Country diary: Fulmars so close, you almost catch their eye

Chourdon Point, County Durham: While storms and the sea chew away at these cliffs, a wealth of wildlife blows into viewI'm standing near the cliff edge, on a narrow strip of wild, unmanaged grassland and scrub, with a light, onshore breeze in my face. Beyond the precipice lies the North Sea, calm today. To the south, ships at anchor waiting for a berth, offshore wind turbines and industrial Teesside. To the north, the conurbations of Seaham, Sunderland and South Tyneside. Behind me, agriculture, the coastal railway and a quarry.It's high tide, bringing from far below the soporific sound of waves slapping against rocks. Fulmars, stiff-winged and silent, glide past the cliff edge, almost level with my head, giving me a sideways glance as they pass, as if to say: "I bet you wish you could do this." And I do: it looks so effortless, so pleasurable. Continue reading...