Quite a fresh sea with plenty of birds about, but nothing especial. Shearwaters were absolutely whizzing through, taking advantage of the SW wind and the endless troughs. Gannets, as ever, were much in evidence with over 300 around Frenchman's Rocks. A local friend explained that it happens around the ebb tide for a couple of hours or so. The whole sea conditions are whipped up around the rocks, with the accompanying chaos for fish in the area, particularly the smaller ones which are preyed upon by their larger counterparts. It is these the Gannets are after and, sure enough, as tide conditions changed, so did the concentration of birds. However an endless procession of lines of these birds continued in both directions, plying to and fro from what I presume is their colony north of the Solway. More immature birds, of differing age classes, are evident at present than I ever recollect seeing in previous seasons.
A suspected Cuckoo, seen as I was driving , went out of view too soon for confirmation but, later, was followed by another definite immature bird at a different location.
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