Calmer conditions and mild so I completed the WeBS count for Norwick.
Storm Barra continued through the night and eased through the day.
As Unst took a battering from Storm Barra we hunkered down just taking a look at Norwick and Haroldswick.
A nice day being calm, sunny and mild so we headed to Uyeasound and walked out to Heogland with the highlight being the 'other' 2cy King Eider seen distantly off Uyeasound.
Norwick: 2 Red-throated Divers, Great Northern Diver, Purple Sandpiper & 2 Redwing.
Uyeasound: 4 Whooper Swan, 2cy drake King Eider, c.350 Eider, c.350 Long-tailed Duck, 15 Goldeneye, Skylark & Redwing.
Will very kindly invited me to join the SOTEAG Bluemull seabird census with the proviso that it might be a very early return home if the poor weather worsened... As I drove to Uyeasound the rain thankfully eased and Peter was content to give it a go... It was great to be back out on the Sound with the highlight coming late in the day when Will picked out a 2cy drake King Eider among the Eider and Long-tailed Duck off Heogland. The day had one final twist, as whilst reviewing his images, Robbie picked-out a 3cy+ drake King Eider!
A strong northerly wind soon picked-up that combined with frequent snow showers and icy roads ensured that we remained at home.
The ice and snow had thawed overnight so I headed to Lamba Ness sea-watching from 9am until 10.30am. I then checked the sea off Skaw, Norwick, Haroldswick and Burrafirth but it proved quiet.
Lamba Ness: Great Northern Diver N, 4 blue Fulmar N, Jack Snipe, 7 Little Auks N, 2 Black Guillemots N & 30 Guillemots N.
Norwick: Great Northern Diver.
Haroldswick: 3 Great Northern Divers, Long-tailed Duck & Carrion Crow.
The Holsens road was covered in ice and snow preventing us seawatching from Lamba Ness so I completed the Beached Bird Surveys for Burrafirth and Norwick.
Burrafirth: 3 Red-throated Diver.
Haroldswick: Great Northern Diver, Robin & 2 Chaffinches.
Brydon collected me and we headed to Lamba Ness where we spent 90 minutes sea-watching although hampered by the cold northerly wind constantly buffeting us, poor light and birds passing more distantly than we would have liked! I then completed the annual Greylag count for north Unst whilst Mike tackled the much larger area to the south but he was quick to note that it seemed as though many had left the island with the onset of snow - I managed 339.
The gales associated with Storm Arwen persisted all day confining us to home.
Norwick: 1cy Iceland Gull & Redwing.
After a strong overnight northerly I met Brydon at Lamba Ness and we sea-watched from 8.30am until nearly 10.30am with the highlight being 11 Little Auks and I guess my first Shelducks of the year should qualify too! A walk around Norwick with Brenda produced a Long-eared Owl and a Goldcrest but proved rather ill-timed getting caught in a prolonged heavy snow shower!
Lamba Ness: Red-throated Diver N, 11 blue Fulmar N, 4 Shelduck N, 12 Guillemots N, 4 Puffins N, 11 Little Auks N, 4 Glaucous Gulls N & 15 Kittiwakes N.
We made a tour of the lochs today but they proved quiet with 3 Scaup the best.
Uyeasound: Red-throated Diver, drake Scaup, 2 Fieldfare & Chaffinch.
Westing: 2 Red-throated Diver
Loch of Cliff: 2 Scaup (one drake).
Norwick: Red-throated Diver, Great Northern Diver, Robin & 8 Chaffinch.
I completed the two monthly WeBS counts for north Unst with the highlights being a 1cy Puffin and a 1cy Iceland Gull both on the sea just off Norwick beach.
Norwick: 1cy Puffin & 1 cy Iceland Gull.
It felt like sea-watching from Lamba Ness was worth another try, but despite similar weather conditions to yesterday, there were far fewer Fulmars, Guillemots and Kittiwakes passing today.
I sea-watched from Lamba Ness for 75 minutes from 8.15am.
I sea-watched from Lamba Ness from 1.30pm until 2.30pm where a Little Auk and a nice close Minke whale proved the highlights.
