The Safari neglected to inform you that we had a Lifer
yesterday. During an essential Frank walk whilst on our family visit we spotted
a Tree Bee in a neighbouring garden. What a crackingly bright animal and it’s
always good to find something new.
This morning we headed off down the prom in heavy drizzle.
To our right the sea was choppy and the visibility poor with low cloud heading
our way...certainly didn’t look like a June morning should.
We passed R’ouzel Puddle which today only held a few bits of
litter, not a bird in sight!
After getting organised in the office we pulled the scope
from the draw and wandered over to the sea wall in eager anticipation – we’ve
not had a good look at the sea for quite some time now and have missed out on a
fair few local goodies and a couple of year birds for our challenge with Monika
who has snuck in to the lead again.
Straight away we landed on a Gannet going north in the
distance and a black blob close in behind the heavy surf had us waiting for it
to reappear, a white bellied 1st winter male Common Scoter. More
Gannets went by and then the first three of nearly 50 Manx Shearwaters we seen
going the opposite way. Flocks of three and four Common Scoters made their way
southwards at range.
A couple of unidentified terns battled against the wind in
the distance as did a yacht which looked as though the occupants were rather
uncomfortable as it pitched, rolled and yawed through the waves.
We’d have liked to stay out longer given the numbers of Manxies
passing but time was running short and the rain getting ever closer.
Lunchtime soon came round and we were out again, this time
in warm sunshine...certainly warmer outside than in the office!
Not as much was doing although the tide was fully in. A pale
distant duck was a...answers on a post-card please...male Scaup???
In the middle distance a Grey Seal bobbed about almost as madly as the earlier yacht in the rough
and eventually a Gannet mooched past but it was hardly awe-inspiring.
We got a phone call which called a halt to proceedings just as we
got on to a group of five very distant Manx Shearwaters.
And that was that!
Where to next? More patch2 shenanigans - it looks like Patch 1 visits will be few and far between now as Frank has been to the vets this arvo and been told he has quite severe arthritis in his elbow, perhaps as a result of an unknown trauma sometime in his youth; anyway excersise is now restricted to a minimum to help prevent it flaring up and totally disabling him...poor old mutt - and he's on pain killing juice for the rest of his days...no more footy with him them but perhaps if the weather warms up we'll get him doing a bit of swimming in the sea.
In the meantime let us know what's flying around in the distance in your outback
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