Another Trip To The Nose

Being on Nights is not conducive to early starts [at least if you want to stay awake at work and thus keep said job...], fortunately, my primary target at the moment isn't fond of early starts either. Dear Wheatears being diurnal migrants, they won't show up here until mid-morning at least [As Bailey Senior once said to me, "Don't bother before ten" :) ]. Ok, so birds that arrived the day before may be about [unless they decide to move on, in which case they're off at first light], but to get the ultimate classic; the in/off, you don't need to be there early [and how often can you say that in birding?].

Having Things to Do, especially on Mothers' Day, meant swanning off to the Nose had to wait for the afternoon. I did make up for it by being slightly naughty [not really supposed to be carrying any weight I can avoid*] and taking rations [sarnie, apple, chunk of ginger cake, small flask.. :) ] plus the li'l [I was being quite good] scope in the big rucksack [totally over-bagging it, but the weight on the hips and off the shoulder is a good thing].

The wind was being very naughty again and hitting north and south sides of the Nose at once [I pointed out that that was cheating. It laughed.], and landbirds [aside from a Chiff near the Entrance Bushes] were thin on the ground, so to speak. Lots of gulls and Gannets messing about offshore, with a total lack of divers and a lone GC Grebe in Brandy Cove slightly enlivened by a sudden rise in auks; 35+ Guillemots and 3+ Razorbills were dotted all over the sea, though nothing sat on the Ore Stone.

Main action - in an hour and a half of casual watching [oh, the joy of just sitting and staring at the sea...] - happened waaaay out. Just south of East and a good 2km out [so at the far edge of what my scope could deal with, oh for the Big one], I first picked up 4 Sandwich Terns, moving north, then loitering about a patch of sea. They were clearly feeding out there, but only visable when illuminated by the sun. I lost them after a few minutes, but picked up them or another group a while later, this time at least 5 possibly as many as 7, slightly north of the first sighting. They were again loitering, and were joined by about 4 Kittiwake from the north, with a couple of large gulls possibly looking in, too. [It can be hard to tell at long range and low angle how close birds actually are to each other]. Then it got exciting, as the/a light morph Pom Skua appeared from the south [and seeming inshore] and went into them in classic bowling ball style... I saw it chasing a Kittiwake, then a cloud went over them and I lost the lot. Maybe 5 minutes later, I picked up 3 or 4 Sarnies near that position, again loitering, so presumably the skua had moved on. Lots of fun! [The terns and Kitts would disagree with that point...]

All waaaay too far out to even try to get a photo [camera says 'Ha ha!']. But you deserve something to looks at, so here's;

Purple Sand!

[The worrywart in me requires that I point out that you need to be very aware of what the sea's doing before going after these little darlings, as they're right out over the end and rogue waves happen.]

Cut to Monday afternoon, where, despite having work that night, I was again down the Nose! Well, the weather had shifted and it seemed actually birdy.

Nope.

However, I did see a Firecrest down in the FirstandLast Bushes and allllmost got a photo.. Also of note, not a single diver or grebe to be seen, and the numbers of Guillemots - now on the Ore Stone ledges - were well into three figures.

Trickle of Meadow Pipits still moving overhead but no Sandy [verrrry hard to get on Patch]. Chiffchaff calling not singing again up the First Slope.

Aaaaargh...

As horrid gulls go, this one isn't thaaaat bad, is it?

[[Not as bad as all that text up there...]]

Bringing things up more to date, it was inevitable that the first day I wasn't there, a Wheatear would turn up. Then hang around until the first time I was there.

Typical.

I might be able to refrain from moaning, but you're unlikely to avoid a Rockit.  o:)

Be Seeing You...

[[* I've hurt myself again - left shoulder this time, the muscle not the joint - and am again on that lovely cocktail of prescription drugs... Joy. ]]