Sea Watching Spectacular

After a seemingly long spell of cold strong winds from the north there was at last a few days of warmer easterlies of which migrating Dark-bellied Brent Goose and Common Scoter took advantage. Large flocks of Brent Goose sometimes totalling 600+ birds heading east, kept close to the coast with a small number even flying over the shingle beach. The patterns of the flocks as they flew low over the sea were constantly changing with wonderful V's and U's forming and altering in shape. We cold hear the Brents calling as they went by, just a wonderful spectacle.

The Scoter movement tended to occur much further out and sometimes we were picking out flocks in the hazy murk waiting for them to cut in a little more to the point, only occasionally would a flock come past closer although never as close as the Brents.

With over 9,000 Dark-bellied Brents and one Pale-bellied Brent and just over 2,000 Scoter on the 19th and over 7,000 Dark-bellied Brents and just over 3,000 Scoter all migrating east on the 20th it has been a great couple of days down at the Point.

Dark-bellied Brent Goose beyond the Bouy

Red-breasted Merganser

Dark-bellied Brent Goose inside the Bouy.

Dark-bellied Brent Goose

Dark-bellied Brent Goose

Garganey

Dark-bellied Brent Goose high in the distance and heading our way

Pale-bellied Brent Goose (back row, 9th bird in from the right)

On the RSPB Reserve a flock of Dunlin and four Redshank which I think were migrants based on their behaviour of sticking together when feeding were at the Hayfields.

Dunlin on Hayfield 1

Redshank on Hayfield 1