Thursday 14 April 2011

Same temperature as yesterday but much warmer?

The Safari would like you to work that one out if you can...simples as those pesky Meerkats say...°C was the same as yesterday but the wind has dropped considerably making it feel a good bit more pleasant. Patch 1 was fairly quiet, once again the Robins were noticeable by their absence – they’re there, they just ain’t lettin on they’re there. A Blackcap sang from the Golden Triangle and Wrens were everywhere. The Blackbirds were quiet but unlike the Robins not shy of showing themselves with every patch of grass having one listening for worms. our Coal Tit was back in the central conifers and we heard two Chaffinches singing this morning. At the Butterfly Zone the Blackcap had been joined by a Willow Warbler but no Chiffchaffs were recorded. With the drop in the wind the sea was much calmer over on Patch 2 although there was still a biggish swell that could easily hide a Cormorant for long periods. At first glance it looked as though the sea was fairly empty but two Red Throated Divers were soon found followed by to others flying in. Another singleton was seen not too far away which was joined by an unidentified auk which appeared as if from nowhere and promptly dived in to the black hole that lives beneath the waves never to be seen again. Nothing much else was happening, five Sandwich Terns fished just offshore but further out the visibility was pretty poor obliterating the horizon. As we were in the throes of giving up a small flock of Dunlin whizzed past followed a few moments later by two male Red Breasted Mergansers. After a few more minutes of nothingness we headed for the obligatory cuppa. We shoulda stayed out just a little while longer as later in the day we discovered someone else had seen a couple of Harbour Porpoises and two Velvet Scoters only a few minutes after we’d left...doh don’t yer just hate it when that happens!!! The lunchtime safari didn’t amount to much. A thick drizzle had set in over the sea and visibiltiy was just about useless. On the beach we found three pairs of Sandwich Terns taking easy. A few gulls mooched about what little of the outfall pipe was exposed and a Turnstone was making the most of too. In the car park a Pied Wagtail flitted about, the only small bird of any note on Patch 2 today. Where to next? An over the border safari tomorrow morning, lets hope the weather is kind as we are after a rather special little invertebrate...all will be revealed in due course In the meantime let us know if the visibility is improving in your outback.

1 comment:

Warren Baker said...

Robins have gone quiet here too Dave, just a few 'ticks' being heard. The eggs are hatching!