More moth drowning

The Safari should have looked at more weather forecasts before putting the moth trap out last night. It wasn't long after we'd turned in that we heard rain rattling on the windows. The big question all night was would the garage electric have tripped out. No it hadn't the lamp was still on when we let Frank out in the morning, lucky! Not so lucky for some of the moths though it was pretty squishy down in the depths.

A well worn Iron Prominent was a decent find

Not a lot else over-exciting in the macro line but there were a couple of nice micros

Cochylis atricapitana

Cydia splendana

Now we get that these look like bird muck and that's camouflage but some of the other micros have such fine patterns and colours it does make us wonder why, it can't be for camouflage but how do they use it for communication (if that's what it is) when they come out in the dark or do they see different colours than we can at night or is it something else entirely. We do like a good wildlife mystery!

Today was the final day of National whale and Dolphin Watch and we were in position at the appointed hour, or nearly in position we had to chose a nearby hideout to get some shelter from the gale that was blowing.

With waves like that as far as the eye could see, and that wasn't far in the squally rain showers, it didn't take much intuition to realise that seeing blubber wasn't on the cards today. 

Our most interesting sighting was a of a juvenile Pied Wagtail that landed on the pavement in front of us and looked tired. it started to acrobatically collect insects and/or spiders from the brickwork of the low wall bordering the garrdens.

A few wind blown Kittiwakes went by and there was a constant light stream of Lesser Black Back Gulls making their way top warmer winter quarters.

The conditions didn't get any better as the tide rose but if you don't look you deffo won't see, that's guaranteed, and sometimes if you do look you won't see either but that's real life , if you want instant wildlife turn on the telly but it's not the same as earning the thrill of whatever sightings yourself.

Close by we found a small flock of Common Scoters sat just behind the surf while more Kittiwakes struggled south.

A Whimbrel was mixed in with a small flock of Oystercatchers flying past on their way to roost, not long after a single Manx Shearwater swept by. Best bird of the day was a 1st summer Mediterranean Gull which bucked the trend by going north.

With only half an hour of the four hour stint to go we could just about make out the Cumbrian coast across the bay, but no chance of seeing the Lake District fells through the dense low cloud, and then time was up and a warming cuppa back at Base Camp was sorely needed.

Where to next? Back on the beach for some family wildlife fun tomorrow

In the meantime let us know what was worth a long wait in the cold for in your outback.