The Call Of The Sea

That siren song lured me to the Nose today and kept me watching for seven hours. I got very soggy and very cold - despite thinking I was overdressed on the way down [definitely rusty!] - and saw a vast plethora of sod all for long spells. Despite that, it wasn't bad at all!

Not a watch for the standards, it very unusually started with me doing a full check of the Nose on the way down, instead of just piling straight in. I didn't find much - two singing [yay!] Chiffs up top and three Wheatears down the bottom were it.

The wind started just E of south, then swung SE - so I set up at the TSS. After a couple of hours it came back southerly and with the wind whistling around from the front and the back I moved to the Steps. No sooner had I set up than the wind then promptly went more SSE and the rain hit hard.. I had some fun; ending up with the big bumbleshoot wedged pretty much on it's side! The rain dripped through the storm flaps, but at least I could take my hands off it - a novel experience at the Nose. After a mere 4 hours the wind finally got to it's forecast SSW..


Anyway... In said 7 hours an amazing 28 Gannets passed. This is almost Legendary numbers, but never mind, eh? 47 Fulmars went through [with enough plumage variation to have some confidence in that - there was even a supremely pale double light bird] as did 124 Kitts. I clicked 381 auks - almost entirely Guillemots - but this was from the TSS, where I couldn't see the Ore Stone - so how many went on? Not a clue. No Puffins at all - not for want of looking! I did get 5 divers; a BT in s/pl [outside the Ore alas] and 4 RTs, two in s/pl and one inside the Lead Stone for a wonderful flypast :)

Speaking of wonderful flying.. three Manxies - one in the morning, two in the afternoon, the last being inside the Ore Stone! Also 39 C Scoter in two groups and a solo, 4 Common Gulls, 3 LBBs, one GC Grebe on the sea - lurking by the slick.. Each pulse of rain had a bunch of hirundines coming in/off in the leading edge; I checked and counted them all. 51 Swallows, no Martins.. :(  The SWBCM kicked in, attracting the usual mass of gulls and Fulmars. An afternoon sweep - once the wind had shifted around - gave 268+ gulls and 20+ Fulmars. All the E in the wind meant much material was right close in and birds on it were too close to see - unless you wandered out to the edge of the rocks and then of course you disturb them.


Terns though... 110 Sarnies! Many stopped for a quick go at the fish but they were all moving [I assume into the Bay - there have been plenty hammering the sandeels in every sheltered bit of water I've looked at the last couple of weeks] and usually calling. Best 'til last; point blank range, following a group of 5 Sarnies, so close it was over the slick... Arctic Tern. Sweeeeeet.