7th-8th December

A typical wet and windy, winter weekend on North Ronaldsay although there remains plenty of birding interest. A trip up the west side for the first time in a while on 7th was largely unproductive-the lingering juvenile Whooper Swan and a Jack Snipe the highlights but on 8th both the female/immature Blue-winged Teal and drake Green-winged Teal were still at Bridesness. It was a much calmer day with plenty on the sea around the sheltered eastern coast with 16 Red-throated Divers, 4 Great northern Divers the female Common Scoter and an impressive 65 Long-tailed Ducks counted. 4 Snow Buntings were seen while on the Links were 57 Dunlin and 53 Ringed Plovers with 135 Sanderlings in Nouster Bay.