Friday, August 24, 2007

Another cog in the murder machine

... which is a weird way of saying I was up early again this morning. It's killing me. Flat flat flat calm. I despaired of seeing any shearwaters, figured they wouldn't like having to flap their wings too much. BUT I was wrong; that's twice it's happened now. Cos between 05:45 and 06:50 I got 10 Sooty Shearwaters (9N 1S), which is almost like proper seawatching. Only 3 Manx Shearwaters. An unusually large number of Northern Gannets going north (391, cf. 37S), only 23 Black-legged Kittiwakes, 15 Common Scoters S and 3 N. 9 Arctic Terns north, 1 Great Skua south and 1 offshore with the gannets. Even by 6.45 it had all gone a bit feeding-flocks, with birds starting to meander round in circles.

Off passing interest, a Common Shelduck south is not common here, 2 annoying small waders went north which I think were Ringed Plovers - again not common here with no sand - and 2 White-beaked Dolphins were feeding about1 mile out early doors.

Right, this is impinging on valuable drinking time and apparently there's a thread on BirdForum about Fea's Petrels that has kicked off big time and I want to get a ringside seat.

I might be too late, but kids permitting it's give-me-Greenish-Warbler-or-give-me-death* this weekend. I've loaded the call onto my phone and I'm going to lure them out of the willows.

*death might be a bit strong. Give me piles.

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