Hat And Gloves In July!

The real ale was flowing nicely last night as I had just taken a delivery of Orkney Brewery ales and therefore I didn't roll out of my pit until 5.30 a.m. I headed to the Obs to do some seawatching, but unfortunately the wind was northwesterly which is far from ideal here. The other fly in the ointment was the heat haze, but at least the views across the bay to the Lakes were as pleasant as always.

 Looking across the bay in the early morning light towards the Lakeland 

Fells (above and below).

Even though I didn't get up until 5.30 a.m. I was still in position looking out at the sea just after six and it was cold. In fact it was cold enough for hat and gloves! I spent an hour and a half struggling with the heat haze and moaning to myself about the wind direction, before reminding myself that it was only July after all.

Other than Gannets it was quiet out at sea and my totals included ten Cormorants, just one Sandwich Tern, 29 Gannets, an Auk sp. and six Common Scoters.

The only vis I had was a single Swift that headed northeast across the Bay. In fact it might not have been vis at all and could easily have been a late breeding bird heading to south Cumbria to forage for aerial invertebrates. Swifts nesting in Suffolk are known to cross the North Sea to Belgium to forage and bring back invertebrates for dependant young in the nest. 

High tide was virtually the same time as when I arrived so I didn't have time to look at the wader roost as I wanted to get straight on with looking at the sea, but a few waders flew past as the tide dropped including seven Ringed Plovers, 78 Dunlins and 60 Sanderlings.

There's rain coming in tomorrow, but I should get a couple of hours birding in before the rain arrives as long as I don't have too many of those Orkney ales again!