Seawatching Madness

It certainly seemed like it today at the Nose. Quite often.


The wind was a strong SE, gusting here, there, and everywhere - which made it darn nigh impossible to watch anywhere. Despite its use as a rubbish dump*, I started at the Traditional Spot [as the Steps were in full force], but having gusts come up from below and behind made holding my brolly in the near constant rain [did I mention that? Yup, it kept raining.. It would ease off just long enough to make you wonder, before starting up again] a job for two hands and a leg**. Thus no chance of say, writing in a notebook, or taking a picture [stop cheering!], let alone digging out coffee or rations..

There is a Balearic in this shot.

Honest. 

There were birds, and the wind might move around, so I stuck at it for a while. Then, with a sulphurous blast worthy of Beelzebub's bottom, the chummer started up  :D  So I kept at it some more.

But it couldn't last. Eventually, after some very nice birds as shall be seen, I bit the bullet and moved. Up to The Mounds, as there was nowhere else. [I'd hoped the wind had shifted so I could get to the Steps, but no.]

I found somewhere where I only needed one hand on the bumbleshoot, so that had to be it. I was twisted a bit, and on lumps, and with a restricted view, but I was watching! Even better, I could contemplate food...

Nice chum slick

Alas, it didn't last. First I ran out of birds, then I ran out of coffee, then my bumbleshoot went 'doing!' as 20-ply of thread plus duct tape sheared under a nasty gust, then [yes, more] the final nail; I started cramping up.. Drat.

I don't like giving up. I knew before I started that it wouldn't be a full-dayer [things to do, you see], but I would have liked to get to at least 8 hours.. Oh well.

Anyway, enough moaning.


Early on, it was really good! Great Shearwater with two Sooties good! Wooooo!!! [And were they moving; Mr Hamilton would have had trouble keeping up!]
Also 6 Manxies and 5 Balearics by 0900. No more, though. Yup, no shears after 9... WTA?!?

There was a nice movement of skuas, with a Pom, a juvie Bonxie, and no less than 14 Arctics. I even got on a couple!

The rear two of four Arctics

Also lots of Common Scoter passing; 97 in drips and big groups - one of which were incautious;

Wait.. What are those??

Flying high was the fatal mistake..

Yes, duck shots! :)

Terns were infrequent but brilliant, and included a very silly 12 Blacks! They came through in two close groups of 6, with one being harassed by a 1cy Herring Gull which seemed to think it was a skua - it succeeded only in driving them off the slick and denying my the chance to inflict more blobs on you..

Other passage was; Gannet 239, Kittiwake 146, and Fulmar 52.  Not exactly epic.

Definitely epic was the grounded migrant on the rocks below my new viewpoint; Wheatear! [It dodged the camera, though.. :( ]


Finally, there's no escape from them;

Group shot

Time for your close-up

This was the most photogenic gull on display [yes, very low standards; not even a Med], and proved skilled at getting out of the way just before I could get a lock on him.. I got this picture by dropping the brolly and getting very rained on - he'd annoyed me that much. Still, it was this one or a juv GBB, so be grateful!


It was a very bipolar experience, with some very high highs, and some.. er, other bits not to be detailed [the air may have gone not so much blue as ultraviolet at times.. Ahem]. Getting back to find out I'd missed a lovely-looking Sab's and at least one LTS wasn't joyous either, but BH missed my GS, so swings and roundabouts, eh?



Be Seeing You.. 


[[*There looked like about a skip's worth piled in the corner there. Festering rubbish, mostly sort-of bagged, plus extra fish guts. Lovely. Ah, the aroma.. {Oh, the sarcasm..}]]
[[**Oh, and a shoulder.]]