Storm Agnes didn't deliver any rain until late afternoon, but the strong winds clearly disrupted birds feeding in Lyme Bay. Seawatching during the morning saw a new site record of 143 Great Shearwater head distantly south, totally eclipsing the previous high of eight in July 2017. An incredible 84 of these passed in 15 minutes just after 8am with the passage over before 9am.
Also offshore at least 500 Kittiwake and four Mediterranean Gull were feeding in the bay attracting around 20 Arctic and a Pomarine Skua with 109 Balearic Shearwater, 37 Sandwich and five Common Tern, 18 Common Scoter, a summer plumaged Red-throated Diver, a Great Northern Diver and a Storm Petrel.
An afternoon watch still saw good numbers of Kittiwake, Sandwich Tern and Arctic Skua in the bay joined by single Black and Little Tern, with the first Sooty Shearwater of the year south at 15.50, a Cory's Shearwater south at 14.25, and 18 Balearic and two Manx Shearwater, completing the site's second five shearwater day.
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