Seawatching at Beddington

Black Tern 

Barwits 

Barwits 

Barwits 

Grey Plover 

Arctic Terns

Southeast winds, low overcast and rain means only one thing at Beddington in late April/May- seawatching! Ok we cant actually see the sea but coastal migrants get deflected from coastal routes in these conditions and take short cuts overland and the low clouds ensures they are low enough for us to see them. Presumably these migrants take these short cuts overland in other weather conditions but we don't often see them if they do (presumably too high most of the time).

Anyway by the end of the day we had 19 Barwits, 8 Whimbrel, 6 Arctic Tern, 1 Black Tern and 1 Grey Plover. Also 10+ Swifts (first ones in yesterday), 6-7 Swallow, 4 Sand Martin, 1 House Martin, 1 Hobby (first for the year) and the Iceland Gull is still about (which may actually be the Kumlien's in a bleached disguise).