15th-16th January

A wet an windy 15th got some paperwork out of the way, and once the rain had cleared through by mid-morning the following day a few hours were spent out and about in the sunshine. As is often the case after stormy conditions, large numbers of Gulls had gathered with at least 300 each of Great Black-backed and Herring Gulls present. Most were on the Links golf course although a juvenile Glaucous Gull was among a smaller flock near Stromness Point and an unseasonal Great Skua made a nuisance of itself off Bridesness. The drake Green-winged Teal was also there, along with 28 Black-tailed Godwits while a couple of Woodcocks were the first of the year.