Is that...sunshine?

Yes, a bright sunny day! After 30 days of night this was a pleasant surprise despite the cold SE wind.

I decided to check out the northern end of the patch today taking in Hips Heugh and Craster.

Craster Harbour

On foot from home, it is about a 3 miles circular route over mixed farmland down to the coast. In a set bird food crop planted behind us was large flock of over 200 birds, inc 100+ Goldfinch, 50 Linnet, Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Reed Bunting, 20+ Yellowhammers and 3 Grey Partridges. A lone Skylark flushed nearby.

Goldfinches

Grey Partridge

The wooded Arnold Reserve was bird free, but the harbour had a few waders -  6 Purple Sandpipers, 5 Turnstone, 20+ Oystercatcher, 2 Redshank and a single Rock Pipit was new for the list. Eiders, Gulls and Cormorants were offshore.

Boats

Purple Sandpiper

Turnstones

Walking back past the houses a Hebe hedge was in flower! February...

Then I noticed a sea angler just south of the village, fishing into the teeth of a gale from the rock edges. He appeared to be struggling to reel in and I assumed ( as is the case 99.99% of the time) that he was snagged or had a lot of kelp on the end.

What a surprise when he finally lifted up a Cod weighing 6lbs. It was a gravid female with a fat belly full of roe, so he unhooked and released it back into the sea. What a refreshing change from the tossers who kill every mackerel going in the summer. I hope this bloke catches more...

My first addition to the fish year list thanks to angler Mr Rob O'Hagan.