It's goodbye from them and hello to us

After work today I decided to have a quick look at the Coot nest at Stithians to see it's full clutch size, check two Tit boxes on the way round then my coastal site in the afternoon

 

I put my chest waders on and walked down the path and then climbed over a section of broken fence as I have done many times over the last three seasons. Unfortunately today I caught my leg and ripped the waders just below the knee! Not impressed.

 

I checked the first box - 5 Great Tit all fledged. The second box, 9 Blue Tit eggs now 2 day old chicks. I moved towards the waters edge and caught my wader's shoulder strap on some bramble and ripped it right off - waders with a big tear and no shoulder strap. Definitely seeing the back of the dust cart on Friday when they come round. Coot was clutched on four as well, quite low.

 

Over to Hells Mouth after lunch where I don't need any waders and another 10 nest records were added to the year's total made up of Razorbill (5), Guillemot (5). 8 were on eggs, 2 Guillemot harbouring downy chicks.  There are two sets of ledges at Hells Mouth, upper and lower containing usually around 90-100 Guillemot. The upper levels I will attempt to record, better spaced birds but the lower ones may have to be left.

 

Breeding Guillemot on the upper levels on the ledges

 

and the more intense lower levels.