Double Vision

A theme of two may be detected running through this post. I was twice seawatching at the Nose last weekend, and  saw the odd two, too.

[Oh dear]

I'm going to mash-up rather than repeat myself too much. [Hey, it's not like these things make much sense anyway]


Events did not begin well, as the best laid plans of mice and birders do go astray..

So it was that instead of early if not bright, it was brittle and late that I got to the Nose on Sunday..
With a low coming right over the top, I was wondering what the weather would actually do [after all, the Weather Guesses are bad enough usually] The wind was a fresh to brisk ESE, which is a bugger of a direction at the Nose when there are lots of people about as it's a Bank Holiday weekend. Even a rather rainy one. You try setting up at the TSS while 500 assorted lifeforms are trying to get past, around, or even over* you..
The Mounds are my solution for inconvenient wind directions and that is where I set up. I wasn't expecting much, and so it was all a bit of a better day than I thought.


Monday was more of a deliberate late start, as with Nights oncoming, getting up for first light just isn't practical. As the day before had sort of worked, and as the weather seemed similar [at first anyway..], I thought 'why not?' [In fact, I'd almost gone to Prawle!]. Things did not come out the same, though at least I got to sit where I wanted to. The sun also saw fit to come out while I was en route, and in the blazing brightness I was not exactly happy, oh no. But I persisted; there were still some clouds about and as I thought 'Hey, I might catch a shower later'.

Well, someone was listening!

But before we get to the thunder and hail, there were - to my no little shock - some birds about!


Comparing figures, I can see that there are some interesting parallels; Gannet rates were both ~30/hr [oh yes, massive numbers!], and Kittiwake, Fulmar and Sandwich terns also were pretty much the same, too.
Big difference was Manxies, with 5x more on the Monday, despite 'worse' wind and weather!

Back to parallels; w/pl RTDs on both days - and different individuals, too! - which both times came south, then changed their mind and went back north?? Both days saw two skuas, a dark and a light morph! But... Sunday's skuas were both immatures, and both Poms, while Monday's were adult Arctics. The light morph of the latter was a particularly cracking one, with streamers a Long-tail would be proud of, and it came in close enough for me to try a photo. I missed, naturally. :(

Monday had more variety of species, including Whimbrel, Scoters, and a variety of gulls, though Sunday had more Puffins. The calmer seas on Monday saw actual cetaceans - though not many as there were still plenty of MTs - namely the inevitable Harbour Porps, and some distant ones with big black fins; which looked very interesting but were, as I said, very distant. Drat.

Getting back to Sunday, this chap came in/off right next to me :) and wondered where the flapjack was;

[Damn autofocus..]

Speaking of pictures;

Urrgh, gulls...

Shrike Substitute

Classic Seawatching Weather

"So, darling, who are we having for dinner?"

"Listen, kid. Nobody thinks you're even scarce..."

"I tell you, if I pose hard enough, he'll buy it!"

"Never mind those grey and white things, look at me!!"

A bit of both, there.


It was great to be back seawatching after a long weather- and work-related break [ok, not that long, but it felt like it]. Even better to pull birds from the teeth of seeming despair, it goes to remind you that the Goddess of Birding rewardeth whom She pleases and punisheth whom She pleases, but She is most oft to favour those who suffer in Her name. ;)


Be Seeing You..


EDIT: After more than a week of Swift, I can at last report SWIFTS!! At least 5 zooming around the rooftops this evening. :D



[[*This has happened, due to innattention or bloody-mindedness I never found out and didn't feel like asking. Neither party enjoyed the experience.]]