Leach's Petrel

Another draughty morning with winds gusting to 72 mph in Aberdaron - a Violent Storm according to the Beaufort Scale.

Destination was again Porth Ysgaden. The SW was force 7-8 veering WSW later, dry and mild with broken cloud and sunshine.

Birds logged between 0715-1215 were:

Common Scoter 7
Red-throated Diver 1
Fulmar 2
Sooty Shearwater 1
Manx Shearwater 43
Leach's Petrel 1
Gannet 100
Shag 13
Arctic Skua 1 pale phase adult
Black-headed Gull 7
Herring Gull 29
Kittiwake 70
Sandwich Tern 320 - excellent count
Arctic Tern 1
Arctic/Common Tern 17
Guillemot 5
Razorbill 25
Guillemot/Razorbill 160 (most of which were probably Razors)
Knot 2
Whimbrel 2
Swallow 10
Wheatear 1

Risso's Dolphins - 2 marbled fins seen close in again, heading NE.

These numbers are all well and good but seawatching brings as many questions as figures. How would the counts change by the addition of other observer(s) to connect with other birds? Why so few skuas today - presumably many rest up on the sea before continuing when the winds are too strong? Where are all the Fulmars from earlier in the week, never mind the Sooty Shearwaters? I love how the mix of species - and totals - change with each session.

Highlights were many - from the tiny Leach's struggling into the wind at first light and still heading SW to the flock of Swallows coming in off the sea and heading south to Africa. The diver was the first of the autumn for me, Rhys had one plus two each of Arctic' and Great Skuas here yesterday.