A day of persistent steady rain but not much wind, so whilst unpleasant, not unbirdable. The wind seemed to blow from all quarters at some point during the day. An early walk to Rocklea produced the Great Spotted Woodpecker leaving its roost there and a Greenland Redpoll doing likewise with a flock of Brambling. A walk round the West Isle produced a brief view of the Bluethroat staying faithful to its usual corner and a Jack Snipe flushed from a lawn. A late afternoon circuit of the East Isle produced a surprise in the form of a tired juvenile Icelandic Black-tailed Godwit on the airstrip, a small flock of Wigeon flying south, another Redpoll that was probably a Greenland Redpoll and our first flock of six Snow Buntings on the East Isle hill. The rain finally eased at 5pm when the weather cleared just in time for a nice sunset when c.100 Pinkfeet were seen overflying heading south.
Pink-footed Goose c.100 S
Wigeon 8 S
Heron c.10
Ringed Plover 1
Dunlin 1
Jack Snipe 1
Snipe 4
Icelandic Black-tailed Godwit 1 juvenile
Whimbrel 1
Turnstone 8
Black-headed Gull 2
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1
Goldcrest 1
Blackcap 5
Song Thrush 10
Bluethroat 1
Wheatear 8
Dunnock 1
Meadow Pipit 25
Chaffinch 1
Brambling 55
Greenland Redpoll 2
Snow Bunting 6
Reed Bunting 6
Juvenile Icelandic Black-tailed Godwit on Out Skerries
Meadow Pipit on Out Skerries
Rarity is relative - here's one our good friend Aki is hoping to find on a small island at the other end of the Palearctic!
Presumed Greenland Redpoll on Out Skerries
Sunset over Out Skerries harbour looking towards Magnus's Watch
After a day of steady rain the first we saw of the sun was unfortunately as it was setting!
