Getting On With It. Pt.1, Late Again...

Once upon a time, there was a Backward Birder who could go tarting off about the place, massive scope over his shoulder, chasing almost any bird he fancied [when he wasn't working, anyway...]. Sometimes he even saw them.

But those times are gone, so now he has to just get on with it.

It could, after all, be far worse.

[[:: Crowd :: "GET ON WITH IT!!!!!!!" ]

Trying and failing - I got frickin' gazumped..!! - to get a new li'l car interrupted a series of visits to the Nose, in search of anything, really.

A cunning plan to use my last Friday to get to the Nose early was vexed by Other Issues [it just isn't stopping, this year...], but eventually I got there and did what I could...

Wheatear!

As tends to be the way at the Nose, once you've finally seen one, you find loads.... At least 4 present.

A lone Willow Warbler was the only other migrant of note oneshore, as as you might expect it was a bit dire so late in the day.

Offshore was another matter, with a juv Swallow going by low over the waves north [I did ask why, but it didn't answer]. Much much further out, two distinct feeding groups; right down NE of Berry Head were at least 250 birds which looked like Kittiwakes but were just too distant with the optics I had. At least 4 probably Arctic Skuas were 'keeping them company'*. Somewhat closer [in the northern half of the Bay, at least...] were 66+ dark seabirds which looked awfully like Balearics in shape, size, and flight and feeding action, foraging in a long loose line. Aside from a handful of diving Gannets, they were alone, not even much in the way of gulls around them.

On the shore, the wave-cut platform held a mere 7 Oyks, one of which dislodged a Common Sand, which came skimming past and vanished tight in along the Sole.

ID the Hoverfly

Not easy from this angle. I now have a very funky book, but the step by step ID bit [SO useful] starts with 'the pattern of veins in the wing'... Bugger.

 

Lots of insects about, with Ivy Bees on the wing in numbers, but not feeling posey. 

 

 

Also of note, a very small very dark Common Lizard!. I'd assume this year's?

So, all in all, better than I had a right to expect.

Though still not exactly earthshattering.

Keep on keeping on.

Be Seeing You...

[[* In case you desire explainations; feeding gulls being chased by agile skuas of about the same size are going to be Kitts and Arctics. Especially here and now. 

Poms and Common Gulls? Bonxies and Herring Gulls? [But shape and attacking style** wrong, though the odd Pom can be pretty Arctic-y] maybe Poms and Commons off northern Russia at some times [maybe?] but that many of either let alone both here? ID via probability is shunned for a reason {and you note 'looked like' and 'probably' up there}, but there are some times when you can just say 'Come on...' ]]

[[** Poms and especially Bonxies are just as happy to eat you as your lunch...]]