Various at Strumble 11/09/2026

 A variety bag for you all today. The wind was WNW 4-5 pushing up a good swell as the tide race was forming with a slightly overcast sky. I was early so ventured to the lighthouse to see the seal pup and get some images for our seal project. I was very happy to see that as well as the pup, there were three females on the beach, one of which looked as if it would pup at any moment. Not so happy to see a large male hanging around on the waterline though. He was set to make his way up the beach but the pregnant female got his attention and lured him back into the water. It was off to the lookout then for a cetacean watch over the next few hours. We had a lovely sighting of a long tail Skua passing by and worrying the gulls as it did so. I had very distant Commons well out beyond outer tide race and six or so porpoise, but only managed to capture one at the edge of the frame, so not the best of shots but as it was a full breach I've put it in anyway.

                                                   Great Skua (Bonxie) from last Monday 7th.

 

Strumble Diary 7/9/26. Missed Minke...

An hour at Strumble but i just I missed a Minke whale, which showed three times, just before i got there according to a visitor who seemed reliable. Otherwise i had no cetaceans!

Strumble Diary 03/09/2026

 A S'ly wind offshore gave relatively calm conditions off the lookout. I arrived just over half way into the rising tide with the tide race well formed and speeding NE. The session turned out to be long periods of inactivity with short bursts of activity. Commons first, well out to the North then a second small pod to the NE a half hour later. A distant Risso off to the East followed by two very distant porpoise moving east to West. Much later and two Rissos also distant showed for five minutes or so before submerging not to be seen again. Lastly it was a very fast moving small pod of Commons moving against the last remnants of the flood tide tide race. So a session where one had to keep alert scanning all around for any action. Most of my session coincided with the Thursday Sea Trust team's survey with Fran, Maddie, Dawn and later Andy enjoying these sightings as well.

 

Strumble Diary 01/09/2026

 Well, the first day of meteorological Autumn today and the weather gods were smiling on us. A SW'ly breeze against the tide brought a slight swell in the tide race with a calm sea otherwise. Reasonably bright at first with cloud building through the morning. The action was slow to start so we amused ourselves with the first of what would end up being nine Sunfish throughout the session, two of which fully breached. An unusual sight given their size and means of propulsion. A Gannet caught and struggled to swallow a Garfish which was fun to watch, and then the action proper started. I spotted a Rissos reasonably close in NW of the lookout which got everybody's attention and set the tone for the rest of the session. Two Rissos to start which stayed around for thirty minutes or so then a few more singles sporadically over the next hour or so. Porpoise started showing off Pencaer point with a group of four moving through shortly after giving good views with the bonus of a marked animal amongst them. All the while the Sunfish kept coming through close in with the tide. A pod of forty or so Commons brought an end to an excellent session. It was what I'd call a creche pod with as many calves as adults. All in all a great session.  

 

Strumble Diary 31/8/26: More Risso's

Wind NW 4-5 sunny intervals 18C Nice pics from Yesterday Ken! Plenty of birders there from early on, and they had already seen two Risso's.+ distant Common Dolphinsbefore we got there. I joined Fran and Arwen who had also had one before i got there. We added at least three more although the heavy tide race was making it difficullt to keep a track of them. A really nice close in Sunfish was the icing on our end of summer cake!

Strumble Diary 30/08/2026

 In answer to Cliff's hopes in the previous post ( "I hope Ken gets some images"). Yes, I Did.

On arrival at the lookout where several birders were in situ, I was soon pointed out several Rissos off to the NW. Not as close as the other day and a different pod, confirmed as the more distant group as sighted by visiting birder on my watch of the 28th. They were a bit hard to spot in the difficult light and the increasing swells of the dropping tide. They were also moving further away with the tide as time went by. By this time Harry had joined me and had sighted a Sunfish some 80mtrs out. This was the start of a Sunfish fest as eventually we totalled five within an hour. As the wind swung around more Southerly things calmed a bit and it was a while before any Porpoise were sighted. Harry had gone by now as had all the birders who were off to Newport as a rare "Bairds Sandpiper" had been seen there. A few Porps were active off the point with several more seen moving up the tide race. The action soon died away so I called it a day at just after 13.00 and made my way home.

Seagulls pecking at parasites on the Sunfish.