16th-22nd February

It was another week of wild weather, with frequent rain and hail showers. The Northern Harrier was sighted on the 21st, at the Obs in the morning and at Bride’s Loch in the afternoon, where it was also seen the following day. An Iceland Gull was at Bewan Loch on the 18th and a Glaucous Gull on Seal Skerry on the 21st, both were first-winters. Good numbers of wildfowl are about, with counts of 110 Wigeon, 120 Teal, 10 Gadwall, 11 Pintail, 8 Shoveler, a couple of Shelduck and over 700 Greylags. Dazzling has been more difficult lately with the full moon, but two more Whooper Swans were ringed as well as a selection of waders. A Water Rail that’s been lurking around one of the Heligolands for the past few weeks was finally caught too. 

 Water Rail

 Whooper Swan

 Dunlin

 Oystercatcher

 Turnstone

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