Seven and a half hours from first light in the hide, with a strong northerly delivering squally, wintry showers, numerous rainbows and an array of classic late-autumn seabirds. Today's stars of the show were Eiders, and a total of 400 (to be exact - I finally left when I hit that number with barely any real light left) passed by, mainly north, in groups of up to 65.
On the move throughout, their presence inspired a longer session than planned (must remember some kind of sustenance next time), which in turn produced tons of quality back-up that I may well have missed otherwise. Extended quiet periods were suddenly disrupted by surges of movement, often just preceding or during incoming storms, and often when the day's excitement seemed to be long gone.
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| Two of today's Long-tailed Ducks |
A Balearic Shearwater, no fewer than five Long-tailed Ducks, a Pomarine Skua (which materialised from a heavy squall with two Arctic Skuas and a Bonxie mid p.m.), a blue Fulmar, a Great Northern Diver and a Velvet Scoter amongst plenty more made for (yet another) special day staring at the waves.
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| Great Northern Diver |
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| Plenty of these today.... |
