16th May

Three Common Crossbills (2 at the surgery and 1 at Nether Linnay) were a pleasant surprise in an otherwise fairly uneventful day. A Little Stint was on the beach at Westness and 3 Garganeys were seen: a drake on Brides Loch and a pair on Gretchen Loch. Just how many Garganeys have visited the island in the last couple of weeks is anybody's guess.

With not a pine cone in sight, dandelions seem to make an adequate substitute meal for a hungry, camera-shy Crossbill.