gluten for punishment i was back at ventnor, early to see if anything was heading back out after yesterday's gale. watching from the bandstand there wasn't much on the go - more gannets than yday, a common tern, 4 shags and a mega distant excuse for a sooty/bal. then at 8.25 a beautiful juv sabine's gull drifted by at point blank range. while i scrambled for the camera i lost it but it must've cut in right beneath me cos i spotted it gliding away low over the heads of the gulls roosting on the beach! was looking like it was gonna land but changed its mind and continued along the cliff towards steephill. a short while later it was back, circling the west end of ventnor bay, then headed straight in for the cliffs, up and over the old park and lost to view behind the trees. lil bugger, happier heading inland than resting on the beach - not funny! just hope it's not a 13 year wait till the next county record :-0. sab's is defo a birder's bird - so clean, so contrasty, all triangles and pointy angles, a small slim body underslung beneath a set of big arched wings - love 'em!

typical iow seawatching in a sw gale - 9 gannets and 3 fulmars in 3 hrs, spared a little by a flock of 7 manxies. it's all happening at estaca!