Trapped

Trapped....trapped in a meeting I couldn't escape from (thankfully TAC was trapped there too!) until 1740, whilst both of our phones were pinging messages about dozens (no exaggeration) of great shearwaters whizzing north up the north-sea coastline. Eventually made it Newbiggin by 1800 to be told by the hordes of massed sea-watchers (there was at least a dozen of them too!) that there had been 15 greats through, but not since 1630, sod it, missed 'em!

But, hold on......pagers started beeping, a fea's petrel had flown north past Whitburn at 1750, ETA Newbiggin c 1850...or never? More seawatchers arrived, but guess what, like last weeks Whitburn little shearwater, neither did the fea's. I wonder what happens to these birds, is there something coming out the mouth of the Tyne?

Not been to the patch for over a week, just back from a MONSTER stag weekend in Portugal and to be honest, I'm still recovering.