NORTH RONALDSAY - 29th October

A gorgeous day, bright and sunny with a feather-light NNE wind, a joy to be wandering around in the field after struggling so long in the strong winds; after the strong winds there was always going to be a movement over the sea and so it proved as totals included 17 Red-throated Divers, 9 Great-northern Divers, 10 Sooty Shearwaters, 11 Manx Shearwaters, 24 Long-tailed Duck, 2 Goldeneye, 8 Red-breasted Mergansers, a juvenile Pomarine Skua, a good 61 Little Auks and 18 Puffins (I only caught the end of the seawatching, adding a few Little Auks and a Sooty Shearwater to the total).   There was a nice selection across the land as well without being amazing with birds of note comprising 4 Herons, the Green-winged Teal still, 3 Hen Harriers, 2 Merlin, a Woodcock, a Short-eared Owl, 23 Robins, 9 Fieldfare, 10 Song Thrush, 116 Redwing, a Mistle Thrush, a Blackcap, 5 Chiffchaff, a bit of an arrival 6 Siberian Chiffchaffs, a Goldcrest, 3 Brambling, a Siskin, 36 Twite, 9 Common Redpoll and a Snow Bunting.

Water Rails