On the morning of 11th Jan with the wind howling in from the South, AL visited his stations of the cross around The Island with pretty low expectations. Those expectations were exceeded somewhat initially by seeing a large dolphin/cetacean heading north out of the bay at some speed. Large, dark grey, bulky and blunt-headed with a very tall almost "orca-like" dorsal find (it was NOT an Orca!) - swimming quickly and breathing every 10 seconds or so as it really travelled quickly North-west-ish out of the bay - it must have been a Risso's Dolphin. Risso's are regular in late summer - not so much in winter - and given that it was dark grey with no obvious scarring it may have been a young-ish one?
Expectations continued to rise with a Great Skua patrolling offshore and it, or another one, harassing Kittiwakes in and outside the bay for some time.
A small Aythya duck then flew in-off the sea over the NCI building - probably a Tufted - but gone forever and another one-that-got-away. Tufted Duck, and indeed any Aythya duck, is not a common bird off St Ives - we get a few passing - but they're not common. And then, as if all this excitement wasn't enough, AL found a Kingfisher sheltering on the north side of The Island - perched on rocks and flying into the gully. An Island rare! LL soon came running up and it was relocated flying back around the NE corner of The Island. Since LL and AL are neck and neck on the Island year list, AL wishes he had kept his mouth shut and only mentioned the Kingfisher after it had flown ... (note to self)
Meanwhile more recently on the 12th and 13th - a possible 3/4 CY Yellow-legged Gull in St Ives harbour and a more definite Black-throated Diver off the Island by LL.
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