9th to 10th November

A seriously blustery 9th made for tricky birding conditions and as a result not too much was seen. Of note were a juvenile Glaucous Gull at Westness, the Common Scoter still, a Hen Harrier, Peregrine, 3 Great Skuas and 2 Snow Buntings. Calmer conditions on 10th allowed for more passerines to be tracked down and a good thrash around by the dwindling team discovered a small arrival/increase of winter thrushes. Counted were 124 Blackbirds, 132 Fieldfares, 12 Song Thrushes and 404 Redwings. Other late autumn land-based migrants included 2 Jack Snipe, 2 Woodcocks, 27 Skylarks, 26 Meadow Pipits, 23 Rock Pipits, 6 Robins, a Chiffchaff, Siberian Chiffchaff, 2 Goldcrests, 8 Bramblings and 10 Snow Buntings. The Smew was still at Bewan Loch while last winters drake American x Eurasian Wigeon hybrid has returned to the Bridesness coast. Seen on an hours sea-watch were 2 Little Auks and a Sooty Shearwater, there were 3 Little Grebes at Bridesness Loch, 10 Red-throated Divers offshore, 16 Pink-footed and 8 Barnacle Geese among the Greylags and 2 juvenile Hen Harriers toured the island.

 

Snow Buntings (photos George Gay). Until now, most if not all of our Snow Buntings have appeared to be of the Scandinavian/Greenland race nivalis. The darker bird photographed here on 9th along with a whiter nivalis type, is a clear example of insulae, or Icelandic Snow Bunting.