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Thursday 7 July 2011

Berry Hd

Wednesday evening 1840-2045hrs.

After a couple of messages telling me about masses of Cory's Shearwaters off W Cornwall I got down to Berry Hd mid evening. The weather was appalling torrential rain at times and visibility down to under 1km. As I settled down under my umbrella I picked up a few Manxies straight out and very close in, I glanced N and picked out a big shearwater with the naked eye drifting south. Even in the binoculars I could pick out its dark tipped pale bill telescope views were amazing! another two went south within 5 mins but I had to wait until the weather cleared about another hour before getting another three but always getting more and more distant.


(field sketches below -colour added immediately on return home; Balearic photo on right )



Seawatch totals:

6 Cory's Shearwaters, 127 Manx Shearwaters, 3 Balearic Shearwaters, 3 Pomarine Skuas (all together -1 sub ad with short tail spoons, two probably 3cy birds ), 1 Arctic Skua, 39 Kittiwakes, 17 Fulmar, 50+ Gannet and 2 Harbour Porpoises.