Bright and sunny throughout
with a brisk southerly wind; good coverage through the day consisting of a walk
round the coast from the Obs to The Links, working round the Obs and a drive
round the lochs produced some notable influxes of a few things hinting at the
spring to come. These included an
excellent build-up of 60 Coots (the highest count since
2012) – up to 20 have been present through January and early February, a
much-improved count of 83 Skylarks (with a flock of 59 near
the school) – c30 over-wintered, year’s high counts of 27 Tufted Ducks, 96
Mallard and 13 Black-headed Gulls and three new Mute Swans on Bewan (with the
resident pair still on Garso).
Other totals through the day
included 4 Herons, the 2 Whooper Swans still, a Pink-footed Goose seen leaving
out to the south, 220 Wigeon, 175 Teal, 6 Pintail, 8 Shoveler, single Hen
Harrier and Merlin, 450 Golden Plover, 275 Lapwing, a Knot, 35 Bar-tailed
Godwits, the flock of 51 Black-tailed Godwits
again on Brides (last seen on the 6th, maybe commuting between here
and Sanday), 12 Rock Pipits, 2 Chaffinches, 60 Twite, 2 Common Redpolls and 49+
Snow Buntings.
Black-tailed Godwits
The Brides Great Black-backed Gulls getting aggro already
Bar-tailed Godwit
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