Rainbow Time.

The Solstice was marked by lots of rainbows. You need two things for rainbows; sunshine, and rain.

Both were present in quantity...

Soooomewheeeeere under the raaaiiiinbooooooww

[Have I already done that one?]

::Celestial Voice::

"The GND's there"

Ahem.


After the Sun finally put in a show, I was Good and checked for land birds [a Chiffchaff and a couple of Blackcaps] and then had a look at the sea. Ok, I was looking at the sea from before sunrise, and so didn't miss a couple of divers passing into the Bay. The first was in the twilight and no camera joy - which is a shame as it was a big 'throat with a thigh patch* - but the second was not quite fast enough;

Great Northern Diver

Not exactly close, but closer than the one by the Buoy Farm it flew past.

Much closer to;

Slightly better view..

Variable light...!

Multiple GNDs in one shot.. Gasp!

At 0930 there were at least 11 GNDs between the Nose and Petitor Point, plus another by the Lead Stone and that one by the Buoy Farm. Added to the 58 The Boss had from Brixham** at about the same time [which won't be the same birds] and you get a fair few divers in the area!

The day before, only 8 GNDs total from the Nose, but better pictures;

GND

Another GND

And another...

This last stayed irritatingly far out; irritating as it's pretty much s/pl! Glorious bird.

Even more impressive numbers present of bigger and also frequently wet things;

Grey Seals!

How many can you see?


Try again on Sunday;

More seals

The grey one was particularly vocal

[possibly going "Ohh, my back..."]

Ten on Saturday, which seemed pretty good, then the next morning that was slightly beaten; with in addition to the hauled-out animals, two brown youngsters close in by the outflow and a grey adult out in the cove, there were at least 16 present on Sunday. Not bad!

As the tide rose, many hit the water, but others seemed to appear, so there might have been more than 13 hauled out first thing [hard to tell with rocks and bigger seals blocking the view]

Block head

At the outflow,

53+ present on Saturday

1cy Shag,

The Mounds, Sunday

Minus head... While the first thought is Peregrine, the utter lack of blood, and the soaked through body in swim pose makes me wonder if it might have been bycatch - caught at the decapitation point on a line or in a gill net, say - discarded onshore..?

Ore Stone Guillemots

Photo'd on Saturday

With the Big Scope on Sunday I counted 471. Yes, I lugged it down.

Also on Saturday, a lovely show;

Kestrel!

Hunting low over LookOut, and let me sidle up and take that [and a dozen others I won't pester you with]. Pity the low winter light was behind him, though.


You're probably now wondering about fungi - after all, this year no post is truly complete without them - and you'd be right, I have a few.

But they're going to get a wee post of their own! Yup, another one..!


Be Seeing You...






[[*I am aware there's been sightings of a large RTD with a BTD-like patch in the Bay this year, and as it was not ideal light for viewing, I'm not specifying a colour of throat]]
[[**Yes, yes, he's much better than me...]]