3rd November

Another overcast but calm day with a small southerly movement of Pipits and Thrushes during the first few hours of the morning when there was also a reasonable passage of birds westwards on the sea. Totals from 3 hours of sea-watching came to 13 Red-throated Divers, 18 Great Northern Divers, 22 Sooty Shearwaters, 2 'blue' Fulmars, 3 Pomarine Skuas (2 adults and a juvenile), 3 Great Skuas, 331 Kittiwakes, 3 Little Auks and 331 Auk sp. On the land were a Short-eared Owl, 2 Black Redstarts, 25 Rock Pipits (including a flock of 10 out south) 70 Blackbirds, 87 Fieldfares, 10 Song Thrushes, 184 Redwings, 3 Blackcaps, 5 Chiffchaffs, 4 Bramblings, 6 Chaffinch, another Lesser Redpoll caught and ringed at Holland gardens, 2 Siskins and 24 Snow Buntings. The Smew lingers on at Bewan and the Common Scoter off the links while there was another impressive arrival of some 92 Tufted Ducks - 85 of them on Bridesness Loch!

Lesser Redpoll (photo Mark Warren)

Long-tailed Ducks (photo Mark Warren)