Shearwaters

An amazing morning off Ynyslas turn between 6.30 and 8.30. There were at least 20,000 Manx shearwaters rafting and massing in feeding frenzies, sometimes close in shore.. Some 500 gannets were diving so close to each other amongst a mass of shearwaters that I was amazed they missed each other. Sandwich terns added variety with a solitary arctic tern and a few common scoter, kittiwakes and shags. Perseverance finally paid off with a very close in balearic shearwater flying in from the south but I eventually lost it in the teeming mass of manxies. I am off to Cardiff for two days but will be back at the turn early Friday. It will be worth looking to see if more balearics or even a sooty shearwater joins in. There is obviously lots of food out there at the moment.