Fulmar fun

Just by way of wasting 90 minutes, I drove across to North Foreland to see what was about. The afternoon sunshine was glorious, although there was still a rather chilly southerly breeze. I checked the gulls for C-R's and the fields and fence line for Stonechats, Black Redstarts and Wheatears - nothing doing on any level!
There were a few Black-headed Gull moving north, just off-shore, plus a few Great Crested Grebes, two Gannets and a trickle of adult Lesser Black-backs; Spring is obviously poised to be sprung?

I was present for high tide; Grey Plover, Oystercatcher, Curlew, Turnstone, Purple Sandpiper and Ringed Plover were noted at the roost site, but nothing to stir the adrenaline. I contented myself, sitting on the cliff-top, taking images of the patrolling Fulmars. Not quite as easy as it can be, the setting sun was directly behind me and the cliffs cast a deep shadow out, across the sea. It was rather frustrating to watch the birds passing within a few feet, just below me, knowing that, photographically, they were out of reach.
I did, however, manage a few efforts when the birds deigned it OK to fly into an area with direct sunlight. My primitive gear, manual focus (ever since I came bouncing down a Turkish mountain with just my camera as protection) and no image stabilisation, produced a few frames which are worthy of this blog (I do set extremely high standards - NOT!)

I didn't learn anything, I didn't see anything particularly unusual - but it was great fun just sitting there and looking. The simple pleasure of watching our native fauna - has anyone invented a better way of passing time?

It was rather enjoyable, looking down on these oceanic wanderers - the sea is some 120 feet below these birds!