4th and 5th November
A breezy day but plenty of bright sunshine throughout
with only a few showers on the 4th producing a decent day out in the
field; landbirds were represented by a female Hen Harrier, a Sparrowhawk, 16
Skylarks, 5 Robins, a Ring Ouzel, 43 Blackbirds, a Fieldfare, 4 Song Thrushes,
93 Redwing, a Blackcap, a Chiffchaff, a Goldcrest, 3 Brambling, 19 Twite and 13
Snow Buntings.
The Green-winged Teal was still on Gretchen with other wildfowl including 7 Whooper
Swans, 11 Pintail and 7 Long-tailed Ducks while some detailed wader counts
comprised 329 Golden Plover, 213 Lapwings, 192 Turnstone, 182 Redshank, a
Woodcock and 207 Purple Sandpipers. 4
Red-throated Divers and 6 Great-northern Divers were offshore and 6 Herons were
around the lochs.
A
horrible day on the 5th with a blazing NW wind bringing with it
countless vicious, wintery squalls with hail, sleet and rain all strongly
represented; highlights were thin on the ground with the Green-winged Teal still on Gretchen, a
notable increase of 21 Pintail, 9 Long-tailed Ducks, 3 Red-throated and 4
Great-northern Divers, a single Sooty Shearwater the pick of the seawatching
and the ringtail Hen Harrier floating round the Obs again. There were at least 3 Risso’s Dolphins lingering in Nouster Bay
through the morning.
Hen Harrier, Simon Davies
Fulmars having a chat, Simon Davies
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