14 xbills, 3 bramblings and 2 ouzels up culver

couldn't compete with rob martin's 30th bday bird but a lapland bunting west at culver is still a good one for me (3rd record and 1st on passage). otherwise quiet. 2 ouzels, 2 small flocks of xbills. actually saw some redpolls perched but were just lessers.

the percentage of mealy redpolls being trapped at dunge lately is interesting/annoying cos i've never knowingly seen one, never get to see autumn migrants on the deck http://www.dungenessbirdobs.org.uk/lateframe.html

been down to penwith for a 3 night break staying in whitesands lodge. only find was a wryneck booted out of gorse on coast path at treen, my 1st in uk for a few years. on last morning the wind had veered nw after a sw blow overnight. looking off sennen cove there was a phenomenal gannet passage so we quickly moved on to pendeen where i watched for a couple of hours, the volume of birds so amazing compared to what i'm used to even if it was mainly gannets (est. 6k p/h) and razorbills.

some of the poms were passing over the white water! can just about see me in this pic, down near the sea and soaking up the views - most people were up against the lighthouse wall, pointless. i dunno who put the report of 2 poms and 6 balearics out but they must've been watching with their eyes closed.

a seal put on a good show playing in the surf at porthcurno....