After Storm Ciaran a seawatch on the Rifle Butts at Oldstairs started at 07:15 with Simon and I hoping to see petrels. Just north, on Kingsdown Beach, Rob Ratcliffe had seen 2 Leach's and a Storm Petrel which gave us some hope. During the morning we were joined by Brendan and Chris Cox who had been in the Bay at St Margaret's and had seen 6 Leach's moving north. We saw petrels at Oldstairs but so distant that we did not identify them.
Notable birds that we had were 2 Great Northern Divers, 2 Arctic Skuas, 2 Sparrowhawks just in off the sea and 3 Sandwich Terns and 3 Little Gulls.
The star birds were 2 Grey Phalaropes. The first, found just off the beach by Martin Collins, flew to the Undercliffe and whilst photos were being taken another bird was found close to sea wall. Note different head patterns.
A very good seawatch.
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