11 November, 2014

The Post With The Seawatching


Ok, catching up on the other stuff that I didn't have time to last time because I was burbling on for too long about Autumn and stuff..




Last week at work was tiring. Not just due to the usual fun and games, but mainly because of a nasty bout of insomnia. I'm not going to moan on about it, but it was enough to make me try sleeping when I got in on Friday morning. Didn't work, so I got up and out and over to the Nose. On foot [lugging kit would help induce sleep, I hoped].


It was pretty darn good, I must say! First bird was a juv RTD - first diver of the Autumn! - and 3 GNDs would follow it. 30 skuas - mostly 'spp., probably Pom' due to range and murk - a Sooty, a Manxie and 4 Balearics, plus a Stormie, 5 Puffins and 2 Little Auks! Very nice indeed. This was over a Kittiwake rate of ~210/hr, with Gannets at ~150/hr, but not huge numbers of commoner auks; 37 Razorbills total, for example. 4 Med Gulls came to hang about the slick, but nothing sexier, alas.



After getting some much-needed sleep, I was not out at the crack of dawn, so missed getting very rained-on. I did still walk over though, and the Goddess of Birding appreciated my act of devotion to Her.
The fun began before I got to the Second Slope with a 1w male Yellowhammer! Did not expect that - cowering from the wind around the Top Meadow.


Getting down just in time for the post-rain exodus, I saw 54 skuas, including 22 Poms and an utterly gorgeous juv. Long-tail at very close range [plus probably another - a brief 'sp.' whose timing ties up with one that passed Berry]. 4 Puffins, a Manxie, 4 Balearics and 2 Fulmars were all welcome passers-by over a reduced Kittiwake rate of ~125/hr and Gannets at ~60/hr. 6 GNDs [plus 2 more in Hope Cove when I left] were an increase over the day before, with also more auks; 224 Razorbills and only 6 Guillemots. The gulls coming to the outfall were markedly reduced in variety, with not a single Med, but saved [a bit] late on by a lone 2w Little Gull*. Finally, a couple of waders; a Knot and a Purple Sand, with 2 more of the latter hanging around on the rocks.



Monday saw very little other than Gannets and Kitts on the sea, but the Yellowhammer [or another] was still around, and it had company; a Cirl! With the wind, I didn't exactly get great views; a nice olive rump to clinch ID as it blew past was pretty much it, to be honest. It was almost certainly a 1w, but I can't rule out an adult female. With a few Mipits and the odd Linnet also hanging about [literally, if they didn't want to be blown away] I got silly ideas and spent far too much time irritating the Rockits stalking about the rocks and the quarry, only leaving when it got dark.. Ah well.




Ok, that's it!


[[*Sorry Mark - it must have been waiting for you to leave, like most of the Poms...]]

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