Monday 19 November 2012

Fulmar fest'

It blew up yesterday evening, and snowed, so much that the dog was unhappy about carrying on her night time stroll with all that white stuff blowing in her face.


This morning it was still blowing and although it took me a while to get started, and I got distracted on the way, I got to Point of Buckquoy at 9:40 or so.  Once I'd sorted myself out, and clocked the 1cy Glaucous Gull that went west as soon as I wound the window down, I noticed that something was going on in Fulmar World. The first five minute sample count was 630. Over the next 90 minutes 10,404 went west and about 30 went east; that 's a lot of Fulmar. Amongst these I picked out three double dark morph, blue, fulmars. Also in the movement were one each of Sooty and Manx Shearwater. I'm guessing that the movement had northern origins with the blue fulmars showing but I've never seen that many fulmars in one go before.


I probably should have watched longer but I wanted to check the beach for waders, Killdeer is my current ambition bird. Plenty of waders, no Killdeer.





A casualty of the storm, unfortunately. Maybe his mum will find him.



Yesterday had been a beautiful day, two male Brambling brightened the feeders and Loch of Bosquoy held two male Goosander, uncommon here.


The Tree Sparrow is still here, it arrived April 2011

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