Tried another early morning seawatch from Lamba Ness that soon produced a juvenile Glaucous Gull flying south followed by an adult flying north literally a couple of minutes later. At 10.25 I then picked out 3 Auks heading towards me with the trailing bird appearing to show the classic head-pattern of a winter-plumaged Brunnich's Guillemot and a short thick bill. Unfortunately I couldn't see a whitish line along its gape but I still decided to try and quickly obtain some images - then trying to look at the 'back of the camera' they appeared of poor quality. Otherwise, I saw c.300 Fulmars, c.50 Gannets, 3 Kittiwakes and 3 more Guillemots all flying north before feeling hypothermia might be about to set in! Another Beached Bird Survey to complete then sent us heading south where a check of Easter Loch produced a drake Goosander, just 2 Goldeneye and a loafing Iceland Gull. Easting Beach was walked, despite the increasing northeasterly wind, and 4 more white-winged Gulls (2 Glaucous & 2 Iceland) were present.
Juvenile Glaucous Gull passing Lamba Ness
Adult winter Glaucous Gull passing Lamba Ness
Two Common Guillemots and Brunnich's Guillemot passing Lamba Ness
Images simply cropped. My attention was drawn to the
bird by virtue of its apparently ‘classic’ winter-plumaged Brunnich’s head
pattern - consisting of wholly dark ear-coverts lacking any white behind eye,
simply showing a restricted poorly demarcated ‘dusky’ whitish throat
contrasting with a broad dark collar - and a short thick bill – the two
accompanying Guillemots bills appeared long and narrow by comparison,
particularly the w/p individual. Interestingly, to my mind, the image conveys
the trailing bird appearing slightly more contrastingly black-and-white than the two very slightly browner/greyer Common Guillemots.
Brunnich's Guillemot passing Lamba Ness
Enlarged it has an unfamiliar feel for someone used to
seeing passing Guillemots and Razorbills in showing a noticeable forehead,
short strong bill, curving upper mandible with bill held subtly pointing
downwards and a thickset, pot-bellied appearance.
In addition to the structural similarities of its
head-shape and bill-shape and the plumage similarities of its head-pattern, the
Razorbill-like white rump-sides inflecting upwards where they ‘meet’ the
trailing edge of the wing seems a close match to the Brunnich’s Guillemot
rather than rather messy rear flank pattern shown by the Common Guillemot in
the left image.
Accompanying Common Guillemots passing Lamba Ness
The w/p Guillemot (top left) shows its distinctive dark armpits
and the s/p individual (top right) some ‘dirty’ flank markings. By comparison the trailing
individual (bottom right) shows a minimal dark bar on its armpits and unmarked white flanks
similar to the Brunnich’s (bottom left). It is also interesting to note
the similarity in the pot-bellied appearance and even ‘feet carriage’ conveyed
by the birds in the lower two images despite the difference in angle.
Images simply cropped – no other adjustments. Dutch (accepted)
fly-by Brunnich’s Guillemot (left) and today’s bird passing Lamba Ness (right).
Drake Goosander on Easter Loch
Herring Gull and Iceland Gull at Easter Loch
Two Iceland Gulls and a Glaucous Gull at Easting Beach
An image for my Mum !
