Photos getting worse and worse

My line would be that the birds are getting further and further away.
Long-tailed Skuas are one of the iconic Hebridean birds and are the species that birders travel to Uist to see. They are only passing by on migration and only come within sight when the winds are right. 
Today over 300 were counted passing and I was lucky to be there for one flock of about 60. They were a long way out - barely visible with binouculars - but the camera telephote brought them in a bit. 
In the right conditions they come much closer - but then it is blowing a gale and probably raining not making the photography any easier.