It was another trip down to The Bill today to see what was about, with the most obvious difference from yesterday being the lack of any movement on the sea with just 4 Gannets, 5 Cormorants, 2 Shags and zero auks noted.
The only explanation I can think of is that the visibility for sea birds was pretty poor yesterday, hence any movement was close to shore. However today with wall to wall blue skies and lovely sunshine, any sea movement was further out with better visibility.
However there were some good highlights with 8 Purple Sandpipers and 2 Turnstones feeding together on the sheltered stone platforms to the east of the lighthouse. Also along this stretch were 2 Rock Pipits and a female/juvenile Black Redstart.
And as I was leaving to go home I came across two Oystercatchers feeding in the wet grassed area behind The Pulpit Inn.
Birds Recorded:
4 Gannet
5 Cormorant
2 Shag
1 Kestrel
2 Oystercatcher
8 Purple Sandpiper
2 Turnstone
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Wood Pigeon
2 Rock Pipit
1 Pied Wagtail
1 Black Redstart
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Starling
House Sparrow
Below are a few images and a video of the 8 Purple Sandpipers and 2 Turnstones feeding on the ledges to the east of the Lighthouse.
Below are two photos of a Herring Gull and one of a Great Black-backed Gull
Below are few photos and a video (slo-mo) of a very busy fem/juv Black Redstart
The Pulpit
And the Red Crane getting a good battering
This is the Cypriot Container Ship "Samskip Endeavour".....................
........................ on its way from Rotterdam to Dublin. More on this vessel here.