Best seawatch ever!

On Sunday 9th October, I will pre-empt this entry by explaining that the much missed, much lamented the late Ricky F used to often decry poor seawatches as "the worst seawatch ever!", Ricky did however later pick up some really good seabirds later on and in truth, he was an excellent seawatcher and his former mantle of not seeing much out to sea, I had inherited in recent years, but hopefully this has now changed, it certainly did today! a WhatsApp tweet from Brian S stating that a Pterodama Petrel species had just been seen off Southwold and heading north had me driving to Ness Point, rather an inconveniently a set of traffic lights had been added near the Foxburrow but despite this and the Ravine being closed I arrived at Ness Point at 9.20am and soon set up joining Rob H, no sooner had I done so, than Rob shouted he had it... reasonably close around 3/4 mile out just beyond the 2 yellow bouys. A distinctive bird, this Fea's type Petrel, it really flew quickly it was spiralling up and down one minute disappearing beneath the high waves next looping up and careering up with angled wings and then glding down again, generally dark (greyish above), dark underwings, greyish head and white belly with short dark stubby bill and obvious very pointed tail end and greyish upperparts to the tail (bigger than Leach's Petrel but smaller than a Sooty- I would guess midway inbetween), I saw it 3X but it was easy to lose it when under the high waves, I saw it for a total of around 2 minutes duration (between 9.30-9.32am) and finally lost it as it passed the green bouy further north. Rob then rang Rob Wil and I rang James B to get them onto it. I am very pleased to say James B then saw it at 9.37am, I rang John H who went to Scratby but alas both Rob Wil and John H missed it. Rob shouted Sooty and we saw a fine dark brown all dark Shearwater, a Sooty Shearwater. Another 2nd Sooty, also flew north, so 2 Sooty Shearwaters in all, with long and narrow wings Birds were passing including groups of Brent Geese flying south 5, 3, 8 etc. The Wigeon, 1, 3, 5 going south. Plus Dunlin going south 5, 8 etc. Divers, mostly RTs were sen flying south including 8 single birds with one bird really close in. A Grey Plover flew south, Black auxillaries (armpits! prominent). Gannets- 1, 3, 5, 1, 1 went south. Andrew E arrived just 10 minutes too late and later Peter N, too. Andrew soon spotted a bird flying north dark above, and pale whitish greyer below, smaller and slimmer than Arttic with long slender wings and the flight was bouncing up and down as it flew north, a fine probable Long- tailed Skua! About 10 minutes later, a much closer bird, also smaller and slimmer, with long slender wings dark above with noticable frosty barring on the underwings rump and attenuated tail with a blunt tip, it's flight was also typically "bouncy" and this really was it, a fine immature Long- tailed Skua, my first for many years and a personal first for Lowestoft,(I'd previously seen some off Southwold)! Further out for nice comparison I spotted a typical dark phase Arctic Skua flying low over the water going north then wheeling up to harry a Gull several times before continuing north. A little later on, Andrew E then shouted Pom and we picked up a heavier looking Skua fine dark, barrel chested a fine Pomarine Skua (just past the yellow bouys- and another Skua I haven't seen for a few years), with noticable primary patch white wing flash seen on the underwing. Flying steadily north. It was a real Skua ID masterclass today!