Once more into the gloom of a grey early patrol, but enlivened almost immediately by the sight of a Jay, flashy blues, pinks and white as it gently flew just ahead of me.
Towards the Castle, to have a look at the plants that were put in yesterday, but I was distracted by a Bullfinch was perched in the branches of a Wayfaring Tree, a dot of bright pink drawing my attention.
The cliffs a hive of activity with 3 Fulmars circling their thin, straight wings barely moving as they fly round and in and out, lower skimming above the water was a Shag, a long neck compared with the stubby wings and body, while the Shag standing on the rock was parading its thin wispy feather crest.
Bobbing on the water an array of Auks, - 33 Guillemots of which 5 were still in their winter plumage as were 2 of the 5 Razorbills, both have predominantly white heads for the non-breeding winter.
Perched on the cliffs 2 Peregrine Falcons, one above the other on the rock face, with one facing east along the coast, the other westwards.
On the ledge more Guillemots again packed in, some growling and ahead movement being made to a juvenile Herring Gull that was standing looking down on them from the big rock.
In the bottom of the gully as quick flash of brown and grey followed by a tinge of red allowed the presence of the Black Redstart to again be recognised. Their might have been a second but couldn’t tell as the second bird disappeared deep into the Bramble scrub not to the seen again.
A small group of Linnets landed on a patch of yellow flowering Gorse, a twitter as they did so.
As I turned for home, suddenly the clouds rolled back and the sky turned blue – first time for days its seems. A Blue Tit suddenly burst into song, perhaps it to was amazed to see the sun!