8th and 9th November


Bright and sunny first thing on the 8th but that soon degenerated into a blazing gale force southwesterly with rain by lunchtime; there were a few bits around in the spell of decent weather including a juvenile Iceland Gull which flew past The Links, a late Wheatear on Lenswick beach and the drake Green-winged Teal still on Gretchen.

                Other birds of note comprised 5 Herons, 359 Wigeon, 119 Teal, single Hen Harrier, Merlin and Peregrine, 2 Jack Snipe, a Woodcock, 37 Meadow Pipits, 17 Rock Pipits, 2 Robins, 2 Song Thrush, 8 Redwings, 13 Twite and 33 Snow Buntings.

                Almost a write off on the 9th with even stronger westerly winds bringing vicious hail showers seemingly every few minutes, there were longer gaps between the squalls in the afternoon allowing us to at least half-heartedly get out into the field which produced 658 Greylag Geese, 14 Long-tailed Ducks, 5 Red-breasted Mergansers, 2 Red-throated Divers, a Great-northern Diver, the Hen Harrier, a Woodcock, 5 Robins, a Fieldfare, 38 Redwings, 16 Twite, 10 Snow Buntings and 6 Reed Buntings.


Wheatear,   Simon Davies

Purple Sandpiper,   Simon Davies

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