7th September

With the wind going slack for the first time in a few days, the moment was right for a sea-watch and what a sea-watch it was!
Over the day, 359 Fulmars, one of which was a Blue phase, 656 Gannets, 3 Red-throated Divers, 21 Black-tailed Godwits, 20 Great Skuas, the second highest collective day total of Pale-bellied Brent Geese with 8 flying East, 9 Storm Petrels, 420 Auk sp. 6 Puffin, 142 Razorbill, 114 Kittiwake, 128 Manx Shearwaters, our fourth Great Shearwater of the autumn and an astonishing 869 Sooty Shearwaters breaking the previous day total of 853 was a spectacle to behold. At one point in the morning 71 birds passed within a minute.
Elsewhere on the island 2 Kestrels made appearances at the top end and round the obs, a single Chaffinch was at Hooking, good numbers of Meadow Pipits were present again with 341 birds present around the island and 3 Lapland Buntings.
An evening nets session bought our first 2 Goldcrests of the autumn and a pair of Barred Warblers.  
Lapland Bunting - George Gay

Sooty Shearwater - George Gay

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