September 9th AM
Well. Today started just like yesterday, the sun came up ..... sorry, breakfast and out for a wander around the fort but, this time, the red flags weren't flying, I could roam all over the ranges if I wanted to.
I decided to start the same as yesterday and walk around in the same direction, then up to the ranges and see where that leads me. The sun was up, there was a good stiff breeze blowing and, for a real change, I decided I'd carry my tripod. I always have it in the back of the car but I guess I'm just lazy. The pretty strong breeze meant hand holding the camera and long lens might be difficult, especially if I'm attempting to focus well.
SO I set off down the ramp and along the grass, scouring the skies and surrounds as usual when something caught my eye up ahead, down by the surf line, something moving.
Before I add the first photo I have to say, I have deleted SO many rubbish shots. Why? Trying to hand hold and focus in the wind!
Sea Otter with a Red Gurnard
First of all. I took so many distant shots to make sure I had evidence, that have all been deleted since, I moved inland a bit so I couldn't be seen from its position and I crept along to a handy bush and put that between it and I. Even then, standing still behind this flimsy bush, with the wind buffeting me, I wasted way too many shots but, there it is. I've never seen a Sea otter before, never mind photographed one as it stayed in place, chomping on a fish. It eventually slid back into the choppy sea and disappeared.
Closer image of the otter and its meal
I say disappeared but, while it wasn't visible to me any more I headed over to one of the concrete ramps, set up the tripod and sat down to wait.......... you never know right? All in all, I had around twenty minutes contact with this beautiful animal al, most of it quite distant.
Otter eating a Flounder at sea
Down in one?
It stayed offshore for quite a while, fishing and eating and despite the rough sea and winds, I did manage to a few decent shots.
Floating lunch
Final glimpses
After a decent feed it disappeared, not to be seen again so, still smiling from the experience, I headed onward.
From the slipway to the point
So on along the shore and there have been plenty Razorbill and Guillemot recently, obviously plenty of fish for them in the area.
Razorbill cruising by
There are always plenty of sea birds around, usually lots of smaller land birds too fi you keep your eyes peeled. Gulls of course are aplenty, but which ones? For many they're all seagulls but there are a lot of different types of seagull, Herring, Black-headed, Common etc. Then there are Terns and Gannets but once you start looking at them all, you do start to see some differences or, there's so much information online.
Young Herring Gull flyby
Young Herring gulls on the beach
Tern out in mid channel
Terns are easier to identify from the gulls, they are much more slender with beautiful swept back wings but, they are fast movers and change direction often and quickly. I've seen Common and Sandwich Terns here quite often. I only went to the back slipway and headed back up onto the ranges, heading for home, spotted a gorgeous Hooded crow on top of one of them.
Hooded Crow posing on the range
So, I was now heading back towards the car park, keeping an eye out, you never know but, didn't see much until I was just about at the gate and this beautiful clump of Vetch caught the sun and my eye.
Vetch in sunlight
And that was it, back to the car, all excited to get my Otter shots sorted and viewed, the down side being, I didn't have access to a PC/Mac to view them properly until we got back home here. Still super chuffed to have seen it at all.
What's for ye'll no go by ye!
