Monday 7 July 2014

First autumn seawatch

Dungeness - 1400-1600hrs - warm, dry, sunny, sw 3 - Accompanied MH to the fishing boats for a first seawatch of the return passage, where we were joined by PB. A trickle of passing Gannets, Sandwich and Common Terns was the order of a slow afternoon, but did include a 1st summer Common Tern (aka Portlandica) a plumage that is rarely seen here. Also, two each of Curlew, Med Gull, Common Scoter and a Fulmar, plus a Harbour Porpoise and Grey Seal just offshore.
The light was dreadful, the seabirds slow and the conversation soon turned to other matters; for some reason or other, I can`t remember why, but we got onto the subject of the human race (such is the way on seawatches...) and our propensity for environmental Armageddon. PB rose to the occasion with some pretty radical ideas on how to put things straight (which I agreed on) but that subject resolution is probably best left for another day...
Lade  - 1800hrs - A pleasant evening walk along south lake with Mrs PT and Barney was notable for a count of 145 Curlews tucked up and roosting on the storm beaches, while two Buzzards drifted north over the `mirrors`. The lake was covered in wildfowl, grebes and gulls feeding amongst increasing amounts of surface weed.

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