Seawatch and Intro to a Notepad!!

 Seawatch and Intro to a Notepad!!

We arrived at Flamborough Head at 6:40am, in hopes of seeing Pomarine and Long-tailed Skua. We saw a few Arctic & Great Skua as well as thousands of Manx Shearwater and Red-throated Diver. Suddenly, one of the seawatchers, Craig calls "adult Pom Skua heading north." 

I desperately try to get my scope on it, but couldn't. He then lets me look through his scope and says that the bird was going to go through there in a few seconds. I looked through it, in eager anticipation and then there it was, with its spoon-like projections on the tail. I cherish observing the Pom Skua, before going back to my own scope. A few Sooty Shearwater and Little Gulls also flew past  afterwards, but nothing else. Craig taught me about how to identify Shearwaters and Skuas in the distance, and that identifying seabirds was a process of elimination, much of it guess work and he felt it necessary that people shout out their opinion and encourage discourse when seeking to identify seabirds on a sea watch. I also learnt, that to the right of the hide most of the water was from rivers, but to the left there was a steep drop in ocean level and that seabirds preferred the nutrient rich deep ocean water. 

We then left and had a brief rendezvous with Phil Rhodes, who was encouraging me as always.

We then went over to Kilnsea Wetlands in hopes of seeing a Red-necked Phalarope. We went in the hide but didn't see it, yet five Spoonbill were present. We then walked opposite the car park to Long Bank Marsh in hopes of seeing Grey Partridge. A huge flock of Curlew with a few Bar-tailed Godwits were present and a few Linnets were visible along the path, yet no Grey Partridge.

We then went over to the observatory to meet Gary again, who was staying in the Alpine accommodation. We had a chat and he then took us round a path, that was not accessible to the public. He showed me a special ringing trap; where the birds go through one side with no netting, and the ringers then corral the bird towards a box; where they then handle and ring the bird. He then took us to Sandy Beaches in hopes of seeing a Purple Sandpiper, which never showed. He then lent me a spare notepad and we went to Kilnsea Wetlands, where Gary taught me the basics of drawing, and what to put on the notepad- description, weather/ wind, bird name & date. I have been advised to do this by Trevor but have never felt confident to do this, until now. Gary watched over me and I first drew a Spoonbill, which was decent, and then a Common Gull juvenile and adult, which I was most proud of. Afterwards, we went to the Canal Scrape Hide for a Temminck's Stint. We waited to get a good view of it so I could take a picture and draw it. I then put everything down and did it independently, and I was most proud of that. I then got my Spoonbill sketch signed by Paul French, head of the BBRC, and went home after a spectacular day birding!