22nd March

A rough day with a blazing strong and increasing SSW wind and some particularly nasty squalls blasting across the island but there was some good spells of sunshine in between; the day’s highlight came mid-afternoon when a brute of a first-winter WHITE-TAILED EAGLE was seen sat on the edge of Gretchen Loch briefly before it flew across Loch Park and out to sea over Nouster Bay before it was defeated by the extremely strong winds and turned back over Stromness Point to fly inland again.

Other totals in the difficult conditions included 5 Herons, a Pink-footed Goose, 2 Barnacle Geese near Claypows (the first of the year), 18 Red-breasted Mergansers, 3 Goldeneye, an adult male Hen Harrier – new in, 172 Purple Sandpipers, 111 Skylarks, 52 Meadow Pipit, 18 Rock Pipits, 10 Pied Wagtails, 2 Chaffinches, 4 Linnets, 26 Twite and 5 Reed Buntings.  

White-tailed Eagle                             Simon Davies