Thank Heavens...

....for Little Gulls. With storm force westerlies hitting the patch, attempted to go for a sea-watch, until I saw this happening at the end of the road -

Sea-watching - bad idea, bay-watching, good idea, especially with a rather tame Little Gull feeding in the surf -

Little Gull.

Elsewhere around the patch - 2 Waxwings in the garden, 40+ Fieldfare and 20+ Redwing kicking about, and now 4 Scaup on the Loch.

Waxwing.

Redwing.

Even Kittiwakes were taking shelter behind stone walls !

Scaup.

It's a Fine Day.

At last, a fine day on the patch, with very little wind and no rain ! Yesterday's Waxwing spent most of the day in the garden, obliterating the rose 'tomatoes', the Redpoll flock in the 'secret' crop has now increased to 10 birds (but still no Arctic !), a Velvet Scoter showed reasonably well in West Voe, 3 Scaup (well at least 2 anyway :) ) were on the Loch, a Jack Snipe was at the back of the Loch and, shock horror ! no sign of any Lapland Buntings - only a fly-over Snow Bunting.

Waxwing.

Common Redpolls.

Velvet Scoter.

Scaup.

Fitful Head y'day.

Dr Stein.

Apart from a Waxwing briefly in the garden, the day was completely birdless.

Happy Hallowe'en, Dr Stein.

Surf's Up.

Spent a good few hours checking all the bays on the patch just in case there had been a Little Auk or a Grey Phal blown in - and, surprise surprise, there hadn't been ! So I took some 'action' shots ("listen mate, action shots, bang ! 'nuff said") of the stuff that was feeding in the surf.

Kittiwakes.

Eiders.

Common Gull.

Waxed Wings.

A pretty quiet week and it looks like the autumn is definitely over now, just a Brambling near the bus stop on Wednesday and 2 Waxwings in the garden on Thursday and 5 in there on Friday.

Waxwings.

Last Chance.

Probably the last chance of the autumn for anything decent, and despite thrashing several places, it didn't happen (surprise, surprise !). 20 Lapland Buntings and a late Wheatear were on the patch, a Yellow-browed Warbler at Quendale, a Common Redpoll in with the Twite at Hillwell and 3 Robins and a Dunnock were at Channerwick - roll on May !

Yellow-browed Warbler.

Wheatear.

Moon over Fitful Head.

North Wind.

With a north wind now blowing, there's little change as to whats on the patch, apart from a few winter birds arriving. 75+ Long-tailed Ducks are in West Voe, up to 28 Lapland Buntings are still about, 14 Whooper Swans are on the Loch, 2 Robins and a Song Thrush are knocking around and 3 Common Redpolls are still here.


Lapland Bunting.

Long-tailed Ducks.

Tail less Meadow Pipit.

Merlin.

Common Redpoll.

Scaup.