13th September 2017

Got the day off work to try and finally catch up with leach's petrel, a species I've never been free to go for when the conditions were right. High tide wasn't until after midday so I started at Minehead. On arrival, it was obvious that the forcast was completely wrong; there was barely any wind! None the less, I started scanning, picking up a few terns and Kittiwakes. Eventually I got onto a pale wader heading towards me. It was probably a Grey Phalarope, but I managed to knock my own scope, then couldn't refind the bird! (Brian Gibbs saw what I presume to be the same bird shortly after, plus another which I also missed!).

I picked out a few distant Manx Shearwaters on the horizon plus a pair of skua sp with the sun behind them. After a bit of contact with Brian who was set up just down the beach, I scanned again and picked up a large stormie-type with pointed wings. A few more views confirmed it was indeed a Leach's Petrel! Shortly after, I also picked out a Great Skua sat on the sea before it flew East. I went over to where Brian was set up and had a few more Manx, Gannets and a Painted Lady, but little else of note, so come 11:00 I headed home.

Great Skua - Minehead

Picked up Lewis and headed to Lodmoor this afternoon. He wasn't free on Monday evening so I took him to have a look at the two sandpipers. First we had a look at the STILT SANDPIPER which was in the same spot as Monday evening. Glad I managed to improve on my previous records shots. We then wandered over to the Southeast side and quickly picked out the LEAST SANDPIPER as well, though it was showing more distantly than it was when it was first identified on Monday. Also of note were singles of Green Sandpiper and Common Sandpiper as well as plenty of Med Gulls.

STILT SANDPIPER - Lodmoor

LEAST SANDPIPER - Lodmoor