The Great New Year's Eve Seawatch.

Sometimes a post has to do what it says on the tin.

After suffering brain pain, apathy, and inclement weather, I was resolved to get another seawatch in at year's end. And maybe, just maybe get my Patch Yearlist up to the Magic 150.

Ok, the list of birds that could provide said results were... Er, a bit unlikely. Though you never know, and rough weather after the Solstice can provide all sorts of things. [You may recall certain Ivory Sabre-toting demigods?]

Things didn't start very auspiciously, as I managed to turn my alarm off in my sleep, resulting in a 90 minute delay to proceedings.

Bugger and other comments.

But I got there, I got set up on the Steps, and I gave it a whole 2.5 hours before everything was so dead I gave up. Then I spent the rest of the day [which I had had plans for] looking for then at seaducks and nattering with the Teacher. Worse ways to wile away the day there are. [[Yes, especially when the THIRD white-winged gull of the year for the Nose pops up in front of the two of your astonished eyes...]]

Gear down...

GND coming in to

the Ore Stone channel

Formation flying.

RTDs pass into the Bay

These two pulled the same thing the next morning, too; one above the other, both 1w birds.

Adult RTD

Note the inconspicuous feet, head-down hump-backed silhouette and overall paleness.

Pied Wagtail

Many pipits and wagtails in evidence around the Sole [and further westwards when not so windy!]

Numbers of Gannets, Kittiwakes, and [largely] Razorbills were passing. 88 Gannets [mostly second hour], 164 Kittiwakes [almost all in first hour], 186 auks [even]. Also 3 Fulmar [not counting local prospectors] and 2 C Scoter.

At least 4 Common Dolphin popped up just as I was about to stop. 27 BHG and 20 Common Gull were about the slick.

Best bird by far though came through at 1109.... Little Grebe!!!!

Aside from very rare winter surprises, this is a species you just don't see on Patch; once at the Blackball roost and a couple of times in the Harbour. First record at the Nose, completes the grebes on site, and other happy epithets.

Naturally a Patch Yeartick, and took me to my final total of 149.

[And yes, I was out until dark hoping for the Big 150...]

Despite chasing said List, I spent far too little time seawatching in 2021 - a clear indicator of how badly the year went - so getting some in on the last day was definitely the right choice.

Anyways, I have finally sort-of finished this post and so now can GET ON WITH IT!!! with regards to 2022.

Oh, there's the latest Scwewy Duck, too..

Hmmm.

Be Seeing You...