31st January

Predictably, any hint of snow had disappeared by the morning, leaving a lovely sunny, calm day; the calm seas allowed some improved counts to be made including 19 Great-northern Divers, a Black-throated Diver in Nouster and 24 Long-tailed Ducks while the Green-winged Teal also had a day at coast – being seen fast asleep, bobbing around in Nouster Bay.   Other totals through the day from round the Obs, Westness and the north end included 4 Herons, 5 Tufted Duck (they’ve been pretty scarce this January), 4 Red-breasted Mergansers (also smaller than average numbers recorded this month), a single Black-tailed Godwit at Ancum, a Meadow Pipit, 14 Rock Pipit, a Robin, 19 Redwing, 48 Twite (including three which came in off the sea from the south) and a total of 108 Snow Buntings in three flocks up and down the island.

Great-northern Diver