Snow Bunting
Did it get light today? Not really, perhaps a few paler shades of dark! Dull, low clouds presided over the cliffs, but at least it stayed fine and with a reduced blow, quite mild. The downside for photography was the necessity of a high ISO, which of course results in grainy images. All that aside, it was a good day!
Arriving on the viewpoints, a sound not heard since the summer breeding season, the "guttural growls" of Guillemots! Guillemots do visit the cliffs during the winter months, in varying numbers, for varying lengths of time, before heading back to sea. No one really knows why they do this! They did present in varying stages of feather moult. Today, there must have been between one and two thousand on the cliffs but they started to depart in the afternoon.
Second bird from the left is a "Bridled" Guillemot
And if you failed to spot the "bridle", here is a clue!
Star bird for me was this long staying Snow Bunting, on the cliff path between Bartlett Nab and Jubilee Corner viewpoints.
Fulmars are returning to the cliffs in good numbers after a short absence. It is good to hear their "evil cackles" as they spar on the ledges, but they are most spectacular in flight.
Gannets can still be seen in flight out to sea but they will not return to the ledges until early February.
Greater Black Backed Gulls are also regularly seen
The cliffs are usually seen in their splendid naked glory at this time of the year (give or take visitations of Guillemots and Fulmars).
It may be late Autumn, but birds are still about. Todays sightings board is still impressive and compiled from various observers.
"Keep 'em peeled" out there!
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