Another nice day to be out birding and from the outset Snipe were flushing from just about everywhere today. A flock of 11 Mallard arrived in off the sea as I walked towards Norwick where I saw a juvenile Glaucous Gull, 2 Purple Sandpipers, 2 Robins, a Whinchat, 5 Redwing, a Goldcrest, 3 Chaffinch and 2 Common Redpolls. I decided to head to the south end of the island today and took a long walk along the coast north from Westing hoping for a rare Wheatear but where just 10 Chaffinch were seen. Next stop was Lund where I finally flushed a migrant that I've been hoping to find in similar circumstances for about as long as I can remember - a Corncrake - brilliant and completely unexpected given the late date! A few paces further and a Woodcock flushed. I'd just arrived at Uyeasound when Brydon kindly phoned to say he'd found a Red-breasted Flycatcher along the burn at Norwick, that by the time I arrived, it had found Valyie where I only managed a few brief flight views. There were now c.6 Robins present, and right on dusk, a flock of 11 Redpolls.
Mallard arriving in off the sea at Norwick
Whinchat at Norwick
Juvenile Glaucous Gull at Norwick
Corncrake at Lund
Whooper Swans at Easter Loch
