Celtic Deep pelagic

A really enjoyable pelagic trip on the Helen Clare out into the Celtic Deep today, my 5th and final pelagic of 2024.  Highlight was 4 Great Shearwaters, which whizzed by our chumming spot 1 by 1 (the 1st even had the the cheek to choose the same moment to pass the boat as my one and only visit to the on-board loo!).  Several sightings of single European Storm Petrels but none lingered long in the slick. 

As the waters were calm and the slick quiet we had time to return via The Smalls and Grassholm, which was a great move. Highlight was an Osprey sitting on the top of the lighthouse, and then we had a second bird WSW of Skokholm!  Just east of The Smalls we had 2 adult Roseate Terns and then good views of a dark phase adult Arctic Skua.  Lots of Common Dolphins around including a number of females with small calves (all will be logged with WWBIC in due course), a Chiffchaff joined us for a while (perching on shoes!) and some of us managed to pick out a Purple Sandpiper on Grassholm.

Chiffchaff, on a tyre...(Chiffchaff on a shoe photos also available)

Spot the Osprey

Not what we were expecting on the most remote lighthouse in the UK

Juvenile Common Tern

Dark phase Arctic Skua