Glaucous Gulls

One of the two, right hand bird

Two first winters were on the low tide rocks and it was a very low tide, off the Birsay Links beach. Both flew off toward The Brough with the other large gulls presumably to the Northside roost. The first of these two birds was very dark below, the second was quite dark. I was very surprised just how dark they were and can't remember noting this feature in the past. (I'll nip upstairs and grab the gull book in a moment.)

In the Birsay gardens there were two Robin, two Redwing, two Blackbirds, three Song Thrush and a Stonechat, so some evidence of a small drop.

Rockit

Yesterday at the junction to the Stromness road in Twatt there was a small flock of finches that I reckon were redpoll, seen from inside the car. There is a somewhat inaccessible plantation not far away and these would no doubt repay further investigation if I had the time and fancied birding around the main road :-(

Not much else to report, much of the weekend spent fixing door handles and doing house stuff though. I really should get down to Finstown to look at the Bullfinch flock and assorted redpolls at some point but that will have to wait until next weekend.

I drove around to Skaill after my wander at Birsay. Three or four Slavonian Grebes but only 32 Whooper Swans.

Down the Brogdar road to look for gulls but I was too late, none showing, I presume they had all gone to roost.

However the full moon and the sky showed rather well at the loch side and around the Ring.