2nd and 3rd December

Brisk westerly winds through the 2nd with the expected wintery showers whipping through didn’t encourage much time out in the field but totals round the north end of the island included 4 Red-throated Divers, 6 Great-northern Divers, 13 Gadwall and 13 Pintail.   Still a strong W/NW wind sweeping across the island on the 3rd but it generally remained drier and brighter so more time was spent out and about; the potential highlight was a large Gull which flew through Nouster which showed many characteristics of a second winter American Herring Gull – we’ll have to see how far that gets in the system as I’m not sure it has the full suite of features to prove it either way…

                Other totals around the Obs and Bridesness census areas of the island included a Pink-footed Goose, 12 Shoveler, 14 Long-tailed Ducks, the same adult female Hen Harrier, 371 Golden Plover, 215 Purple Sandpipers, 209 Common Gulls, 6 Meadow Pipits, 8 Rock Pipits, 2 Robins, 8 Redwings, the one lingering Common Redpoll still along the coast at The Lurn, 49 Snow Buntings and a Reed Bunting.


Herring Gul Sp.   Simon Davies

Common Redpoll,   Simon Davies

Comments