Not the Plaice to be

The Safari braved the freezing chill this morning and because there was no wind it was far more comfortable than expected. A shimmery heat haze danced over the horizon reducing the small flocks of Common Scoters to indeterminate wobbly blobs

A few Cormorants flew this way and that but certainly nothing like the large numbers of a week or so ago. No gulls were up and about fishing to give any hint of the whereabouts of fish shoals; all those we saw were loafing on the flat sea waiting for the tide to ebb.

Scanning several times eventually paid dividends when close in, actually not that close about half the distance again as the low water mark so getting on for 2/3 – 3/4 mile, we watched a big bull Grey Seal tearing in to a large flat-fish, possibly a Plaice.

With our eye to the scope our ears picked up the unmistakable sound of geese in the distance. Looking up a chevron of 42 Pink Footed Geese was coming towards us at some height from the due west. A very late date to be adding this species to the year list for Patch 2 (#88).

By lunchtime the sea was even flatter but there was very little to see. Two Great Crested Grebes dived close behind the water’s edge and much further out a small flock of Common Scoters had a Red Throated Diver in its midst.

A peculiar looking root on a floating log had us guessing for a minute but we couldn’t turn it into anything more exciting.

A check through the few gulls on the beach didn’t turn up anything out of ordinary but there were a handful of Oystercatchers and Sanderlings along with a Redshank or two. 

A cold night beckons as there are extensive areas of frost still on the lawns in the works garden where the sun doesn't quite reach at this time of year...they'll be frozen a little more solid tomorrow making it more difficult for the Blackbirds to get to the worms.

At the garden gate at Base Camp we spotted these two tiny little frozen fungi growing at the base of our rosebush.

Where to next? More of the chilly but hopeful same.

In the meantime let us know who's having a fish supper in your outback.