Thursday 21st November 2013

A fantastic November seawatch produced no fewer than 12 Duck species and saw the Eider record smashed!
On the move (north unless stated) were 22 Red-throated Diver + 14 south, 1 Black-throated Diver, 1 Great Northern Diver + 2 south, 7 Fulmar, 1 Leach's Petrel, 1 Manx Shearwater, 177 Gannet + 36 south, 4 Cormorant south, 3 Shelduck, 9 Mallard + 11 south, 13 Teal + 2 south, 24 Wigeon + 2 south, 1 Scaup, 1 Tufted Duck, 307 Eider, 403 Common Scoter + 78 south, 1 Long-tailed Duck south, 7 Goldeneye + 5 south, 3 Goosander south, 3 Red-breasted Merganser + 2 south, 2 Dunlin, 1 Snipe south, 3 Great Skua + 1 south, 449 Kittiwake, 1 2nd winter Glaucous Gull, 199 Auk sp + 17 south and 1 Starling in off and west.
Also in the Long Nab area were 1 Skylark, 1 Blackcap and 18 Starling.
Seen elsewhere were 114 Wigeon, 1 Shoveler, 1 Eider, 1 Merlin and 29 Redshank at Scalby Mills, a Bar-tailed Godwit in Jackson's Bay, 31 Purple Sandpiper in the Harbour, 200 Lapwing at Wykeham South Lake and 85+ Brambling at Cockmoor Hall.

Eider on the move - Michael McNaghten