18th-19th February

Another sunny, windless day on 18th saw a few more Skylarks on the move, with 3 leaving north and out to sea and another 12 gathered in the observatory crops where 88 Twite were also present. 11 Pintails were at Westness, and the calm sea allowed 226 Eiders to be counted off the north end. It remained still, if a little drizzly on 19th and the result was a high count of 57 Long-tailed Ducks in Nouster and Linklet Bays. 13 Great Northern Divers were also counted and Black-headed Gulls have trickled in, building to 20. Waders on the beaches included the 2 Grey Plovers, 62 Ringed Plovers and 66 Dunlins, while a 'thrash' around the back of Hooking Loch found a single Jack Snipe flushed among 55 Snipe.

Twite