Green-winged Teal and Fea's Petrel video . . . or sorts!

Tuesday 1^st November Strong W High seas.

Sunny intervals, one very quick light shower, cool

After the last two days seawatching, after a very late bedtime the previous night due to Halloween fun and with a very strong North west to west gale blowing, I decide to have a rest morning.

A video of the passing dot, I mean Fea's petrel is downloaded onto Youtube. That takes over three hours for a twenty second or so video!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fr_MzOa7Nfc&feature=youtu.be 

Out eventually after lunch I head for the harbour quay with the intention of looking along the seaward side of the high sheep-proofing dry stone wall. This wall goes around the island keeping the World famous seaweed-eating sheep on the seaweed located side of the wall. There is a large flock of these doing just that, eating seaweed. Adds to the flavour, I have been told.

The gale is strong, whipping up the sea so much that there are areas of white or chocolate coloured foam amongst the rippled rocks. Purple sandpipers are on the calmer sheltered side of rocks whilst shags ride the waves.

The usual disappointing amount of plastic is to be found, mostly large, clear plastic bottles and carrying them soon proves to be without a bag. One hard plastic ring has come from Bergen, Norway. I wonder whether 'Rosendahl' would like it back?

To Gretchen, after admiring the rolling coasters and the crashing waves, into the battered hide and within seven teal viewed I have my second green-winged teal of the year.

The windswept pool has over a hundred wigeon, thirty nine teal and six mallards; a curlew, four redshank and three common gulls.

Back to the Bird Observatory, I see that the bags of plastic I collected from the beaches back in August are still behind the shed. What should one do with so much plastic waste when one is on a remote island far away from any recycling facilities? Leave it there in the forlorn hope that one day it will be taken to a recycling plant or burn it. I will leave it for the former. It isn't going anywhere.