Thursday 28 March 2013

Offshore Swelling

Wow. We have experienced some weather this week. By some I mean bad, really bad, all was lost in the 50mph SE gales that rattled every gram of spring from the Farnes. A picture speaks a thousands words, but neither really sum up the shear bone shaking pounders' that were hitting our fair shores since the arrival one week ago...













Mother nature kicking off!


These insane conditions did not deliver in rarity form, with my ongoing anti-White-spotted Bluethroat headache along with my definitely-not-getting-any-summer-migrants withdrawel soothed by such sights as 20 Goldeneye, 8 Long-tailed Duck, Glaucous Gull and summer plumaged Little Auk, bringing the crip to the ple as they sheltered from the storm...


Long-tailed Ducks being brilliant!

Meanwhile the breeders were distinctly un-amused with the whole -5 windchill action and thus failed to materialise properly until today when the cliffs were adorned by countless Guillemot while the shores buzzed with sudden hormone fuelled Black-headed Gull and Kittiwake frenzies. But more on our resident frontal lobe lobotomising cripples later this week. Until then check some of the more arty breeders which consist mainly Fulmar, the only bird hard enough to inhabit the Farnes throughout that aformentioned climatic fiasco.

'intermediate' Fulmar, not quite white, not quite blue....

Fulmar love on a wall...

Auks rafting to the south...it begins!

Birding continues in earnest with singing Twite being a notable highlight along with continuing wintry avian diversity including Woodcocks exploding every so often to quicken the pace..

My best Woodcock pic..with the Pele Tower for '#atmosphere'

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