20 April, 2018

Not So Breaking News


To carry on from yesterday;


The forecast of lighter east-ish winds and fog seemed to give at least some hope of finding something at the Nose on Thursday, so I toddled over after work to have a look. Finding all this sunshine was a little disheartening, I admit. I'd held hopes there might be sea fog right up to the road, maybe? Nope. There was mistyfog, but it was well offshore.

At least it looked nice..?

There were birds, obviously vocal birds. Blackcaps came out ahead of Chiffchaffs, both by numbers and - in a shock move - showyness;

Not only singing in full view

.. but letting me reposition to get better light.

They were all over

Appreciative audience

A proper migrant - a Redstart, no less - was more bashful, taking one look and zooming off into the North Side. However, this good start didn't continue, with only a few groups of finches and pipits overhead, and that limited passage dying off by 0700. Oh well.

I had a look at the sea, where the Ore auks were busy at it and the odd Gannet ambled by, and then there it was, galumphing north, coming inside the Ore Stone and back lit wonderfully. If it had stuck its head straight out it would have been even better, but of the four hits I got, at least one clearly showed the primaries, so no complaining. Let's see it again, shall we?

I think it saw me

The calm conditions allowed me to hopefully show something only unlucky kayakers learn about; the impressive tidal races around the rocks offshore hereabouts;

The dark 'lines'
 
 Here moving left to right, the two streams - from either side of the Ore Stone - pass Thatcher Rock and converge to the SW of it [around the point]. A video would show it better, as the streams moving across the swell were quite clear.

Also of interest, the artists have been at it again;

One way to keep it from blowing away, I suppose


The sun was clearly in the mood and things got very warm. Perhaps on cue, oh look what's this?

Out in the wild


Be Seeing You...



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