Back on the Coast

This month I am back in Millport, teaching everything from willow weaving to snorkelling... Thankfully I still have a couple of days off to enjoy being home. During the week I had been watching the reports come in from the area, and on my first free day I decided to nip down to Troon to see the Iceland gull that had been hanging around the harbour. 

It was a nice clear morning and it only took me half an hour to reach the harbour, but despite checking the fishmarket and local beaches, I couldn't catch up with the bird. Thankfully I was kept entertained by the fabulous black guillemots. Despite usually being skittish, the birds were remarkably tolerant of my presence and focused mainly on squabbling amongst themselves, and I spent a good hour with them and the camera.

There had been a flock of Mediterranean gulls ust outside Troon at Meikle Craigs, so I took a wander that way to see if they were still around. I was in luck, the birds were still there, although the tide was in and the birds were sat on the distant exposed rock. As the tide dropped I managed to inch forward along with it, distracting myself with passing dunlin and gorgeous summer plumage sandlerling, as well as sandwich, common and arctic terns.

I waited the entire tide to see if the distant birds would join the others now washing themselves in the freshwater run-off, but no joy. They circled the distant craig, but stayed put. I made do with snapping away at the terns, before the weather closed in and I headed for home. 

Curious Tern