3rd February

A fine, bright morning with light winds but a prolonged band of wintery showers moved in at lunchtime only clearing by mid-afternoon; a walk round the coast from the Obs to The Links produced many of the lingering highlights including the drake Green-winged Teal on pools in East Loch Park, the Eurasian White-fronted Goose with Greylags near Holland and presumably the same Black-throated Diver off The Links.   Other totals included 3 Great-northern Divers, a Heron, a Pink-footed Goose, 210 Wigeon, 115 Teal, 75 Mallard, 7 Shoveler, 22 Long-tailed Ducks, 3 Red-breasted Mergansers, a Hen Harrier, a Merlin (a different bird to the one that was seen several times in January), the Water Rail in Holland, 161 Lapwings, 52 Sanderling, 165 Purple Sandpipers, 4 Ruff and 3 Black-tailed Godwits with Lapwings at Brides, 76 Snipe, 51 Curlew and 110 Redshank.

                Wintering Passerines largely remained the same as totals included 16 Skylarks, 2 Meadow Pipits, 12 Rock Pipits, 9 Fieldfares, 7 Redwing, 3 Ravens (an extra one!), 45 Twite, 2 Common Redpolls and 60+ Snow Buntings.

Purple Sandpiper

Merlin