The Safari couldn't wait to get out to the the sea wall this morning, even in the faintest of pre-dawn light we could see the sea was flatter than the carpet in your sitting room as we drove down the Prom.
It seemed to take an age to get light enough for us to nip out.
What a sight, hardly a ripple, just a little swell and not a shadow to be seen. This was going to be good.
Lazily we didn't count the now easy to see Common Scoters but did note the seven Great Crested Grebes, same seven as yesterday? While we scanned for mammals five single Red Throated Divers flew southwards. Away in the distance an unidentified auk was seen but which one was it, either of the two common ones would have been a new bird for the year.
Fortunately it didn't take long to find out, a Great Black Backed Gull swung in and landed on the water away to our left and about 20 yards in front of it was a pair of Razorbills (92, P2 #33) - happy days.
Swinging the scope right round to the north we got on one of the previously counted Great Crested Grebes and right by that was a single Guillemot (93, P2 #34). Happy happy days, if only there'd been a mammal too.
We continued scanning through the really too distant Common Scoters hoping to find a 'better' duck but 'only' came across another Guillemot.
It was cooler out there than it has been for many a day but with the conditions so good it was one of those days when work really was the bane of the birding classes!
By lunchtime the wind had dropped even more but sadly a session in the dentist's chair beckoned. You chose a day at random in all this duff weather and it clashes with one of the best spotting days of the winter - dohhhh don't yer just hate it when that happens.
Where to next? Hopefully the wind won't have picked up much overnight and the conditions will still be perfect.
In the meantime let us know who put in a welcome appearance in your outback.
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