Anna, Lucy and I had a run out towards the Smalls today, taking advantage of the wonderful sea state and non-existent winds.
We never quite got there, as we detoured between different groups of birds and cetaceans: the sea seemed very full today, with a good algal bloom probably contributing to good feeding conditions for fish, birds and mammals.
The unexpected highlight was the number and frequency of terns: many more than I have seen on any other day in Pembs. The total was a comfortable 20+, mostly Commics, but also 2-3 Sandwich. The best was a group of 13 seen around 3 miles beyond Grassholm, which was harried by a Bonxie and responded by forming a tight group and circling higher and higher. The Bonxie went on to beat up every Gannet and gull it could find.
The other highlight was astonishing numbers of Guillemots, in rafts of up to 100, and mainly paired adults in winter plumage and fledglings. When we switched the engine off (which we did frequently), we could hear a fantastic sea chorus of piping young and growling parents. We started counting a couple of adjacent rafts and gave up at 500 birds: the total for the day, mainly between Skomer and about 5 miles beyond Grassholm, was at least 10,000 birds, and most likely many more.
Other birds included very good numbers of Razorbills mixed in with the Guillemot flocks, mainly fledglings, and a mix of adult and juvenile Kittiwakes. Manx Shearwaters came increasingly close to Skomer as the evening came closer. A single distant Stormie, and two small dark waders, probably Dunlin.
At least 6 pods of Common Dolphin, the largest probably 20+, mainly adults, and most of the others 6-10. And two adult Minke Whales, the first only c.3 miles off Skomer, the second around a mile North of Grassholm, feeding actively in a relatively tight area and surfacing and diving frequently.
