I sneaked out for a wee look at the sea before the kiddies started chirruping for their morning worms. Just over half an hour, 07:30 - 08:05, flat calm again with a very mild inshore breeze, but the Common Gull thing continues, with 132 going south in that time. Does anyone else get these or is it just me counting them heading off from a roost??
8 Red-throated Divers south and 1 Black-throated Diver north - not only did it change direction to be different, it changed species too, and sexual orientation for all I know. 137 Northern Gannets north, 1 south, 14 Black-legged Kittiwakes north, 3 south.... yawn! 14 Manx Shearwaters north, and 2 Sooty Shearwaters, a few Northern Fulmars and auks, 5 Common Scoters north and 10 Velvet Scoters. 2 Great Skuas north, and that was it. I know that even in these very special times, Great Shearwaters don't come past in flocks of 5, except that at enormous distance (5 km?) I could just about make out 5 birds heading north and I can't imagine what else they might have been. No plumage detail of course, but there was something about the way they flew that compels me to finish this sentence hanging. More to forget about. I noted the time 08:00 and hoped that some wide-eyed and very lucky seawatcher would report them from Girdleness 30 min later, but no such miracle occurred. Or maybe it was a flock of Fulmars!
I arrived back home to find hungry kids circling the fridge menacingly. Lizzie had fed herself. This is my conversation with Peter...
Me: Do you want Coco Pops?
Peter: No, Chocolate Frosted Sugar Bombs*
Me: OK (Pours bowl of Chocolate-Frosted Sugar Bombs)
P: No! I want Coco Pops!
M: What do you say?
P: Please!
M: OK (Pours C-f SB back in paket, pours bowl of Coco Pops).
P: I want both!
M: A mixture?
P: Yes!!
M: That's not how you ask, is it?
P: [With Father Jack-like insincerity and sarcasm] Pleeeaasssssssssssseeeeee!!!!!!
*Not their real name. In real life... Cookie Crisp.
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