Friday 24 January 2020

24th January 2020 Unst WNW6 Overcast

On leaving our house I saw 3 Glaucous Gulls arriving in off the sea over Norwick. There was a large flock of Gulls on the slopes of Lamba Ness mainly comprised of adult argentatus Herring Gulls and Great Black-backed Gulls but also 7 Glaucous Gulls. I seawatched for 75 minutes being treated to the spectacle of thousands of Fulmars flying north but also seeing 4 blue Fulmars and 5 Glaucous Gulls. We saw our first Peregrine of the year at Caldback. We then headed for Easting beach to conduct the monthly beached bird survey where there were 3 Great Northern Divers offshore and our final Glaucous Gull of the day.

Norwick; 3 Glaucous Gulls (2ad, juv)

Lamba Ness; 1 Oystercatcher, 7 Glaucous Gulls (2ad,2x3w,2w & juv), 700 argentatus Herring Gulls. 

Lamba Ness Sea-watch 9.15am-10.30am; 500 Gannets, 4,000N Fulmars, 4 blue Fulmars, 5 Glaucous Gulls (2ad,3juv), 25 Kittiwake, 18 Guillemots.

Caldback; fem Peregrine

Easter Loch; Pintail, 50 Lapwing

Easting Beach; 3 Great Northern Divers, 12 Red-breasted Mergansers, 11 Oystercatchers, 2w Glaucous Gull


Part of the assemblage of Gulls at Lamba Ness

Juvenile Glaucous Gull passing Lamba Ness

Greylag Geese passing Lamba Ness

Oystercatchers at Easting beach