part of a large gull flock off Straight Point
black redstart in classic beach 'n' boulder habitat
I did a short sea-watch from the raised beach huts just beyond the lifeboat station from 0810 - 0920. Lu and the kids were still getting up when I got back which is always good because they've not really missed me! The waves were crashing over the road - something I've not seen before, though this happens often enough further along the seafront towards the docks. Birds included the 2 female eider close offshore, 50+ gannet, 5 fulmar (all pale birds), 35+ kittiwake, 19 auk sp, 1 guillemot, 1 great northern diver, 5 diver sp, 2 dark-bellied brent goose, 1 duck sp (prob long-tailed), 1 velvet scoter and 1+ common gull. I was fully expecting to get at least one bonxie but in the limited time I had it wasn't to be.
This afternoon I nipped down to Sandy Bay to look through the large number of gulls that's feeding along the beach but I couldn't find anything unusual among them. I had better luck right beneath the cliffs of Straight Point, just at the end of the access ramp where a load of detritus has been forced into a corner. At least 2 rock pipit, 10 turnstone, a robin, 2 pied wagtail and a lovely black redstart were busily feeding in relative shelter from the ferocious gale.
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