After finding no Purple Sandpipers on the wall or by the wooden jetty I arrived at Castle Point at 8:15 this morning. Incredibly, the first bird I saw on the sea was a Black Guillemot. After about ten seconds the bird, a summer adult, got up, flew around and then set off in the direction of Ireland. Almost missed it!
I then settled down for a very enjoyable seawatch. Common Scoters were passing in good numbers in both directions: around 180 in total, with another 12 on the sea, I was pleased to see 52 Manx Shearwaters, 12 Gannets and nine Kittiwakes, as they have all been scarce here so far this spring.
Also moving through were three Whimbrel, two Sandwich Terns, two summer-plumaged Red-throated Divers and two Med Gulls.