alba alba

White Wagtail

The beaches at Birsay were covered in alba wagtails this afternoon and almost all of them were M.a.alba. I counted 53; 21 on the bay beach north of the burn and the rest on the links beach. I only saw three or maybe four yarrellii. These are amazing numbers. Interestingly they all called like yarrellii and I didn't hear the Grey Wag like call that I've sometimes heard from this form. At least three Whimbrel over whilst we were there and 5 or 6 Wheatear on the Links beach.

Loch of Bosquoy

Earlier in the day Arctic Tern was added to the "from the garden" list courtesy of three then six on Loch of Bosquoy. A wader seen briefly flying between The Shunan and eventually landing around Bosquoy may well have been a Pec but although I saw it well it was a distant and fairly brief view so best forgotten. I went down to Bosquoy to look for it but to no avail although did count the Tufted properly 386.

In the garden were a pair of Siskin and a flock of what I think were Pink-feet stormed through at tree top level, 35 of them, before gaining height as they headed north west, presumably they were dodging a Peregrine.

At the end of the day a summer plumaged Dunlin was on The Shunan and added to the list.

Moth trapping last night produced but one moth - Hebrew Character, something must have gone wrong surely, although it was cold.