NORTH RONALDSAY - 22nd January

Overnight rain moved through shortly after dawn leaving a dull, overcast day with an increasingly strong and cold NW wind bringing wintery showers; a little look at the sea off the north end produced the day’s highlight with a White-billed Diver which flew north past the hide, close in.   Other high tide counts included 9 Red-throated Divers, 6 Great-northern Divers, 7 Herons, 135 Wigeon, 7 Gadwall, 9 Pintail, 145 Eider, 32 Long-tailed Ducks, 8 Goldeneye, 102 Ringed Plover, 384 Golden Plover, a single Knot, 190 Sanderling, 370 Purple Sandpipers, 59 Dunlin, 63 Redshank, 130 Turnstone and 180 Common Gulls.

                Also seen through the day at the north end and around Brides were the Eurasian White-fronted Goose again near Holland, 2 Whooper Swans, 9 Rock Pipits, a Robin, 2 Fieldfare, 12 Redwing and 20 Snow Buntings.

Fulmars playing in the wind