Glorious unblemished sunshine greeted me at the Point of Ayr this morning, where I was joined by John Cureton for a spot of wardening.I was nearly late starting, courtesy of the surly and curmudgeonly security guard at the BHP station who inexplicably sat on his fat arse and ignored me pressing the buzzer for a good ten minutes before resentfully getting to his feet.
I have been wardening here for a few winters now and I have never enjoyed it more; after all it is really just an excuse to do even more birding whilst providing an important helping hand to the very things that bring us so much pleasure.
The seawatching at the POA can be superb in all seasons - and it didn’t disappoint today: the star bird was unquestionably a Puffin flying out of the estuary mouth about half an hour after high tide.
Two Great Northern Divers were notable too, as were a pair of Common Scoters that were drifting unusually close to the shore.
The spit was quiet, holding far fewer waders and wildfowl than is typical with only Curlew present in decent numbers, although a hunting female Peregrine revealed a few hundred Oystercatchers hiding from view.
Not many people on the beach today despite the barbeque winter, just a couple of families and a pair of fisherman ‘practising their casting’, so John and I were reduced to entertaining ourselves by childishly planting sticks in the sand to measure how fast the tide was receding.
The only fly in the ointment of a cracking day was my little faux pas when returning to the car park. Taking a short cut across the top of the marsh I failed to see some birders scrutinising the vegetation. Unfortunately, I then flushed the very birds they were watching to their obvious displeasure. So, if you are reading this – sorry guys. Four hours trying to prevent disturbance and I commit the very same sin myself!
Point of Ayr 30.01.10
1 Puffin
2 Great Northern Diver
6+ Red-throated Diver
5 Common Scoter
6 Red-breasted Merganser
7 Brent Goose
1 Peregrine (female)
Until later.
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