Failte! I, Brom of Dun Omhain (Dunoon, temporarily), shared with you some of the trip out to Tantallon castle on last Friday's post. you saw the land-side part of it... but turn around and...
Now, you may think that water is quite close, but let me tell you, if I had taken a tumble over that edge, that would have been it. No more Brom. A hundred feet of rock cliff and and a very sharp-edged landing, then pounding waves... I am just glad that YAM-aunty had such a firm grip on my kilt. Jus' sayin'.
The very great huge tanker on the horizon was the Zourva... waiting to go in and collect oil at Grangemouth.
Look at all the white-tops on those waves, it shows how windy it was. Focus on that island now. That is the very famous (among birdy types) Bass Rock, home of ridiculous numbers of gannets. It was lucky the wind was blowing from land to sea and not the other way round. Trust me on that.
Aunty spent87 hours a long time trying to capture a gannet in Fudge's lens.
Can you see it? Definitely need the biggfy function to even stand a chance on that one!
Not aunty's fault, she tells me, cuz the birds kept doing zoomies on the big wind. Supersonic gannets.
On this close-up, you can see some of the gazillion gannets sitting on the cliffs... well to be fair, you can see them in the full shot too, but they could just be part of the rock, looking from that distance.
Anyway, we turned around again and took in some more of the castle details.
again, the info boards are not compulsory viewing, but biggyfying will help!
There were more photos, of course, but they will be here tomorrow, aunty says. Meanwhile, it was time to scramble our way back over the grassy mound, battling the wind, to reach the Ren.
On the way we think this farmer may have had some curly pasta for his lunch...
Back on the road we drove along the coastal route back to Edinburgh. We made one stop only... at Aberlady reserve; the tide was fully out which meant that most of the birds were too - too far for even the Fudge's legendary lens. It was very beautiful though and there were sanderlings, tern, sandpipers, heron, oyster catchers, ducks... and this fellow...
It is a curlew. It is on 'red status' so is a protected species (**see below). Aunty tells me that when she was a girl, curlews were 'ten a penny'... but this is the first one she has seen one since ever she returned to the Bonny Land, so she was very excited. Would you like to hear it?...
That evening, cousin D got her bag packed and ready and on the Tuesday morning she and aunty talked and talked and shared photos and before you could count to eighty seven, it was time to drive to the airport. The father came along for the ride. The humans shared a cuppa something together - and a muffin - then it was time to say farewell.
I, Brom, really enjoyed cousin D's visit as it made aunty take me to another great castle and to see the sea. I think I like the sea - certainly to see it...
...I wonder what adventure aunty has left for me before I have to return to Mara and Norway...?
**
Read more at https://www.rspb.org.uk
Now, you may think that water is quite close, but let me tell you, if I had taken a tumble over that edge, that would have been it. No more Brom. A hundred feet of rock cliff and and a very sharp-edged landing, then pounding waves... I am just glad that YAM-aunty had such a firm grip on my kilt. Jus' sayin'.
The very great huge tanker on the horizon was the Zourva... waiting to go in and collect oil at Grangemouth.
Look at all the white-tops on those waves, it shows how windy it was. Focus on that island now. That is the very famous (among birdy types) Bass Rock, home of ridiculous numbers of gannets. It was lucky the wind was blowing from land to sea and not the other way round. Trust me on that.
Aunty spent
Can you see it? Definitely need the biggfy function to even stand a chance on that one!
Not aunty's fault, she tells me, cuz the birds kept doing zoomies on the big wind. Supersonic gannets.
On this close-up, you can see some of the gazillion gannets sitting on the cliffs... well to be fair, you can see them in the full shot too, but they could just be part of the rock, looking from that distance.
Anyway, we turned around again and took in some more of the castle details.
again, the info boards are not compulsory viewing, but biggyfying will help!
There were more photos, of course, but they will be here tomorrow, aunty says. Meanwhile, it was time to scramble our way back over the grassy mound, battling the wind, to reach the Ren.
On the way we think this farmer may have had some curly pasta for his lunch...
Back on the road we drove along the coastal route back to Edinburgh. We made one stop only... at Aberlady reserve; the tide was fully out which meant that most of the birds were too - too far for even the Fudge's legendary lens. It was very beautiful though and there were sanderlings, tern, sandpipers, heron, oyster catchers, ducks... and this fellow...
It is a curlew. It is on 'red status' so is a protected species (**see below). Aunty tells me that when she was a girl, curlews were 'ten a penny'... but this is the first one she has seen one since ever she returned to the Bonny Land, so she was very excited. Would you like to hear it?...
That evening, cousin D got her bag packed and ready and on the Tuesday morning she and aunty talked and talked and shared photos and before you could count to eighty seven, it was time to drive to the airport. The father came along for the ride. The humans shared a cuppa something together - and a muffin - then it was time to say farewell.
I, Brom, really enjoyed cousin D's visit as it made aunty take me to another great castle and to see the sea. I think I like the sea - certainly to see it...
...I wonder what adventure aunty has left for me before I have to return to Mara and Norway...?
**
Red list criteria
- Globally threatened
- Historical population decline in UK during 1800–1995
- Severe (at least 50%) decline in UK breeding population over last 25 years, or longer-term period (the entire period used for assessments since the first BoCC review, starting in 1969).
- Severe (at least 50%) contraction of UK breeding range over last 25 years, or the longer-term period
Read more at https://www.rspb.org.uk
Brom I saw the see and I also see 1/4 of your ear but the vista behind you is gorgeous! YAM aunty took you to some very nice places and you had sun many days
ReplyDeleteHugs madi your bfff
Hello, Wow, I would love to see the island of Gannets. Cool sighting of the Curlew. Beautiful views of the ocean. Lovely post. Enjoy your day!
ReplyDeleteWhen we lived in the little cottage in the country, we could hear and see curlews quite often. I miss that sound a lot, since over here we can mainly hear cars!
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear Auntie Yam had a firm hold on you though. I wouldn't want to loose you!!
Well done, Brom.
ReplyDeleteBrom is the pawfect traveling partner as she is very patient when the Fudge is working!
ReplyDeleteYour Pals,
Murphy & Stanley
great photos, we are glad she had a good hold on you Brom
ReplyDeletehugs
Hazel & Mabel
Very, very exciting about the curlew! The shot of the arch and steps is wonderful. Well told, Brom!
ReplyDeleteOooh that was a super adventure. There is so much of our country to explore, isn't there? I Gail and I have been through Dunbar and East Lothian so many times in the train (and in fact will be doing so again on Thursday). Maybe one day we will stop there and have a look around.
ReplyDeleteToodle pip!
Bertie.
broom know the best place... the brew house LOL... the mama said she would live in that lighthouse on the cliff... is it empty or is it a constant home for people?
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting the different names different countries have for the critter populations. Here, most of our turtles are 'at risk.'
ReplyDeleteIt's a good thing you took your trip then. They are reporting on Ophelia headed your way, amazing these storms. We just had a big one. I though dinner was toast (in the oven), but it came back on.
Batten down, good luck! xx
What a wonderful adventure, Brom! I would love to spend time roaming around the castle(was that a lighthouse I glimpsed?) and could have sat and listened to(and watched) all the beautiful birds for hours!!
ReplyDeleteOh, Brom! I wish my hubby would put me in a dark place like Mara did to you and after a few days I would be unwrapped by aunty YAM. She has the best adventures.
ReplyDelete