Thursday, 15 March 2018

NORTH RONALDSAY - 15th March


A dreadful day with a blazing force 8-9 SE wind making most of the birding a waste of time but there were lots of birds in the surf at Brides at high tide including a drake Eurasian Wigeon x American Wigeon hybrid (probably the returning one from the last few year’s) in amongst 110+ Wigeon, 4 Gadwall, 5 Goldeneye and 11 Red-breasted Mergansers.   There were 200+ mixed Gulls around there as well with the Kumlien’s Gull again in with an influx of 60 Great Black-backed Gulls and 42 Black-headed Gulls – the first little arrival of the spring.




Eurasian Wigeon x American Wigeon hybrid




Wigeon


These ducks feeding in the sea had to take off, over the waves as each one came in - a very inefficient way of feeding?

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