A complete blanket of damp grey cloud covered us today, so encouraging me to take a wander towards the cliffs.
The chugging sound of a largish fishing boat to be heard, and following it was section of large birds, the most common gull was the Great Black-backed Gull, a variety of ages obvious form the differences in the plumage which ranged from the mottled brown of this years youngsters to, dark grey to the majestic black backed adults.
Alongside these various Herring Gulls and in the distance a couple of glorious white backed, black tipped Gannets gliding low over the water.
From the glass panelled Observation Point, I spent a number of minutes admiring the superb flying skills of the Fulmars, at least 4 circling round, sometimes coming so close to the cliffs that it looks like their wings tips will touch.
Whirring in and out were numerous Guillemots, of the 80 or so I counted only 2 seemed still to be in their ‘winter’ non-breeding plumage, having moulted ready for the spring season.
A very different movement caught my eye as a Peregrine glided below, a sharp flap followed by a glide, and this silver grey backed bird with darker wings and head.
From a Wayfaring Tree, a Wren was loudly singing, the small bird perched on one of the furry branches, the tail erect.
A clump of bright yellow Gorse was being used by Dunnock as a perch and by a Robin as a singing spot.
As I wrote in my notebook, a tiny (3mm long) fly landed, to me unidentified and unidentifiable.