Friday 16 July 2021

Shearwater spectacular.

Paul Bennett and I also visited Borth this morning, so at the risk of repeating Dave's report below,here goes.  

Frustratingly misty at our first stop near the RNLI, but even so there were thousands of Manx Shearwaters off  Upper Borth and many more  to the north.  We estimated 10,000  as an absolute minimum but through the scopes we could just about make another couple of large rafts further out in the murk.  

We continued up the coast for a watch from near the golf clubhouse.  Still large rafts in both directions and thousands flying past, the majority close in.  I did a sample five minute count and got 1700 south in five minutes.  Gannets were increasing and I counted 190 on the sea in one sweep, with others passing.  Oddest sight was a passing  Goosander which Paul picked out.  Like Dave, we had single Med Gull and Sandwich Tern.

We had started at Aberystwyth with 19 Med Gulls on College Rocks and another three offshore.