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