Little Gulls (SCP) Woodlark (Ventnor Downs)

St. Catherine's point, 07:00 - 11:05 sea watch (a.m), strong southerly winds, due south, F7 gusting to F9, heavy (squally) showers. 

A morning watch at SCP was overall pretty slow going. However, at 8:20 three birds came in from the east were possibly petrels(?) passed by west: but not fully ID'd so I could only speculate (Leach's have been quite numerous this autumn). Aside from that fleeting moment of mystery: 27 Scoter went west and kittiwakes were moving by if sporadically. The highlight came quite late in the session at around 10:10 when a flock of 10 Little Gulls passed by reasonably close in and west; mostly adults too! so well worth the effort and ending up slightly rain sodden after the four-hour session. Some glaring omissions though: no skuas, divers, nor shearwaters. [Also, there was some cetacean interest as five or so Bottlenose dolphins went by (breaching) west]. 

  

Yesterday (14th): atop Luccombe Down, moderate se, fair conditions, A.M:

Wood pigeons 2500 (south), Brambling five, Siskin 36, of note. Also, four Snipe (three high up and flying eastwards/one booted by a dog walker flew round calling). 

November 18th: another Woodlark over Bonchurch down; my 6th or 7th bird of the autumn. A few Brambling etc. And woodpigs, c2000, moving along the coast on a bright if brisk (westerlies) morning.