A Nice Rarity

Mid-morning on October 16th I tried a half-hour seawatch from Burton Bradstock. Conditions were unexciting. The wind was moderate - certainly not too strong to prevent me from sitting on one of the benches just above the beach - and it was dry. Highlights included a gorgeous adult Little Gull, 7 Brents and a drake Tuftie. Quite pleasing, especially the Little Gull.

That's a typical example of a short, impromptu seawatch producing some nice goods. I sat down with no expectations whatsoever, and was pleasantly surprised.

The opposite of that scenario is when you go to bed with a howling hoolie blowing outside, knowing it's going to be blasting away all night and filling Lyme Bay with storm-blown waifs. You're so excited that sleep is impossible, and you're up and out before dawn. Settling into your favourite seawatching spot, you are absolutely bursting with expectation...

Well, that's how it used to be.

Unfortunately I am a veteran of countless really, really bad Lyme Bay seawatches following a night of howling hoolie, and I now know better.

Nevertheless, I was up fairly early yesterday morning, and in position at Cogden by 08:00. It was still really windy. The sea was rough as you like. By 09:00 my tally was a paltry 2 Red-throated Divers, 2 Brents, 9 Common Scoter and 50+ Gannets. Disappointing. But so, so predictable. When the rain began, that was all the excuse I needed to call it a day.

I have had good results from stormy seawatches locally. The only 2 Leach's Petrels I've seen while seawatching in Lyme Bay were off Seaton seafront after a late-autumn night like Friday, and I found my first Seaton Grey Phalarope in the heaving surf a few days prior, likewise following a stormy night. But, rewards like that are not the norm.

Here's a fun fact. On September 2nd, 2009, at opposite ends of Lyme Bay, both Portland Bill and Berry Head had record day-counts of Sooty Shearwater: 177 at PB and a staggering 582 at BH. Seaton had...

None at all!

I can't recall if that was following a stormy night, but I expect so; sounds absolutely typical.

And on a different note...

I suspect this might be the rarest thing I find this year.

Convolvulus Hawk Moth larva, Bridport, 21/10/2019

I found this wrinkly wonder quite close to my house, and at first glance thought it was some sort of poo. Understandable I think. Anyway, Twitter to the rescue, and it was identified for me within seconds. Steve Nash, a self-confessed 'moth geek' who runs @MigrantMothUK, has found just one in 40 years of moth-geekery. I don't want to seem ungrateful, because it was a privilege to encounter such a rare and impressive beastie, but next time I'll take a Bluetail thanks.