Sunday

After not being able to join in the fun the day before, I somehow managed to drag up and get to the Nose at an almost early hour, in the hope the weather forecast would be accurate and some of the previous day's wind and rain would persist.

Ho ho ho

Ha ha ha.

There was a slick of sorts still going, and if the wind hadn't died, or the rain behaved, it could have been rather interesting...

 

Bit of swell,

hint of slick

 

Blobs 8 of 11 GNDs,

rafting north of Ore Stone

Much closer GND

Flypast GND

[one of the 14!]

Kittiwakes

Guillemot

In 2.5 hours from the Mounds,

[all S unless stated]

GND 14 [also 13+ on sea]

RTD  1

Stormie  1 [0813, heading E fast]

Pom Skua  1 [0841, imm dark/int, N]

Gannet  160

Fulmar  2

Com Gull  2

Med Gull  4

Kittiwakes passing and lingering in the hundreds, auks [mostly Guillemots at first, then more Razorbills] also passing and lingering, including ~310 on the Ore Stone at 0810 and another 350+ flying out of the Bay in one mass at 0830 [these apparently entirely Guillemots]

6+ Common Dolphin came south and loitered to the NE of the Ore Stone

Also 10 Oyk on the Lead Stone, with 3 LBB stopping off there.

GNDs aside, not exactly vast numbers*, and again Grey Phalarope and Leach's evade me, but still much better than the weather merited and certainly worth the try.

Later in the day I took an amble about Haldon with the Folks. It was moderately quiet, with very little stopping to pose - Crossbills and Siskin flyover only, no Redpoll - but still rather scenic,

Pretty Crow photo

Yes, it is Autumn, I think

Giant Funnel

Those the only fungi visible, due to 'foraging'...

A handful of flyover Fieldfare were the only even slightly unusual thing, but it wasn't a birding trip [though a Woodcock or something would have been nice.. ;) ]

[[I perhaps ought to note the coffee and pirate gingercake - whilst watching said sunset - were perhaps the true primary purpose of the afternoon.! o:) ]]

Be Seeing You...

[[* For 'these days'. You used to get big numbers of passing divers on a good day. These were birds which had been roosting in the sheltered waters between Nose and Teign and heading out/onward.]]