Friday 15 July 2011

More To The Point!

Church Point - 07:00/09:30 today. Air-force grey ebbing tide, gentle swell, and after an hour, joined by jolly Howdon Blogger to add some wit and repartee.

Guillemots with young, Razorbills, Kittiwakes and half a dozen Red-throated Divers on the sea. A steady stream of Gannets north and two Manxies, and one Darctic Skua south.

Highlights for me where mammalian - one Common Seal and at least one each of Harbour Porpoise and White-beaked Dolphin.

Tuesday 12 July 2011

Not so pointless!

Today started very well.  7:00am and driving up the access road to my place of daily toil and a bird on the top of a lamp post.  Getting nearer, the distant Wood Pigeon became a Jackdaw became a Blackbird became a......................................feck me, it's a.................


And what a cracker!  Despite the incoming workforce, it remained there for a good 10 minutes.  And unlike other birds I try and snap, it did not fly away as the camera focussed or the scope and tripod were set up.

Can't wait for tomorrow.

And in the afternoon, on site (the private side of the gatehouse), Spotted Flycatchers doing what they do best.  The victim this time was a Small Tortoiseshell.  Brilliant!

And the final aspect in the search of a hat trick of ornithogasmic experiences, Church Point at 6pm in the company of Sir Dusted Off Bins.  I just missed some White-beaked Dolphins and two Velvet Scoter, but soon there was one then another three Arctic Skuas (and one as we left), and several pairs of Manxies.

This is the third visit in about ten days, and unlike the other two, some birds worth waiting for.

And with Northerlies tomorrow, a fourth trip is on the cards.