Blame it on the moon

Up early today to board the Sarah JFK at Amble for another day surveying the North Sea with Martin Kitching for sea birds and cetaceans. It was a beautiful day with great visibility offering fantastic views of the Northumbeland Alps (Cheviot Hills).

The only complication was missing high tide to get back into Amble Harbour. 4 hours later we arrived in North Shields. Still, we got to see plenty more...............

Gannets with the snow covered Cheviot Hills

Guillemots

Razorbill

Puffin

Kittiwake

Hardcore Science

No relaxing Sunday morning at the Wildupnorth ranch yesterday, it was an early start and off to Amble (Meadow Well by the sea) to catch a boat to take part in a marine survey looking for cetaceans and birds. The 3 metre swell that had scuppered the survey on Saturday had dropped to 1.5 metres so we left the harbour at 8.40am with four souls on board.

While the sun came out to see us off, the temperature on land was -5 deg C, and as we headed 35 miles out, the horizon to our south grew darker and darker. And the sea got rougher and rougher! Eventually a blizzard hit.



The good news is that the weather cleared after half an hour and the survey continued.

Species seen:

Red-throated Diver - 2 leaving the harbour and 1 about 25 mile out.
Guillemot - numerous
Razorbill
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Common Gull
Black-headed Gull
Gannet - numerous
Carrion Crow (heading out to Coquet Island)
Fulmar
Puffin

One possible dolphin - a blow and a fin were seen by the skipper.

 Martin 'Pelagic' Kitching hastily writes his Last Will and Testament.