Saturday 6 September 2008

A Blustery Day

With strong winds and occasional heavy showers my eyes turned to the sea, and although any shearwaters must have been beyond the range of my binoculars there was plenty to see inshore.
On the rocks was a flock of gulls which included 21 Sandwich Terns and 7 Common Terns, noisily comparing their different calls - Sandwich Terns can be heard in the village when the wind is right.

Sandwich Tern with a ring
The Mediterranean Gull on the right has a metal ring on the right leg, and a green C/R on the left, while the one below might have one on its left leg but it's not going to let us see.
Also on the sea this week were an Eider duck (rarely seen down here), and more distantly two Red-Throated Divers and a Great Skua.
To add a little colour....
a late, small Goatsbeard

Bryony

Hare's-Foot Clover
Sea Spurge and Fennel

and something else - anyone?

4 comments:

Greenie said...

Steve ,
Been looking at your mystery plant , and like you think it's a St.John's Wort , but not as we know it .
I've been struggling with a similar problem with a Ragwort type plant .
Like the Eider female .
Think the Goatsbeard has got it's time clock wrong .

Gerald said...

Wish I'd managed to get out the last few days. Nice selection of birds.

Mary said...

Looks like a terrific day despite the weather. I love the sea and sea birds. Why do birds stand on one leg.....seriously? I've always wondered about that.

abbey meadows said...

Nice variety of plants. The mystery plant loks like Goldenrod.