Monday 16 September 2013

I Do Like to be Beside the Seaside

I was so stressed out after having Bodgeit & Run ( aka Gaze & Dutfield ) put up some fencing for me on Saturday I decided to go with Martin Bevan for a Sunday mornings birding to Kenfig and Porthcawl to get some relaxation.
We arrived at Kenfig around the 7am mark and preceded to walk completely around the lake.  At 8am we were getting back in the car saying that must be the quickest lap we've ever done, reason next to nothing to see. The highlights being a Snipe and a female Teal, we would have been quicker but we stopped to count the Canada Geese, 119.
Next we drove over to Porthcawl to do some seawatching.  The seawatching shelter was occupied by Graham Powell who informed us the highlights so far were 6 Gannets and it stayed that way for awhile till we got excited by some Scoters going past and then things got really busy with a single Manx Shearwater going down channel.  It was edge of the seat stuff now as Martin found another 2 Scoters and I picked out 2 Harbour Porpoises and then 5 yes 5 Scoters flew d/c.  This gripping spectacle continued all morning with all of us shaking with excitement ( or was it the wind which had picked up considerably ).  Birds added were a Turnstone flying over the shelter, a few more Manxies and an Auk sp. going d/c.  Graham could not take anymore of the excitement and left about 12:30 and at 12.45 Martin spotted a Bonxie going d/c which for the life of me I could not get on.  Martin also found a Guillemot sitting on the sea and at about 1.45 a dark phase Arctic Skua flew quite close going up channel.
Total species seen were Gannets x12, Manxies x 11, Common Scoter x 11, Fulmars x 2, Guillemot x 1, Auk Sp. x 1, Great Skua x 1, Artic Skua x 1, Turnstone x 1, Harbour Porpoises x2 and a Grey Seal.
I must admit the bird activity was only slightly faster than watching Bodgeit & Run working so that shows how bad the morning really was.

1 comment:

  1. If i didn't have to make tea for me and Dutfield those fences would have gone up a lot quicker.

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