That's more like it!
Having been vexed by the weather on Friday and, more importantly, not having slept since Thursday, I wasn't up at the crack o'doom yesterday morning. I did set my alarm, but everything seemed dry at first light so I went back to sleep...
Eventually dragging up, I figured, 'Well, it's overcast at least..' and What Else Is There To Do?
The wind was just far enough around to let me sit on the Steps - which is a far comfier location than the Official Seawatching Spot - and there were birds moving. 150 or so Manxies in hour one, in fact! Makes me wonder, but never mind...
So, I watched for an unexpected 8 hours [I'd just taken lunch on the off chance..] and scored a very nice shifty wind which flirted with SSE and gave some nice showers before a bitch of a front came through at 1345, with 45 mins of very heavy to Oh I'm So Glad I've Got My Bumbleshoot rain.. :D An hour after the rain started, the outflow kicked in, with a nicely fragrant brown slick that made all those fishermen seem very
After the front passed it got calmer - well, more westerly - and it even tried a little sunshine now and then. I had a great time, I have to say. Being wedged in the end of the Steps, I only had one direction of wind to worry about, so the brolly wasn't my main focus. Not that much actually moved [in sight] while the rain band went by, but its nice to be able to be sure. Being there also keeps you out of the fishermaniacs' way, useful in the stampede that the rain brought on.. [Wimps.. ;) ]
I counted 565 Manxies past south in all - the hourly rate dropped before the front and none passed while it did - but no other shearwaters. Hmm. 3 Puffins were great - though only the last one showed really well. 196 Gannets south [and 26 north] is very interesting, as it shows a very similar rate to yesterday. I think it likely that the >500% rise in Manx passage is entirely murk-related - they were there yesterday, just a lot further out!
With rain having fallen, I was hoping for Stormies and got them - though not close until after the front. 11 Storm Petrels in all, very nice indeed. The only terns were a group of 3 Sarnies - though nice and close and in one of the patches of sunshine. The Guillemot colony on the Ore Stone gave a count of 375+ - which is where I'd expect it in full go - and at least 8 Razorbills were among the Guilles flying to and fro [I didn't see any go to the Ore Stone, though]. 55 Kittiwakes was a lighter passage than I expected, they being [probably] outnumbered by 67 Fulmars [though you can never tell how many are flying in circles]. 5 Swifts also passed by south and a gorgeous s/pl Great Northern Diver on the sea by the Lead Stone finishes things off.
Much more like it.
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