8th January 2019 Unst NNW5 Squally wintry showers

The storm continued overnight and the winds remained strong all of the day. I saw a Song Thrush at Braeview on my way to Lamba Ness where a couple of hours seawatching produced an adult Glaucous Gull, a blue Fulmar and an unseasonal Bonxie all flying north with a steady passage of Gannets, Fulmars, Guillemots and Kittiwakes. A look at Norwick beach added 2 or 3 juvenile Glaucous Gulls and 2 juvenile and a second-winter Iceland Gull among the gathering of Great Black-backed, Herring, Common and Black-headed Gulls. As we drove west we saw 7 Fieldfare and 17 Snow Buntings at Upper Sotland and a juvenile Iceland Gull on the road at Burrafirth.

Adult Glaucous Gull powering north at Lamba Ness

Bonxie flying north at Lamba Ness

Juv & 2w Iceland Gulls and juv Glaucous Gull at Norwick

Juvenile Iceland & Glaucous Gulls at Norwick

Second-winter Iceland and juvenile Glaucous Gulls at Norwick

Juvenile Glaucous Gull at Norwick

Juvenile Iceland Gull at Norwick

Second-winter Iceland Gull at Norwick


Snow Buntings at Upper Sotland

Juvenile Iceland Gull on the road at Burrafirth