Saturday 18 November 2000

18th November 2000 South Gare, Cleveland 7.45am - 8.30am. Hopeman Harbour, Moray 3.00pm - 4pm. Overcast and quite windy at Hopeman. Some snow laying whilst en-route


Pink-footed Goose c.250
Greylag Goose c.100
Eider c.20
STELLER’S EIDER 1 fem - Grey bill, pale ‘face with hint of dark line behind eye at certain angles, dark spot at rear of crown, pale eye-ring. Otherwise dar with dark blue speculum bordered either side by white. Mottled breast. At 4pm it flew out purposefully into theFirth - white underwings and very pot-bellied appearance. Accompanying Long-tailed Ducks until its departure on its own. UK470.
Long-tailed Duck c.20
Goldeney c.6
Red-breasted Merganser 2
Desert Lesser Whitethroat 1 Very drab bird with black ear-coverts not extending onto the lores. No white supercilium. Sullied underparts lacking brilliant white appearance. Upperparts pale brownish. Dropped into tussock to feed at one stage otherwise seen low in bushes.
Firecrest 1 South Gare