2nd and 3rd March
The freezing conditions
remained on the 2nd with the fields and lochs still frozen and the
bitterly cold easterly wind still bringing frequent snow showers whispering
across the island; all the action was predictably around the coast with a Black-throated Diver past the seawatch hide along with 9 Red-throated and 11
Great-northern Divers while also feeding offshore were an increased 21
Goldeneye, the drake Smew, the Kumlien’s Gull and Glaucous Gull with 410+ Common Gulls feeding
in the surf at high tide and the unseasonal Ruff which reappeared at Brides.
Still very cold on the 3rd with lying snow
and frozen / lochs but the easterly wind had dropped off a touch and there were
some long spells of sunshine; the highlights largely remained the same with the
Kumlien’s Gull and Glaucous Gull with 400 Common Gulls
again but were joined by the first Lesser Black-backed Gull
of the year at Scottigar. A White-billed Diver (well, 95% sure it was!) was unfortunately picked up dead on
the shore at Stennabreck while a Black-throated Diver was in Nouster Bay.
Some decent wildfowl counts were made through the day
(again concentrated on the sea and around the tiny bits of open water remaining
on the lochs) and comprised 753 Greylag Geese, the Whooper Swan, 3 Shelduck,
265 Wigeon, 5 Gadwall, 168 Teal, 66 Mallard, 5 Pintail, 20 Long-tailed Ducks,
13 Goldeneye and the Smew again. Waders were also concentrated in certain
spots and included 59 Ringed Plover, 241 Purple Sandpipers, 29 Dunlin, a Jack
Snipe, 32 Bar-tailed Godwits and 286 Turnstone while a ringtail Hen Harrier
roamed widely across the island.
Smew
Goldeneye
Lesser Black-backed Gull
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