After The Drought

A weekend of seawatching on Patch, primarily from the Nose [oh, shock] and finally finally I've seen another skua.

Don't believe me?

Lookit!

That's no gull...

... that's a 

dark morph Arctic Skua!

Fresh from annoying [in the classic nautical sense] a few poor innocent Kittiwakes.

Friday and a 7.5hr watch [at last, decent hours] was, well, largely birdless for long periods; not least due to some dreadful visibility and having to hold on to the brolly with both hands, even hiding behind Glonk Corner...

Had to wait for skuas, too, but I got a few in the end; 4 Arctics, a sp. which was 90% another, and a Pom [no Bonxie, still, though...]

Not too promising at first

Hours of rain had an effect

Then the sea got really frisky

Gulls!

Med Gull

in primary moult

Against a dark background

Against a light background

Hey, I only got one well, ok?

At least 5 were passing by or hanging around. :D

Sh sp.              1

Balearic          4

Manx              78

Gannet            65/2

Kittiwake        57

Fulmar             32

Puffin               2

Med Gull         2

BHG                6+

YLG                5+

C Scoter          27  [1 flock]

Dunlin             3

Arctic Skua     4

Skua sp. [A/P] 1 

Pom Skua        1

Tern sp.           4

Most of those scoter

[little gits spread out as I zoomed in...]

Cut to...

Next day, with

The Teacher

Drat.

But

Got 'em all this time!

15 C Scoter, 8m 7f, a bit closer in and in much better visibility.

In 2hrs,

Manx           10/4

Shear sp.      1

Gannet         26/1

Kittiwake     23/7

Fulmar         3

Med Gull     6

C Scoter       15

LBB             2

BHG            4

Med Gull

Spot the Meds!

Finally, a late afternoon amble to Wall's Hill and a watch of the more sheltered waters to the north gave a distant group of about 15 Kittiwake, a possible skua going to say "Hi there!", a passing pod of at least 29 Common Dolphin, and - finally at a shootable range - two more Commons, both of which I managed to get on pixel!

ID that cetacean!

Not much of a challenge if you've read the text, I admit... ;)

And;

Ooooh!

Look carefully to the left, that's a very small calf!

:D

It wasn't just seabirds;

Gatekeeper, sheltering from

Friday's blast!

Gallium Carpet?

Bracken on the turn!

Kestrel shelters from a surprise shower

Caves in Permian NRS*

I am sorely tempted to get geological [and archaeological, for that matter!] at that view, I can tell you.

But space issues 

[[Stop cheering.]]

Perhaps another time.

[[That shut you up.]]

Ahem.

Anyways, I shall

Be Seeing You...

[[* If you don't know, you don't want to... ;) ]]