Just four Purple Sands in the roost this morning as Helen and I met at Castle Point. As I was bemoaning the lack of birds offshore five Common Scoters flew north and two Gannets south. Then a Red- throated Diver went south and as I was following it a Merlin passed through my scope view, heading north. Forgetting the diver I got onto the Merlin in time to see it turn landward and disappear over the town.
Then a run up to Borth to look at the sea produced only a single R-t Diver and around 130 Common Scoters: almost all males except for a party of 14 females close inshore.