10th - 11th February
A bit of a switch in
observers on the 10th with George Gay off to do some fire training
for two weeks and the extremely rocking and rolling boat bringing Simon Davies
back for the season; limited coverage in the afternoon produced the regular drake
Green-winged Teal on Gretchen and counts of 283 Golden Plover and 32 Dunlin in
Loch Park.
A pretty nice day on the 11th with some
sunshine and a moderate (but increasing) westerly wind had us out in the field
for some good coverage and a good selection of birds; highlights included the juvenile
Kumlien’s Gull which reappeared in Nouster, a juvenile Glaucous Gull at the north end, the
drake Smew still at Bewan and a Black-throated Diver in Nouster with 7 Great-northern and 2 Red-throated Divers.
Some good counts of waders and wildfowl comprised 176
Wigeon, 86 Teal, 5 Pintail, 15 Long-tailed Ducks, 10 Goldeneye, 13 Red-breasted
Mergansers, 205 Lapwing, 2 Knot (the first of the year), 166 Sanderling, 264
Purple Sandpiper, 111 Dunlin and 16 Bar-tailed Godwits while a ringtail Hen
Harrier and a young male Peregrine floated around.
Wintering Passerines were more obvious in the sunny
conditions with the Black Redstart still at Howar, 8 Skylarks, 11 Meadow
Pipits, 15 Rock Pipits, 2 Robins, 44 Fieldfare, 34 Redwings, a Song Thrush (surprisingly,
also the first of the year), 7 Reed Buntings and an excellent flock of 103 Snow
Buntings around Nouster.
Snipe
Fulmar sweeping round the sheep dyke
Long-tailed Duck
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