Sunday 19 January 2020

Wiseman's Bridge

Very bright light made viewing difficult at times this morning but there was plenty of activity offshore. 4 Great Crested Grebe, a pair of Red-breasted Merganser (6 yesterday including 3 males displaying), 2 Shag and a Guillemot were fairly close in. Further out 7 Red-throated Diver. As always most scoter groups were distant, but 100+ Common Scoter were visible and many more in the haze well out in the bay. A group of Velvet Scoter was nice surprise in a just about 'scopable group of scoter. A bit too distant for an accurate count I got to 8 when two more flocks of Velvet Scoters (totalling 22) flew over the group I was watching and circled the bay several times, they eventually flew out further to the east and were lost in the haze. So at least 30 were out in the bay this morning and there could've easily been more in the group I was originally watching!
2 Turnstone and 12 Oystercatcher were on the beach.