Back on patch again this weekend and with Atlantic weather systems dominating the forecast I thought I'd try seawatching. Yesterday the wind was from the south so I tried Bass Point. I didn't arrive until about half 10 due to a late night, but it still didn't disappoint. I never really last long on a seawatch and yesterday and today were both no exception, usually about two hours.
Yesterday at Bass Point, sheltered by the coastwatch station, things started off slow with a trickle of Balearic Shearwaters coming through. Groups of Razorbills were passing really close under the cliffs at Bass Point and Gannets were very numerous. About half an hour in a *Sooty Shearwater* passed fairly close and in good light followed by another shortly after. Balearics countinued passing with two groups holding 6 and 4 birds respectively passing really close in, just below the cliffs! Allowing a rare chance to look at the subtle features of their plumage from land. A total of 15 were recorded overall. The highlight of the seawatch came at 12.05pm when I picked up a large shearwater moving west in good light... it was a fantastic Great Shearwater! I watched it for about two minutes as it flew past and, being reasonably close, the views were brilliant. Walking back from Bass Point along the coast I saw a Pied Flycatcher in the bracken, loosely associating with a few Stonechats by the lifeboat station.
The wind veered west today so I attempted a seawatch off Lizard Point. Numbers of birds weren't as high as yesterday but still not bad. For a two hour seawatch I had 5 Sooties, 8 Balearics, some Razorbills and a Great Skua.
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