Got down to the Tobacco Dump this morning for 10am, but Bazzo had already been in position for an hour by then (some folk are suckers for punishment).
A very gentle SWly and pin-sharp visibility made for a pleasant enough seawatch, with surprisingly large numbers of Common Scoters for this time of year (almost all males), many terns frustratingly out of range on the horizon, and a near constant commute of Kittiwakes halfway out.
Red Throated Diver 1
Great Crested Grebe 2
Gannet 84
Common Scoter 250
Arctic Skua 2
Sandwich Tern 30+
Common Tern 50+
Kittiwake 45
Guillemot 8
One dark phase and one pale Arctic Skua made a few half hearted runs at the terns - always worth the vigil to watch these babies up to their "bad boy" shenanigans, and at least 12 Grey Seals in the shallows were joined by two Harbour Porpoise.
Winds look all wrong for seawatching tomorrow, but that's the way it goes.
Eyes to the skies everyone, eyes to the skies...
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Those are the first June Porpoises south of the Ribble since I started recording in Jan 06 - well done. What time did you first notice them? Was on the prom at lunchtime but didn't get any of your Kittiwakes!
Cheers
Dave
Bazzo had one just after 9.30am and the second animal (or same one later on) was at 11.45am. Will check with other rangers, but I think June scarcity is just a question of under recording - they are pretty regular off Sefton coast now.
Re the Kittiwakes - Bazzo and I figured they were birds from the Liverpool docks colony (if it is still going), so I don't think they'd forage much past Formby or Freshfield.