Friday 13 May 2011

Aesthetics and BMW Man

I often park along Upper Road and walk out to the cliff top from their. As I got ready to walk out, a chap with a BMW, complete with girlfriend was surveying the scene in front of him. From here you cam see the distant sea and the path along the cliffs. Quite a few people were walking along the path and this seemed to trouble BMW man. He obviously thought that I could solve his confusion, "'ere mate what's out there", not understanding the question I said "pardon". "why is everyone walking along there, what are they doing" he replied. I'm not often struck dumb, but this really left me without an answer, well I suppose I could have said, that big blue bit in the distance is the sea, and the path goes along one of the most spectacular pieces of coast in the country. but that seemed a bit dangerous. I just said, it's a nice walk along the cliffs. I think that finding out there wasn't a fair or McDonald's was too much for him, and he got i the car and left for a more interesting place.

He was missing a lot, whether your just walking or like me, hoping to find the Ravens or get a glimpse of the Peregrines there is much to see and admire.

One Peregrine was perched in it's usual area, it was interesting to see the wind lifting it's feathers, making it look quite untidy.

No not a hamburger stall in sight, it is a puzzle why so many people are attracted to the area.

The Herring Gulls were taking advantage of the updraught, and two caught my eye. The one above seems to have a bit of it's lower mandible missing, I wonder how long ago this happened and how well it manages to feed, it looks in good condition apart from this.

This one is taking a piece of something precious back to decorate the nest, I suppose a bit like bringing a bunch of flowers home.


Having seen two Ravens from a good distance away, I finally got to a position where I could watch one messing around on the cliff edge. Bit it didn't stay for long and flew back towards the White-cliffs car park.

A little later I watch it a long way ahead of me wandering long a foot path. The were very cooperative to day, and although I saw them a few times there were no photo opportunities.

A continuous stream of Swallows, with a scattering of House Martins were moving along the cliffs in a SW direction. As Phil Chantler has pointed out birds tend to migrate into the wind.


This evening we were having dinner with a friend who really wanted to see a Badger, and for once one obliged.
I don't know this one, or if I've seen it before it's met the Badger version of Mike Tyson since then and lost a chunk of its ear. It doesn't look as if it has a recent injury, more like a deformed ear, but without the impossible close inspection it isn't possible to say.

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