more skuas

Squally showers produced just 5 bonxies and 2 arctic skuas this morning, along with 1 storm petrel, 2 tysties and 2 sandwich terns, all heading west.

bit disappointing

Unfortunately the weather didn't quite live up to the forecast and it was quiet off Galley this morning, with just a few bonxies, 2 arctic skuas, several storm petrels and 10 common scoter (98).

the seawatching starts here....

Things picked up on the seawtching front this evening, with 1 pomarine skua, 1 bonxie, 1 sooty shearwater, 4 arctic skuas and 2 common terns past Galley.  The latter 2 were both patch year ticks (97).  Elsewhere, 1 stock dove flew over Long Strand this afternoon (especially for our japanese reader!), and the reed warbler was still singing at Kilkeran Lake.

wee seawatch

A wee seawatch this evening produced 1 arctic skua, 1 bonxie, 15 storm petrels and 5 puffins.  There was no sign of the reed warbler at Kilkeran Lake this afternoon, though conditions weren't great.

still no cigar

Finally caught up with the singing reed warbler at Kilkeran Lake this evening, but it wasn't singing loud enough to be heard from the patch.  Basking sharks are still being seen in good numbers, with up to 17 seen between Mill Cove and Long Strand on Tuesday.

close but no cigar

A reed warbler singing just outside the patch this evening could be a test of my honesty should the autumn not produce one (not that I've heard this one yet!). Another basking shark was off Long Strand this evening.

bank holiday baskers

Three basking sharks were loafing about off Galley this evening, with good numbers of manx shearwaters around. Not much else doing in flat calm conditions but 1 storm petrel was new for the year (95), and a puffin flew west too.