'BLUE FULMAR' off Giants Castle

Only Gannet and Fulmar were moving through in double figures off Giants Castle

  Just after 07.00 , I knocked on Higgo's door, as I know what an early riser he is. Not! So I found myself alone at Giants Castle and already I could see Gannets moving west in F7-8 ESE gales. Very soon I was picking up Fulmars and the odd Kittiwake. My third Fulmar showed all dark head and body instead of the prominent white. A  'BLUE FULMAR' and like everything else, it moved quickly east. From 07.30-08.40 totals included 21 Fulmar (included the dark form) 56 Gannet, 4 Razorbill, 5 Kittiwake and a female Tufted Duck. The latter species was a very unusual sighting. Coming out of the murk from the SW in the distance, I spotted this dark blob on the water. I could see it was a duck and as it came closer I was amazed to see that it was a Tufted Duck! It was being tossed all over the shop by the sea. 2 Great black-backed Gulls came down and sat next to it and started to show some interest. The bird was obviously exhausted as it continued to drift west and return back into the murk again.
  Returning across the airfield and there were 9 Golden Plover trying to shelter from the wind

The small dark dot in the left centre is the female Tufted Duck lost at sea 

 

And here it is blown up

 

 

Fulmar and Gannet

  On land it proved very hard work birding in the gale force winds. However, on the WNW side of the island, it was a little calmer. On the golf course there were 17 skylark, 20+Meadow Pipit, 6 Fieldfare, 8 Redwing and 24 Pied Wagtail and not one White with them. Over 50 Black-headed Gulls were at the quay.

This White Wagtail was taken two days ago (8th) at work where it fed with 10 other birds. I also had 25 White wagtail feeding at the airfield and while observing them at very close range next to the car park, an immature male Merlin came across out from nowhere and took one only a few meters just in front of me! In a blink of an eye, it simply disappeared with it's prey. I also had a Mistle Thrush fly over from Trewince towards Telegraph. The following day Ritchie relocated it at Bants Carn

I came across this piece of plastic on the beach and thought how turtles easily mistake them for jellyfish

  Higgo did get up and visited Tresco. Here the 3 Ring-necked Duck were on Tresco Great Pool, but the highlight was a total of 8 Shoveler. 3 Jackdaw in the paddocks were new in. He should of gone to St Martins where the second Hoopoe of the year was found. The first was on the 8th on St Agnes.

Sunset looking from the Garrison

 

This is amazing stuff and she's recorded a superb album with Bonnie 'Prince' Billy! Emma Louise Niblett (born 29 September 1973), better known by the stage name Scout Niblett, is an English singer and songwriter. Her music is frequently minimal in style, many of her songs consisting merely of vocals accompanied by either drums or guitar, which she primarily plays herself. She is known for her intimate live shows. Niblett began recording music in the early 2000s, debuting with her album Sweet Heart Fever (2001) before migrating to Portland, Oregon, where she currently resides.