Choppy seas not good for seeing

The Safari was back to work after the Christmas break yesterday and greeted as we arrived by a bit of a  sunrise which looked as though it was going to deliver more than it did in the end.

Those con trails really pee us off - the sky would look so much better without them they're just 'wrong'

We were unable to get out for a Patch 2 look-see until lunchtime by which time the tide was almost full and the sea quite choppy in the stiff onshore breeze.

There were a lot of Common Scoters (74) out there, easily 2000 almost all flying north in big groups but not a lot else other than Common Gulls and a few Cormorants. Eventually we found a Red Throated Diver (75) flying between the troughs.

A pair of Great Black Backed Gulls came by and a younger bird further out, then bird of the day appeared out off the gloom an adult Kittiwake (76) moments before we were about to leave.

The drive back to Base Camp along the prom in a miserable dusk chad us watching the piers and not the road as first at least 7500 Starlings out on a cracking display at Central Pier followed by a less active 5000 more at North Pier with more arriving overhead.

This morning the rain came down and again we didn't get an early look over the wall.

By lunchtime the weather had improved but the wind was more brisk than yesterday and the waves were coming over the wall and got us smack in the face a couple of times so we didn't stay out long!

Nothing new for the year was added today, the first 'blank' day of many many more no doubt. Not totally blank as we did add a few more very common birds to the Patch 2 list like Blackbird and Feral Pigeon, our Patch 2 list has now reached the giddy height of 13 species.

As we left the office we saw that there were quiet a few more Daffodils in flower than before the holiday.

Apologies for the poor pic taken in the almost dark.

Tonight there was a sunset on the drive back to Base Camp and we were hopeful of a good Starling murmuration or two but there were very few swarming over Central Pier and none at North Pier at all; possibly the lighter evening meant they were staying out in the fields feeding later.

Where to next? All to play for tomorrow on Patch 2 before some serious wind sets in for the rest of the week.

In the meantime let us know who's swarming or not in your outback