The Willow Warbler was still in our garden. Whilst driving to Hermaness I noticed a Bar-headed Goose accompanying the Greylags on the links at Burrafirth. Whilst watching it they took flight and flew to the ridge west of Loch of Cliff. Whilst making a quick unsuccessful search for the Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll at Hermaness car park I bumped into a Wryneck there and there was a Swallow hawking for insects over the beach. Brenda had seen a male Brambling on our feeders and a walk around Norwick added a Sparrowhawk, a Whimbrel, our first House Martin of the year, a Song Thrush, a singing Redwing, a Blackcap and just as I was heading for home all the Bonxies taking to the skies signalled the presence of a circling White-tailed Eagle that headed north. On arriving home Robbie messaged to say there were now 2 White-tailed Eagles over Saxa Vord and we managed to see them albeit distantly.
Bar-headed Goose at Burrafirth
Birds of Europe by Lars Jonsson (1992) states that the species breeds ferally in Norway. From the Artobservasjoner website it's interesting to note that [at least in the last two years] the species is absent from Norway during the winter and that there are two distinct peaks in Spring and Autumn with most records in the southwest of the country:
Bar-headed Goose in Norway per the Artobservasjoner website
Wryneck at Hermaness NNR
House Martin at Norwick
White-tailed Eagle over Norwick
