The wind still felt gale force at dawn and was combined with heavy drizzle. Fortunately the drizzle subsided by 8.30am and the wind moderated throughout the day. Walked the East Isle seeing a Whinchat and the Pied Wagtail (bearing a metal ring) at the end of the airstrip and the geo at the northeastern tip held a Kestrel, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Redstart, Wheatear and Goldcrest. Six Greylags were on the hill though soon flew west and the Whimbrel was still present. Rocklea was less windswept today and the Little Bunting, a Yellow-browed Warbler and a Lesser Whitethroat was present. A check of Magnus's Watch produced a flock of 20 Golden Plover. The Barred Warbler was at the iris beds. Then took a long walk out to the marsh and then the North Hill where a Kestrel and a juvenile Arctic Tern were seen and then 3 Pinkfeet flew over. Looking across the bay to the long wall where the Out Skerries Ovenbird was found in 1973 at about the same time Mizen Head was scoring!
Pink-footed Goose 31
Greylag Goose 6
Grey Heron 4
Kestrel 1-2
Ringed Plover 10
Golden Plover 20
Dunlin 1
Snipe 2
Whimbrel 1
Turnstone 8
Black-headed Gull 1
Arctic Tern 1 juvenile
Black Guillemot 5
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1
Goldcrest 1
Skylark 5
Yellow-browed Warbler 1
Chiffchaff 1
Barred Warbler 1
Blackcap 4
Lesser Whitethroat 1
Blackbird 3
Song Thrush 3
Redstart 1
Whinchat 2
Wheatear 12
Dunnock 3
Pied Wagtail 1 (ringed)
White Wagtail 1
alba Wagtail sp. 1 flew west
Meadow Pipit 25
Twite c.10
Little Bunting 1
Northeastern geo
Goldcrest in the northeastern geo
Kestrel again flushed from the northeastern geo
Bonxie over the northeastern geo
Blue boat being towed - it had appeared to have hit rocks and was later being repaired
First-winter Dunlin along northern coast path
After the westerly gale on noticing a small wader sat on a rock along the coastal footpath it was something of a disappointment to see that it was only a Dunlin
Ringed Pied Wagtail at the airstrip
Rock Doves at the pool
Out Skerries Post Office
Fish drying on a clothes line on Out Skerries
Shop and chalets on Out Skerries
Golden Plover at Magnus's Watch
North Hill looking towards Mioness and Whalsay in the far distance
Pinkfeet over Out Skerries
Juvenile Arctic Tern in West Voe
Odd it should show such a red base to its bill in late September?
Looking across to the long wall that was once home to an Ovenbird
The marsh on Out Skerries
Evening looking over the marsh to East Isle Hill
