3rd Sept.
The weather forecast looked unpromising, or promising depending upon your
point of view, so we were down at Seaton Sluice quite early this morning. There was no room at the inn as others had
beaten us down there, but unlike the New Testament tale, we were invited in, but decided to brave the dampness, wind and
cold outside as in truth being outside does give a much wider vision across the
sea. Our morning on the headland at
Seaton Sluice and later on St Mary’s Island didn’t bring us anything as
exciting as Beluga Whales, oh if only,
but did bring us some decent sightings of birds. Incidentally you can now buy a hot drink in
the islands shop, pay £1.30 for a cardboard cup and a teabag and be told that
you can get your hot water around the corner.
I wonder what the profit is on each cup sold? A nice little earner there I suspect, not
that the money was pouring in today as there was so few folk braving the
weather.
Signifigant sightings for us were Brent Geese (pb 15), Manx
Shearwater (5), Great Skua (1), Arctic Skua (dark and light phase 8), Goldeneye
(6), Whimbrel (2), Ruff (2) along with significant numbers of Fulmar, Gannet,
Great Black-back Gull, Common Gull and Kittiwake. There were small numbers of Sandwich Terns
and the odd Guillemot and Puffin. We
found our first Purple Sandpipers (2) of the autumn, which were very nicely
marked and other waders seen were Oystercatcher, Ringed Plover, Lapwing, Golden
Plover, Sanderling, Turnstone, Dunlin, Knot and Curlew.
So all in all, worth getting out of bed early!
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