Attention over the early morning high tide was focussed on legs rather than counts with 12 colour-ringed Dunlin present, along with several of the 200+ Oystercatcher previously recorded this autumn. The regular wader and wildfowl species were all present with a first winter Caspian Gull amongst the Great Black-backed Gull on Finger Point, and two adult Mediterranean Gull amongst 68 Common Gull in the estuary. The Caspian Gull was only the 15th site record, but the eighth this year.
After the tide dropped attention turned to the sea around 10.30; in a hour from the seawall 120+ Kittiwake flew south along with a fem/imm Eider, a Red-throated Diver and an Arctic Skua. The highlight however was the first Leach's Petrel since Oct 2017, lingering offshore for at least 20 minutes.
Another watch from the seawall between 3 - 4pm saw very few birds moving with just a handful of Kittiwake and Gannet, mostly at distance, but a few storm driven birds were either lingering or making their way slowly south, the highlight was a Grey Phalarope that appeared from the estuary mouth and moved across the bay over the course of 5-10 minutes, regularly pitching on the sea, also five adult Little Gull, four lingering briefly and two Storm Petrel, only the seventh record in the last four years. Much rarer than Leach's at this time of the year, only the third November record for the Warren.
Wildlife News: A single Thorn-apple was discovered growing on the edge of the Buffer Zone, only the third Recording Area record after appearances in 1994 and 2006.
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