Sunday 22 August 2010

Away With The Birds 22/08/2010

The plan today was to paddle out past St David's Head and out into the main southerly flowing ebb tide to check out the large numbers of birds I had seen earlier through the binoculars.
As I paddled out past the head there were large groups of Gulls perched on the rocks.
There was a lot less swell than yesterday so I decided to stay out in the tide flow and let it take me down the west side of Ramsey.
There were large numbers of birds flying and large rafts of juvenile Guillemots and Razorbills which dived under water if I got within photo taking range! As John, Pencarnan's resident birdwater had told me earlier, there were a lot of Shearwaters flying past on their travels.
It was a very leisurely paddle letting the tide do all the work so I could really appreciate the spectacular views of the west coast of Ramsey and the St David's Head peninsular.
I finally managed to get a decent photo of a juvenile Guillemot and Manx Shearwater which weren't bothered this time by my presence.
Floating along I spotted a very large bird which wasn't a Gannet or a Gull, maybe a Skua but I'm no expert. I also spotted a totally black shearwater which I found out later is called a Sooty Shearwater.
Approaching Llechau-uchaf, one of the two rocks between Ramsey and Carreg Rhoson, as usual there are largish overfalls but today the waves aren't really breaking so it is a pleasant rollercoaster ride over the swell.
As I pass Abermawr, I alter my course and start to paddle in towards Ramsey where the sea starts to calm down again.
Rounding Trwynmynachdy I paddle into Bay Dillyn at the southern end of Ramsey where as I start to near Twyll y Dillyn I encounter the first slight adverse tide of my paddle.
At Twyll y Dillyn I wait for one of the boat trip ribs to come through the small gap where I stop in an eddy for enough time to look back and take a photo at the large cave at Ynys Cantwr.
Passing through Twyll y Dillyn with relative ease I now have the tide back in my favour as I start to paddle Northward back up through Ramsey Sound.
I keep a safe distance from the sleeping seals on the pebbled beach of Abermyharan not wanting to incur the wrath of the Bull Seal I had a run in with yesterday.
I stop for a quick chat with Tim of Venture Jet who still seems to be keeping busy on his highly recommended boat trips, before I paddle across to the mainland in search of Porpoise.
I float in the flooding tide northward watching Porpoise circling around but too far away to get any decent photos. I then take a slight detour to the area around Horse Rock where the water is just starting to liven up.
Paddling back into Porthsele I am greeted, yet again by Bobby enjoying the sea. A paddle of 8.75 nautical miles (10 miles or 16km) with plenty of wildlife and no unwanted attention from the seals!

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