Gull, Tyre and Gargoyle combo 

On an inaccessible limestone stack.

Yep, sometimes it’s just bizarre. Out walking the north cliffs of Flamborough the other day, I picked up this ringed adult Herring Gull. Off the top of my head I think such orange rings come from birds trapped in the Scarborough area. Being a little distant I though it a good digiscoping opportunity. How well could the ring be read and photographed?

No problem even at considerable distance. However seemingly more incredible was how did a tyre and devilish gargoyle make it up this inaccessible stack? Did someone really climb it?

I have since found out how they got there…

Here’s the stack in the middle of a pretty tumultuous sea scape at Breil Nook, Flamborough. It’s possible to see some Herring Gulls (little white flecks) on the stack

A little closer and the subject is just visible at the top of the stack bang on the shadow line; the dark curve of the tyre just discernible.

……………………Here’s the view from the digiscoper’s perspective, at the cliff top

Here’s the bizarre scene. Herring Gull, Tyre and Gargoyle. I know how the gull got there but do you know how the other 2 items ended up perched atop an inaccessible rock?

and here’s what can be done with a bit of practice and the right gear. Have to say my camera settings (Canon s95) were much improved by highly skilled Steve Blain going at the settings in a manner reminiscent of a  Rubix cube champion. The photo is a but grainy but not bad! I know others familiar with digiscoping won’t be surprised at such details but I still find it pretty amazing when I think back to results obtained with my start-up Olympus SLR and Tokina mirror lens…

and in nearby cliff top fields this Rock Pipit could have been a Scandinavia littoralis but low evening sun corrupting colours and trickiness of some birds at this time of year left me equivocal.