22nd and 23rd November

A little blast of NE winds and rain on the 22^nd proved that the autumn is not quite over yet with a trickle of typical late migrants to keep us on our toes including 7 Woodcock, a Long-eared Owl flushed from the coast at The Lurn, 7 Robins (although these are probably lingering birds), a new Black Redstart at Torness, 4 Fieldfares, 16 Redwings, a Chiffchaff and 3 Common Redpolls.

                The main feature of the day however, was a huge arrival of Gulls in the stormy conditions with at least 1,290 Hrring Gulls and 450 Great Black-backed Gulls providing the bulk while qualityincluded 6 Glaucous Gulls (slightly different age categories than Fair Isle produced with fouradults and two juveniles) and the tricky highlight of a very dark juvenile Kumlien’s Gull on The Links (although the possibility of it being a Thayer’s Gull has not been ruled out yet but opinion is swinging towards Kumlien’s).   A notable increase to 36 Long-tailed Ducks was also to mention as was the adult female Hen Harrier floating around.

                Pretty much all yesterday’s Gulls had disappeared as quickly as they arrived on the 23^rd with much lighter winds which had swung round into the NW bringing some heavy wintery showers in the afternoon; it was a nice day to be out in the field though in the calmer conditions when landbirds included the Nouster Black Redstart still, 9 Skylark, 6 Robins, 15 Fieldfares, 2 Song Thrush, 31 Redwing, a Common Redpoll and 51 Snow Buntings.

                On calmer seas some improved totals were noted with 6 Red-throated Divers, 7 Great-northern Divers, a female Common Scoter with 29 Long-tailed Ducks off Hooking (always scarce on here!), 3 Goldeneye, 10 Red-breasted Mergansers and a Little Auk in Nouster.   Other wildfowl included 362 Wigeon, 23 Gadwall and 10 Pintail with a Grey Plover and 94 Dunlin the wader highlights.   9 Herons stalked the edges while the Hen Harrier nd a young male Peregrine patrolled the skies.

Kumlien's (or Thayer's) Gull,   Simon Davies