9th -10th November

The 9th was mostly spent focusing on data entry and other obs tasks so it wasn't until the 10th that some more birding got done.  However, it was a great day with a single hours seawatch producing a juvenile Pomarine Skua, 14 Long-tailed Ducks, 9 Red-throated Divers, 8 Great Northern Divers and a steady passage of 519 Fulmars in a single hours count.  Commoner seabirds seen in the mornings passage included 214 Gannets and 130 Kittiwakes as well as a trickle of 33 auks and 2 Black Guillemots.  Elsewhere around the island, 3 Whooper Swans, 8 Shoveler and 10 Tufted Ducks lingered whilst raptors were well represented by the male Northern Harrier, a ringtail Hen Harrier, Merlin and a pair of Peregrines.  A brief excursion into Holland gardens was particularly exciting as a Long-eared Owl was found roosting in the top of the fuchsia bushes.  Two Woodcock also burst out of cover and a distinctive "trill" soon alerted the presence of a Waxwing sitting in the middle net ride.  Other noteworthy passerines such as the 12 Blackbirds, 17 Fieldfare, 23 Redwings and 4 Robins hinted that a small arrival of birds had occurred in the last 24 hours following a slight lull in the wind.  Other migrants on offer were 2 Blackcaps, 2 Chiffchaffs, 2 Chaffinches, 12 Twite and 3 Snow Buntings.