I headed for Lamba Ness in the hope that there might be a seawatch in the light northwesterly but had only seen a single Red-throated Diver, a few Fulmars and Guillemots passing when I picked out a White-billed Diver sat on the sea! It was continually diving and appeared to be catching prey. I dashed to the rocks at the tip but it was still at an uncomfortable range to photograph with my DSLR. A fishing boat appeared to tend to the buoys and it had drifted c.250m south when I last saw it. A Snow Bunting was around the ruins along with c.30 Twite. On driving off Lamba Ness I saw a flock of 40 Snow Buntings flying towards Skaw where there was a Goldcrest and 6 Common Redpolls that flew off towards the Holm of Skaw. Whilst back home scanning the sea just in case the White-billed Diver was off Norwick I saw two large dark Skuas together passing Lamba Ness - fortunately Robbie was out there to see that they were Bonxies. A walk to Valyie and back produced 3 Purple Sandpipers, 2 Woodcock, the lingering Whinchat and a Goldcrest. During a tour of the north end sites we saw a Song Thrush and 2 Common Redpolls at Skeggie, 2 Slavonian Grebes sat on the sea off Haroldswick and a Common Redpoll at Burrafirth.
White-billed Diver off Lamba Ness
Snow Bunting at Lamba Ness
Goldcrest at Skaw
Whinchat at Norwick beach
Slavonian Grebe off Haroldswick
