The remnants of Hurricane Ernesto (Storm Lilian) swept back across the Atlantic and arrived here today with near gale force southwest winds and rain. I was hopeful for some seabirds off Selsey Bill but despite a morning and afternoon session I didn't get much. Highlights included a juv Kittiwake, 70+ Gannet, 4 Knot and a single Guillemot/Razorbill. There was a large feeding flock of gulls and terns just offshore early morning including about 35 Meds and 30 Sandwich Terns with a few Common Terns. Elsewhere along the south coast there were Balearic and Sooty Shearwaters off Isle of Wight and Dungeness.
Local birders Ian and Andrew informed me that Selsey Bill tends to be better for seabirds in the aftermath of a storm so I'll be back tomorrow. Fingers crossed.
As I drove out the drive this morning I had a Redstart darting along the hedge and later in the day a Pintail was circling the neighbours waterfowl pond (which is covered by a net but ducks take a while to work that out). I stopped at Ferry Pool on the way back from the Bill in the afternoon as the Semipalmated Sandpiper was still there with 11 Dunlin, 2 Ringed Plover and the first juvenile Curlew Sandpiper I've seen this autumn. Ebird list HERE.
Not much in the moth trap in these southwest winds and I didn't put the lights on last night due to rain and wind and won't do tonight either.
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