See Birds!!
Suspecting disappointment, we decided to abandon an attempt to sample the Hovercraft. We felt time would be better spent making our way out to North Berwick to take advantage of our new membership at the Scottish Seabird Centre.
We arrived in time to discover that we had just missed a train and had around 50 minutes to wait, so we had a lovely cheese and ham bagel for breakfast in the station and enjoyed the hustle and bustle of Waverley.
The train wasn't very busy when we boarded and we enjoyed a pleasant cross-country trip to North Berwick. The weather was showing off for us with bright sunshine here, blue sky there, a black looking front over there and haze over Fife. I don't think I've ever looked out at the Firth of Forth from any vantage point and thought "the weather is boring"...
On arrival in North Berwick, we decided to head for the Scottish Seabird Centre via the wee used bookshop. I found a book by Mollie Hunter that I'd never seen before, she wrote The Haunted Mountain which was a particular favourite of mine as a child. I also picked up a book of ghost stories from the Lake District (I hunted all over the Lake District for folk tales/ghost stories and did not find a single volume!).
We got to the Centre and flashed our card and went downstairs. @ was most excited to see Puffins as he was working on Sunday and missed out. I took him to the Craigleith camera and he began searching. We soon learned that there were few Puffins to be found because there were people on the island - we spotted some of them on the camera and they were having a bad hair day.
After a little twiddling with the cameras we did spot some Puffins in the water and @ was Happy. I was too of course. It's such a great place - always something good to see.
Unfortunately the Puffin numbers on Craigleith Island have suffered and last year it became apparent that their burrows were being blocked by a new plant. It seems the warmer winters have allowed Tree Mallow, a plat usually found in the Mediterranean, to flourish and the result is the Puffins cannot access their burrows when they return to breed. Last winter saw the first stage of a five year plan to try and eradicate the plant from the island - basically groups of volunteers go out and cut it down. I put my name on their list to volunteer to help once the Puffins leave in the next few weeks.
We wandered back outside and were half thinking to see if we could get on a boat trip, but our feet led us out onto a wee outcrop we have never explored before. It was lovely and peaceful and I know I'll be going back there. We had a close encounter with one of the residents...
Heading back to the harbour, we discovered that the Sula II was sailing in about 20 minutes. But we didn't have any money. So Allan power walked into the town to find an auto-teller, he returned with a few minutes to spare feeling Very Old and we clambered down into the boat.
Now, the Seabird Centre is brilliant. If you ever go to North Berwick then you MUST visit the centre. But then you MUST get on one of the boats and see things from a different perspective! It is something else as the boat speeds out towards the Bass Rock and the birds in the air around you change shape. Instead of Herring Gulls you realise you are seeing Gannets! I was so excited I was saying "Hello" to each and every one! The mature five-year old beside me was calm and collected in comparison.
There were more Cormorants and Shags around too and we saw some Puffins in the water, and we even spotted a beautiful Grey Seal who watched us pass with her deep, dark eyes.
As we approached the rock we could see and hear more Gannets:
Every white dot is a Gannet - there are 140, 000 on the island and I expect you to count and see! According to our driver, Gannets have been using the Bass Rock as a nesting site for 2,000 years. They seem to really like it.
Those wingspans can reach 6' (about 1.8m)!
We were about 20 feet away from these birds and if you look, you can see some of the chicks with their fluffy down. There are also a couple of pairs billing - Gannet kisses basically.
I think they have the most beautiful face and beak markings, as if someone painted each one with a fine brush before sending them out.
Definitely the best £8.50 I have ever spent - except I didn't because today was my official birthday 
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Tags: birthdays, cormorant, firth of forth, gannets, north berwick, seagulls, sula II
Posted on July 26, 2007 in Birds, Photography, Scotland, Wildlife, Wordy.
Hen Pecked in The Thames
I love cormorants. I grew up fishing in the Gulf and have always thought of them as fellow fishermen.
So troubling about that plant blocking puffin nest sites. How can people still pretend global warming is not happening?
It’s great that you’ve volunteered to help out. I’m always inspired by how active you are in your community.
Brilliant! Stunning! Almost as gorgeous as our dragons.
that’s a great post dear…we have to fight to protect these gorgeous birds…terrible to see how plastic, petrol…kill them…your photos are beautiful
thank you
I love watching cormorans, when they dive they can stay under the water for such a long time it’s amazing …
love from peaceful
You have such an ace life!
And Sula was my beloved (now deceased) dog. *Sigh*
Best dog in the world, that one.
You know something though, one trip to Newburgh beach and you’d have seen the lot. And seals.
great pictures – especially “every white dot is…” it just looked like a speckled rock! How cool! Lovely birdies. Sounds like a grand trip – and I see you’re coming to New Hampshire – I shall think of you here on this side of the Atlantic – close but so far!
Have a lovely trip to across the pond. Lucky you!