An ordinary start to the day seeing my first Carrion Crow of the year as I drove south through Haroldswick where there were also the first pair of Gadwall for the year sat in the bay and a flock of 27 Pinkfeet in nearby fields. The ferry trip to Yell took a detour to take a closer look at a superb pod of 14 Killer Whales heading west past Gutcher that we then followed to Cullivoe where the drake Scaup was still present. With the mid-afternoon onset of persistent rain I called it a day at work and took the 3pm sailing to Fetlar that then crosses to Unst. A few Great Northern Divers were seen on the way to Fetlar but then between Sound Gruney and Heogland on Unst I picked out a transitional-plumaged White-billed Diver. A flock of 18 Pinkfeet were seen at Buness House. Commuting to/fro work doesn't get much better than that!
Killer Whales off Yell
Transitional-plumaged adult White-billed Diver in Bluemull Sound
