11th-12th December

With news of a much hoped for Ivory Gull having arrived on Mainland Orkney, plenty of the coastline was checked but the rarest occurrence of the period has to be two days in a row without any wind or rain! The drake Green-winged Teal was at Bridesness again on 12th, when the Greylag flocks in that area held the Dark-bellied Brent Goose and 4 Pink-footed Geese. A walk around the north end of the Island the day before found the female Common Scoter and 10 Red-throated Divers offshore. A couple of Hen Harriers have been seen throughout and at least 52 Snow Buntings continue to linger.

A few Redwings continue to linger on the Island