One Glorious Day

Shock does funny things to you. It makes you react in ways you would never expect. Seeing fantasies become reality is something the human psyche just isn't really equipped for. Your brain thinks "No, I remember this; it's a dream, it's not real" and makes you rationalise. You need time or a good smack 'round the head to get it to give in.


I was at Hope's Nose today.



Fucking hell!!!!!
[[I really wish you could put animated smilies in this - the eyes popping one would be perfect]]


::Drinks a little more* to steady the hands::



Ahem.

I was at Hope's Nose today; my Beloved Nose, oh yes, not the lure of 'Gwarra or a comfy chair at Berry Head, oh no.

Been waiting for this since I saw the forecast; Nice juicy frontal system coming in, maybe even enough rain to start up the SWBCM, and I didn't even have to drag up at Aaaaaarrrrgh... o'clock to do it. I watched from a little before 11 to a little after 7. Not often I stay on that late, but well...


On my way down, the first two on Patch Walls of the year were fluttering about - a good start. It was brightly over cast and not much apart from Gannets were moving. Actually, not a great deal was moving all day! The numbers speak;

Gannet; 463S 105N
Kittiwake; 64S 6N
Fulmar; 63S 1N
Manxie; 202S 203N
Balearic; 7S


Quite a contrast to the numbers further south, isn't it? There were long periods when visibility was restricted and a lot could have been moving further out, but looking at the numbers from even further 'up' I'm not sure that's the whole case. There were a lot of birds going both ways pausing to feed - mostly between the Manxie and Big Shear Lines, from pretty much due east to out behind the wreck - and quite a few 'appeared' in that area without seeming to have come from due north. It's hard to be sure as I don't habitually scan that far up the coast [unless I'm clearing datum before taking my eyes off the sea], but I suspect a lot of birds have been hanging around in Lyme Bay rather than just travelling out around it. I think the totals from the Backwater may indicate if this is the case [I've not seen any yet - so edits may occur].
The Manxies are an especially interesting case, as the southerly-bound birds came through in small groups spread over the whole 8 hours, while the northerly ones came by in two big fast pulses. I didn't see any obvious circulation, but if it was a big loop??


1 Arctic Skua [nice intermediate adult] and a Bonxie [which showed amazing agility in mugging a Kittiwake], both after 1800, were the only skuas - also odd. A couple of Meds and 4 LBBs - no YLGs, either - and a few little groups of Commic Terns [total 30]. Whimbrel and Dunlin and a few Swifts, too. Second best bird of the day was the adult Black Tern, which passed by 3 whole minutes before the Bonxie arrived.





I won't go on about it. It's not fair to you, my long-suffering readers. All I shall say is that it almost got past me.


Oh, but the wings on that thing.......



[[*Glenrothes - very nice, amazingly fruity and floral.]]