Wednesday 15 September 2010

Funny ole day

The Safari always believed we were reasonably observant. That is until we noticed this lichen encrusted lump of granite on the side of the path through Patch 1. We've probably walked past it about 200 times over the last couple of years! But why is it there just sat on the ground and where did it come from?
Later on the walk we were a bit concerned to find the remains of a Zebra. Cautiously we looked for Lions and Hyenas, just in case, but they must have finished their meal and left little for the scavengers as we didn't see any Jackals or Lappet-faced Vultures either.
The Peregine had roosted on the tower last night too.
At tea-time we stood on the Prom for two hours being battered by the wind and covered in spume off the waves. It was worth it just to wind down after the emotional intensity of the funeral for a family member who was 'taken' far too soon.
We were looking for little scraplets of feathers dancing and skipping through the turmoil - Leach's Petrels. This woman was stood right in the way of our field of view for about an hour and a half!
At the height of the tide we had a Sandwich Tern move through quickly southwards. Not long later the holy grail appeared, a poor view of a Leach's Petrel (177). Nothing much else happened for another three quaters of an hour. Then a young gull dived into the boiling cauldron of the surf and came out with a small fish! Unfortunately, or fortunately for the fish, the gull dropped it trying to turrn it headfirst to be swallowed.
The going home alarm went but with the tide turning the sea was calming down and we thought that any Leach's that may have have been blown into the bay on the tide could come out of the bay and past us on the ebb tide so we gave ourselves another 15 minutes. Really glad we did as before too long we picked another one up coming round the toe of the boating pool. Gee they are tiny morsels of life in a the big bruising briny. One a few millimetres of greasy feathers to keep them warm and dry in all that rage, and there was us on dry(ish) land layered with thermofleece and a thick waterproof jackets and keks and we were still a bit chilly! A great view as it came winging through the troughs, well worth the wait - home we went - refreshed and happy.
Where to next? Back to the Patches - a Leach's on Patch 2 tomorrow morning wouldn't go amiss.
In the meantime let us know what got blown about in your outback.

1 comment:

Monika said...

That's the great thing about being observant - you never seem to observe it all!