Seawatching off Widewater (20-21 April)

Sunday 21 April. I arrived at Widewater at 06:05, five minutes after ARK and 8 Mediterranean Gulls down. ARK left at 08:15 and as the Meds kept coming I stayed until 11:05 by which time they'd dried up somewhat. I recorded 358E (20 first-summers, 15 second-summers and 323 adults) and 3 adults W with at least another 3 and probably 15-20 heard. Also flying E were 847 Black-headed and 195 Common Gulls, 5 Eider (3 males and 2 females at 06:56), 63 Brent Geese, 3 Scoter, 2 Little Egrets, 16 Whimbrel, 6 Bar-tailed Godwits, 15 Knot, a dark Arctic Skua, 24 Sandwich Terns (with 3 W) and unusually for here 2 close Kittiwakes (with 3 W), A Sand Martin, 7 Swallows, 4 Goldfinches and 2 Linnets came in. Later Megan, Nessa and I took Cookie up to Mill Hill where there was a Chiffchaff, Whitethroat, Blackcap and Greenfinch.

Mediterranean Gulls on the move off Widewater, six appeared to be the most frequent flock size

Saturday 20 April. I arrived at Widewater at 06:20 and was soon joined by ARK. I watched to 09:20 recording the following easterly passage: 43 Brent Geese, 3 Shelduck, 8 Common Scoter, 4 Fulmars, 19 Whimbrel, a Curlew, 43 Bar-tailed Godwits, 3 Greenshank (at 07:32), 124 Mediterranean Gulls (and 2w), 21 Little Gulls (a close juvenile and a very distant pack of about 20), 454 Black-headed Gulls, 53 Common Gulls, 20 Sandwich Terns (and 2W), 4 Swallows, 9 pipits, 5 Goldfinches and 4 Linnets came in and later, with Nessa, Megan and Cookie, there was a Wheatear on the beach.