Considering the date and combined with a strong overnight westerly wind originating from way out in the Atlantic the chance of an Iceland Gull being the first notable bird seen would have been a good guess and so it proved with a juvenile being present alongside Holsens road seen on my way to Skaw. as I arrived at Skaw I saw a grey Goose sp. in flight accompanying a couple of Greylags flying out to the Holm of Skaw and landing out of sight from the outer headland. A visit to Burrafirth added just a single Fieldfare. A walk around Norwick added a Great Northern Diver, a bleached Glaucous Gull that I only saw in flight, 2 Woodpigeons together, a male Pied Wagtail and the Chiffchaff still present. Whilst chatting to Robbie at Norwick he picked out a 2w Iceland Gull that paused all too briefly on the beach but departed before either of us could photograph it. Walking the beach in pursuit then yielded a juvenile Glaucous Gull. Having not seen an Iceland Gull since the 12th March or a Glaucous Gull since the 19th February seeing 4 white-wingers in quick succession was clear evidence of a small influx. We then headed for Westing where we saw a Purple Sandpiper and a juvenile Iceland Gull and there was a pair of Mute Swans, a single Whooper Swan and a flock of 12 Fieldfares at Uyeasound. The predicted rain then arrived and persisted until dark.
Juvenile Iceland Gull along Holsens road
Glaucous Gull at Norwick
Juvenile Glaucous Gull at Norwick
Fieldfares over Uyeasound
argentatus or Viking Gull ? at Haroldswick
