Sea Watching Again

It didn't start well.

An unfortunate technical problem* saw me arrive at the Nose a good 2.5 hours later than desired....

Worse, those who'd actually got out of bed had had of all things a Cuckoo! This would be a first for the Nose for me - not to mention a Patch year tick - so extra pain. Even worse, the BLEEPing thing pulled a Houdini and no further sign....

Silver lining, if you could call it that, was the very small amount of actual seawatchy stuff I'd missed, aside from a handful of Puffins [and of course one was very close...].

Having brought my kit down, I wasn't going to be put off by the swift abandonment of the place by most of the watchers [and there were 4! That's vast crowds by modern Nose standards...]. I sat down resolutely on the Steps and gave it 4 hours, only giving up when the wind got too easterly and the birds had seemingly taken the rest of the day off.

In that time I surprisingly managed to see a few things... Even more unusually, a couple of the Nose's finest were with me for much of it, which was very helpful picking up the assorted sneaky waders trying to get by without being noticed.

 

 

Seawatching view

 

Right. What can you see here? Well, aside from gulls, there's that thing right of centre. Long neck, feet sticking out the back, strong downsweep in the flight action.. If I said it was summer plumage you might even work out that it's a GND. Which it is. Going south, because reasons.

Numbers, compare and contrast to Monday;

Manx, 41

Gannet, 153

Kittiwake, 28 [6 2cy]

Fulmar, 51

GND, 1

Puffin, 3

Common Scoter, 15 [two groups]

Whimbrel, 1

Purple Sandpiper, 13

Wader sp. [probably Dunlin], 20+

Sanderling, 1

Swallow, 15

Yellow Wagtail, 1 [in/off calling right overhead!]

Swallow, 15

One of the scoter was just slow enough to catch in another awful photo;

Just about to vanish behind the Ore Stone

Note much tubbier body and thinner neck than any Cormorant or Shag [other long-necked all-dark birds in area].

When the shifting wind and dropping passage kicking me into leaving,  I took the time to try to find that Cuckoo on my way out. As you already know, Cuckoo fail but Whinchat win, so silver linings.

A nice Wheatear was also about the place.

Cute

Another notable figure was the return of an old 'friend'

Trouble!

Now a 4cy and still going strong, despite the duff wing. :D

While she can be a pain when I'm trying to give the Rockits bits of sammich, it's good to see she's surviving.

On that cheery note, I shall 

Be Seeing You...

[[* That would be 'I turned my alarm off in my sleep'.... Oh dear. ]]