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Message: <blockquote data-quote="NIK III" data-source="post: 958843" data-attributes="member: 28181">Hi All,Whenever I have a trip to my base in the Borders I love to walk the nearby sea cliffs at St Abbs. I like to watch the progress of the breeding birds. I know this is my second report. I hope it is not too soon.In early summer there is such a hustle and bustle with all the seabirds getting on with breeding. When I go in July there is plenty to see but the atmosphere is more subdued. Apart from a few stragglers the Guillemots and Razorbills, which make up the bulk of the breeders, have gone back to sea. A handful were pottering about on the water and I spotted about half a dozen of each on the cliffs. I could see chicks with some of the Razorbills. Instead of being bundles of fluff they are now more like miniature adults. The Kittiwakes are still here with plenty to say for themselves. Their June eggs have become chicks tapping mum's bill to request a feed. They have feathers now but are still very downey. There are other birds to see. Several Shags are nesting low down. Their chicks are now as big as adults. The Fulmars are still here, showing everyone else how to fly. They glide past a few feet below me, looking as if they don't have a care in the world. A Peregrine passes looking pretty content as well. No I didn't see the family of 4 Peregrines I had to admit to another birder, but I did get a good view of one cruising along the edge of the cliff only a few feet away. They have a well stocked larder of pigeons on the cliffs, and a few racing pigeons have their races terminated prematurely here. There is lots of Gannet traffic. Large numbers in V formation further out to sea. Some line astern strings. Others just in groups fly close in to the cliff just above the waves. There was an event while I watched. A hapless shoal of fish attracted everyone's attention. Gannets, Kittiwakes and Shags got in the water for their share. The fishing competition seemed to go on for ages, so I left them to it. 10 pics.</blockquote>

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