White-beaked Dolphin in Lyme Bay shown on The One Show, details on the latest newsletter

http://us3.campaign-archive1.com/?u=a7914b2034f00765cc66c59db&id=e81b4174d6&e=fa57b8a6ae

13 AUGUST, 2013

Juvenile Striped Dolphin, stranded and later died at St Ouens Bay near El Tico and Le Braye slipway.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-jersey-23680527

8th August 2013

Up to 20nm off South Devon

Again out on a fishing boat off South Devon. Absolute highlight was a Minke Whale 16nm ESE of Start Pt, although initially close, only surfaced in sight once more and not when camera was at hand! Also two Ocean Sunfish seen.

While fishing seabirds were again relatively poor for the time of year! 3 juv Yellow-legged Gulls, 20+ Common Terns, 2 Bonxies, just one European Storm-petrel, though numerous Fulmars and commoner gulls. Of note were 3 Shags crossing the channel (not usually this far out) and one Redshank heard (high up). Manx Shearwaters were thinly distributed to 30nm out (though 50+ in the Minke area), but the main concentration was about 1.5nm off Dartmouth, which included several Balearic Shearwaters (boat was going too fast to count) when heading home.

A few  of pics of the Bonxies, one a worn adult in heavy moult the other a fresher looking bird probably a second-calendar year (some slight moult).

5th August 2013

Start Point

Seawatch 06:30-14:00. Start could not compete with Berry Head today, perhaps due to being stuck out in the sunshine, with the main weather front more east, inland and higher in Lyme Bay - producing the reduced vis for the large shears!

All SW: Cory's Shearwater @09:05, 3 Sooty Shearwaters (only one correlating with BH birds), 80 Balearic Shearwaters, 1142 Manx Shearwaters, Pomarine Skua, 7 Arctic Skuas, 22 Whimbrel (20&2), 2 Common Terns, 4 Sandwich Terns, 7 Common Scoter, 8 Puffins, 2 Guillemots and a Razorbill.

Late post for 2nd August

16:00-18:00: 100+ Balearic Shearwaters (65 passing and 35+ feeding with Manx on skerries bank), 800+ Manx (680 passing and 120+ feeding over skerries), 4 Puffin, 20 'commic' Terms feeding over skerries bank.

Since 29/7/2013 Start Pt has seen c580 Balearic Shearwaters! I'm not sure how many are on a feeding loop in outer Lyme Bay (i.e the same birds going round in a circle), or new birds crossing the channel, feeding and moving on - perhaps a bit of both! Which would explain lower numbers at Prawle on 04/08/13. This influx is earlier than normal, as I have never had a 100+ counts in July, or early August. Looking at other websites the birds are now well distributed around the UK and Ireland!

4TH AUGUST, 2013
Start Point.
Seawatch 09:00-18:30.  An amazing '7' shearwater seawatch! In order of magnitude: Barolo Shearwater sw @17:10, Yelkouan Shearwater (@11:55 close in with Manx & Balearic for direct comparison), 2 Great Shearwaters @11:25 & 16:38, Cory's Shearwater @14:45, one large Shearwater sp.(@09:20 prob Cory's as tied in with one at Prawle), 3 Sooty Shearwaters, 255 Balearic Shearwaters, 2414 Manx Shearwaters, 16 Puffins, Pomarine Skua (ad), Arctic Skua, 2 Great Skua, c30 'commic' Terns, juv Yellow-legged Gull and 6 Whimbrel.
Reported by Mark Darlaston.

1st August 2013
English Channel off S Devon  
From a fishing boat 20nm off South Devon, seabirds were a little disappointing given the sightings off Ireland and Cornwall the previous day! Never-the-less most expected species were on show, which included: 2 Balearic Shearwaters (both 20nm out!), numerous Manx Shearwaters, 3 European Storm-petrels, 6+ juv Yellow-legged Gulls in with numerous Herring and Lesser Black-backed Gulls and three Great Skua.

Balearic Shearwater

Juv Yellow-legged Gull

30 JULY, 2013

104 Balearic Shearwater and 2,022 Manx Shearwater off Start Point

29 JULY, 2013

There have been unusually high numbers of Manx Shearwater around the islands over the last month and joining in with them there has been several Balearic Shearwater
http://wwwsapphirepelagics.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/manx-balearic-shearwaters.html#comment-form

28 JULY, 2013

1 Balearic Shearwater off West Bay

23rd JULY 2013
20nm south of Start Point, Devon
From a fishing boat 20nm S of Start Point, at times foggy conditions. Good numbers of Manx Shearwaters seen from about 10nm out from Kingswear. Attracted to the boat were 5 juvenile Yellow-legged Gulls in with c200 mainly Herring and Lesser Black-backed gulls with a few juveniles of both these species also now out to sea. Also 4 European Storm-petrels (would normally expect more this time of year!) and 3 Bonxies.

10 JULY, 2013

30 Bottlenose Dolphin feeding 400m off West Bay, the group included juveniles and calves.
Reported by Ivor Bending

28 JUNE, 2013
1 Bottlenose Dolphin off Devil's Point, Devon
Reported by Robert Hurrell

27 JUNE, 2013
8-10 Pilot Whale off Hopes Cove, Devon

21 JUNE, 2013

Common Dolphin in Falmouth Bay. Several large pods over a mile. A pod of 30 were bowriding.
Reported by Richard Hollis, AK Wildlife Cruises

18 JUNE, 2014

Pod of around 30 Common Dolphin, Falmouth, Cornwall

16 JUNE, 2014

1 Harbour Porpoise, Falmouth, Cornwall
Reported by Richard Hollis, AK Wildlife Cruises

11 JUNE, 2013

4-6 Bottlenose Dolphin off Dawlish Warren beach about midday.
Reported by Philip Chambers

19 MAY, 2013

 Minke Whale in Lyme Bay, seen early afternoon near the Gibel Hamam. http://www.bevs.org/diving/pics/wrecks/photos/wk20.jpg.

16 MAY, 2013

4 Harbour Porpoise off West Bexington

11 MAY, 2013

4 Bottlenose Dolphin in Chesil Cove am.
Reported by John Down

9TH MAY, 2013

Berry Head, seawatching 16.20-19.20
2 Roseate Terns, 2 Arctic Terns, 4 Common Terns, 4 Sandwhich Terns,131 Manx Shearwaters, 30 + Gannets 17 Kittiwake, 9 Razorbills, 2 Swift, 4-5 Harbour Porpoise really close to watch point.
Reported by Mike Langman

30 APRIL, 2013

1 small Cetacean Sp. in the River Thames at Wandsworth Park.
Reported by Steve Pritchard

28 APRIL, 2013

1 Dolphin Sp. in the River Parrett, Somerset
Reported by John Andrews

10 APRIL, 2013

Several Harbour Porpoise, seen east of Hythe, Kent
Reported by Bob Goodsir

10+ Bottlenose Dolphin including a calf in West Bay

23rd MARCH 2013

Harbour Porpoise seen from Chesil Beach, Ferrybridge. Heading SE towards Portland.
Observers: D Foot, J Down, P Harris

6th JANUARY 2013
English Channel, off Devon
Boat skipper Rob Dart reported lots of Common Dolphins in the channel and 2-3 Risso's Dolphins.