the Gannet Show

Well I think this one looks as though he's just told a joke.

A back blip from yesterday which seems ages ago now but we enjoyed a day at sea on an RSPB guided hunt for rare migrating seabird. The gannet of course summers on Bempton cliffs and there are still plenty around but they are my fave seabird so he gets the vote. 

The very nice weather for the last week has not been good for migration so sightings were few but in extra is 2 of a pomarine skua. She can consider herself unlucky not to be first pick as I may never see one again. They breed in the Arctic then live the rest of the year at sea normally a way off land. They migrate south around Africa or South America. They are aggressive birds, the pirates of the sea, preferring to rob other birds of fish than dive for them themselves. One of my shots is of her getting aggressive with a gull (pity its not sharp enough). I also got a couple of nice shots of a Great Skua.

The other extra is a land based flock of goldfinch, this was about a third of the flock. A great sight and nice to be taking a bit of wildlife again.