20th and 21st September


The wind was finally in the SE on the 20th but it wasn’t coming from too far away so there was again limited new arrivals; 15 Rock Pipits were an increase though along with 3 Robins, a Sedge Warbler, 2 Lesser Whitethroats, 2 Willow Warblers, a Goldcrest and 6 Lapland Buntings.   There was some nice variety offshore with 21 Sooty Shearwaters, a single blue phase bird in amongst 360 Fulmars, 2 Great-northern Divers, 8 Red-throated Divers and single Great Skua, Arctic Skua and Arctic Tern.

                Some new waders included single Wood Sandpiper and Green Sandpiper, 2 Grey Plovers, 192 Snipe, 46 Black-tailed Godwits, 163 Curlew and 251 Turnstone while a ringtail Hen Harrier floated around Brides and 2 Merlins and 2 Kestrels were also seen.

                The wind yet again swung back round into the west on the 21st but it was pretty light and brought with it long spells of rain which continued right through the day; there was small hints of some new arrivals across the island with 4 Lesser Whitethroats, a Goldcrest, 7 Willow Warblers, a Pied Flycatcher, a Yellow-browed Warbler, a Chiffchaff, 2 Blackcaps and a Mealy Redpoll.   Waders included 32 Ruff, 2 Grey Plover and 3 Jack Snipe while 15 Red-throated Divers and 5 Great-northern Divers were offshore.

Purple Sandpiper

This late brood of Swallows just emerged at Scottigar
Some interesting colour variation between siblings

photos Simon Davies

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