4th - 6th December


Still hard going out in the field with the strong W/NW winds bringing long periods of heavy, driving rain; a Sooty Shearwater passed the hide on the 4th during an hours seawatch along with 2 Great-northern Divers, 341 Fulmars, 38 Kittiwakes and 317 Auk sp. while 10 Gadwall, 7 Pintail and 2 Goldeneye were on Bewan.   There was pretty much nothing to mention on the 5th although the shrinking moon and increasing wind and rain produced a productive nights dazzling as the spoils included a Water Rail in Loch Park and the first Teal to be ringed this year at Bewan along with some Turnstone, Ringed Plover and Snipe.

                More effort was put in on the 6th despite the pouring rain, as birds around the coast between the pier and Bridesness included a Great-northern Diver, 2 Herons, 145 Wigeon, 195 Teal, 12 Shoveler, 7 Long-tailed Ducks, 122 Lapwing, 80 Sanderling, 165 Purple Sandpipers, 80 Snipe, 81 Redshank, 95 Turnstone, 3 Black-headed Gulls (the first ones for several weeks!), 180 Common Gulls, 12 Rock Pipits and 9 Snow Buntings.   Elsewhere there were 3 Robins, 22 Redwings (a bit of an increase) and a Chaffinch, seemingly settling in for the winter around the Obs.


Teal

Water Rail

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