Gannets, Scoters, Sandwich Terns and a Shrew

Last Saturday we had a bit of a blow from the North along with rain so I went down to the beach to see if anything was passing by.

Plenty of Gannets, most going straight North but some diving to catch fish and then flying North:

juv Gannet and a Cormornat on the buoy

 There were a few Common Scoter too, but not many:

4 Common Scoter going past a Hornsea buoy

The following day was dry, warm and sunny and from the cliffs south of Hornsea I was watching a few Sandwich Terns diving into the sea to catch fish:

I quite like this one, captured just as the tern entered the water

 There are always Cormorants passing overhead going to and from The Mere but today one flew parallel to the cliff allowing me to get a reasonable photo:

A Cormorant on its way to The Mere

Along the hedgerow were a Reed Bunting (nice to see one along here so late in the year) and a Wren, which was feeding in the undergrowth just by the hedgerow:

I called in at KP as I usually do to see if there was anyone or anything about and there were 7 Little Gulls on the jetties. Good to see a juvenile bird as there don't seem to be that many about this year:

juv Little Gull

I hadn't been to the hide at Wassand for some time as not only has there been a dearth of birds there, but also the view to the left over to the willows has become badly obscured by the reeds. Unless something is done the winter wild fowl watching will be a waste of time.

On the way back along the woodland walk I saw something moving in the grass by the path and it turned out to be a Common Shrew. It makes a welcome change to see one very much alive and dashing around the leaves: