There and Here

I decided to see if any Little Gulls were passing yesterday morning after Richard had seen a few the previous day. I made my way up to Cliff Farm, set the scope up and scanned. It soon became apparent that LG were present albeit distantly. The sea has many moods but today it was in a good one. I spent a wonderful hour watching c200 birds. Many feeding daintily on the glass-like sea. Magic!

I then decided to try the Sewage in the hope that some may have decided to rest there. Well, one did...

P.114, H.108

Good decision! A brief adult Yellow-legged Gull (P.115, H109) was a bonus.

After a nice lunch in Hull with "the Boss", I decided to make the pilgrimage to Bempton once more. I left home at 5 with the prospect of a decent evening weather-wise. It looked good as I parked up and made my way down to the Cliffs.

As you are aware I've had some stunning views of this bird and my "Nirvana" moment last year!!! Still, you can't have too much of a good thing and it could move on, for good, at anytime? I was hoping it would come into roost on Staple Nook as it had done previously. The sun was shining directly onto the cliff and there was no heat haze now. I set up my 'scope and waited...and waited. A few chaps had it very distantly on the sea but I didn't try too hard to pick the dot out. I figured I'd wait for them to give the "it's flying" shout.

Sure enough, around 7pm it started to head in towards its roost site on Staple Nook. I enjoyed prolonged flight views as it wheeled around the cliffs before eventually settling at its chosen roost site...

c800 yds

The views through the scope were stunning. I'd had my fill by 8 as the light became diffuse, so I headed home, very happy. I reflected once more on the magnitude of this record and the pleasure it has given to thousands. Surely THE most photographed bird.

Last night's decision was re-inforced as I awoke this morning to heavy drizzle and mist. Also the BBA left its roost at 7 and flew North and hadn't been seen again as I write?

There's been an adult Rose-coloured Starling lingering at Kilnsea. I didn't fancy a local stroll in the drizzle so I headed down in the car and parked up by the row of houses where the bird had been frequenting. It was raining now! I didn't have long but there were some very bedraggled Starlings around. John Hewitt stopped as he passed on his bike. We had a chat about tomorrow's game and whereabouts the bird had been seen. A few Starlings gathered on a nearby roof...there it was! Absolutely soaked...but there you go...

P.116, S.54

I have been looking hard here...but no luck...yet!