Sunshine and Shadows

I went into Dover this morning and as usual I took the back way down. It was just as well. When I crossed over Jubilee Way the traffic into Dover was solid. The closing of the Tunnel after yesterdays fire has had a major affect on the traffic into Dover as everyone tries to get on a ferry.

By the time I'd done the things I needed to do in Dover the traffic was a bit lighter, but was still queuing down to the port from the A2 roundabout. It seems that the ferry service reacted well to the crisis and carried a huge number of extra lorries and cars across the Channel today.

This afternoon I had a stroll round the Paddock and Bockhill farm, much of the time in the company of Richard Heading. The company was good but the birds were sparse. We did encounter a flock of Long-tailed Tits and Goldcrests in the Pines at the corner of the Droveway. There were one or Chiffchaffs around, a Lesser Whitethroat tacking in the Freedown and a couple of Wheatears out in the field but little else. Feeling lazy I left Richard who carried on to Hope Point, and walked back to the cliff. Since he didn't phone I assume I didn't miss a mega rarity.

Back at the cliff top the lowish tide had left quite a lot of exposed shore and the sun was just low enough to cast a Shadow that more or less coincided with the edge of the sea. Earlier from the Bay I had noticed three Shags sitting out on the rocks, but from here they weren't visible.

This is a horrible photo, but I was intrigued by the number of white feather shafts visible on this Great-black Backed Gulls wing. Is that due to wear and tear?