Dear All

Greg Butcher and I went over to OC for a day of storm bird chasing.  Whilst 
we saw lots of birds it was not that gratifying.  Best birds were two Parasitic 
Jaegers along with some frustratingly undidentifiable large shearwaters.

We watched the sea from 8-10.30am, 1-1.30pm and 3-5pm.  The morning was 
most productive but birds were passing well offshore, the location was very 
exposed and the light was terrible.  However, we saw 2 Parasiitic Jaegers plus 
2 jaeger sp.  We also saw three large shearwaters which were probably Cory's 
but the views were too poor to confirm.  There was, however, a spectacular 
movement of common seabirds with scoters moving en mass; sample counts 
were in the range of 6-9000 birds per hour for the morning and early afternoon 
(inc 10 WW Scoter ident).  Gannets were moving steadily all day at 1-200 per 
hour and Loons - mostly Common with a few Red-throats - at 30 per hour with 
lots of bits and bobs Buffleheads, Wigeon, Royal Tern, Brant, Sanderling and a 
selection of the usual gulls.

We managed to find a sheltered spot and got better views of the sea (end of 
19th) for the afternoon sessions but only managed two more very distant 
large shearwaters.

Other birds of note in the inlet were 2 Bonaparte's Gulls,  2 Grey Plovers, 8 
Greater Yellowlegs, 1 Willet, 250 Snow Geese and a Least Sandpiper.

It looks like the storm will pass by in the next 24 hours so with luck a few 
more interesting and obliging birds will make an appearance.

All the best

Gary Allport