Skua out there - an adult. Saw both birds together, again after Petrels on the tide edge. They flew off inside Hilbre and appeared to land.
 
Jane Turner said:
Sure it wasn't an auk Richard, there were a lot moving through the tide edge, the Little Shear flew straight out to sea
Click to expand...

Definitely not an Auk - shape and flight was totally wrong - and I'm sure it was a small shearwater. Timing was exactly right and I was told it flew west past dove point.
 
Totals so far in intermittent viewing

Leach's Petrel 24, Manx Shearwater 20, Small petrel spp, presumed Storm 1, Arctic Skua 7 Great Skua 1. The tide is starting to rise, the beach is hostile with sand blow just now.

Update - while I am squalled off.

totals now Leach's P 108, Manx Shearwater 168, Great Skua 5, Arctic Skua 28, Pintail 6, teal 4,Guilliemot/Auk spp 265 - all apparent Guilles, Razorbill 6, Storm Petrel 1, Sabines Gull 1 bird 3 times, prob 2 involved, Sooty Shearwater 1, Sandwich Tern 275, Common tern 190, Kittiwake 450, Gannet 40, Fulmar 5 large Shearwater spp 1 RT Diver 1
 
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I've stopped due to burned out retina!

I missed 2 Little Terns off the list above. 63 Leach's Petrels passed infront (or behind) HE2, and there were 45 visible East in my final sweep.
 
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