Sunrise start (09:15)

Out at sunrise on a FootIt mission, heading for the north and east of the one mile circumference. The plan was to get Song Thrush in the gorse "up back" then head onto the edge of the moor with Red Grouse and Snipe in mind.

Heading up the path through the gorse with the dog on the lead we flushed a Woodcock from under our feet, that was a bonus. The predicted Song Thrush was then located. A few steps up through the gorse and a roost of 12 Blackbirds were flushed. Closer to the moor and another Meadow Pipit, an easy species this year. The last clump of gorse before the moor and something flushed, bit slow to get the bins up but it had flown by and into some gorse back down the way. Retrace steps, Redwing, a species that can be well tricky in January.

Next on to the moor. Let the dog off and hope. Tactic failed, all we flushed were two hares which came out from almost under the dog's feet and which she somehow managed not to see. Back on the lead and heading home and two Snipe flushed as we approached the moor gate. But no Red Grouse. Added to the Kestrel I'd seen through the bedroom window first thing, 49 and 80.3%.

Two more

Not really birding today but the elusive Woodpig was added to the list first thing and even found a friend to make a record January flock (of two). Also six Jackdaw in the upper fields. 44 which is 72.1%

New Moon and Venus in conjuction

Foot It and Patchwork Challenge - the off

Lovely day, sunny, fairly calm, good conditions for patch birding. Late start as it is an offspring's birthday so attendance at parcel unwrapping and the requirement to produce fresh pancakes for breakfast delayed the start. However, soon enough, with faithful hound along for the "walk" (charge about like a maniac) we were off. (Well, actually, a good number of species had been recorded from the kitchen window whilst preparing pancakes.)

 The Shunan this morn

 Hound

Meadow Pipit was the first quality recorded, a tricky species at this time of year. Down at Loch of Bosquoy Little Grebe was located by careful searching, often a very tricky species to find. Twite and Hen Harrier were also found soon enough but the commuting Goosander were absent, clearly hung over at Loch of Wasdale after a heavy night. Down to Harray and very careful searching in less than ideal conditions, there being glare from the sunshine and a bit of chop due to the breeze, eventually revealed a single drake Scaup, however, Slav Grebe and Long-tailed Duck were absent.

Whooper Swans were gratefully ticked

Then back to Bosquoy where a Peregrine put in a brief appearance and finally home. Searching the garden finally produced a Fieldfare, sometimes tricky. 42 was a decent outcome, just 19 to go to beat last year's total, 68.9%.

Here's a view of the patch from the garden later in the day, with The Shunan in the foreground, Loch of Bosquoy next and Loch of Harray beyond.  The island of Hoy and its hills are in the distance.

Toodle East

Offspring required taking to meet friends in kirkwall etc so an excuse for a toodle east. The lack of an extended day did limit things somewhat so it was a bit of a rush but first stop was the Toab Glossy Ibis. As well as trying out the new Canon I'm also messing about with digiscoping again, just as a backup for record shots of distant things. I tried a bit of digivideo, handheld Nikon CoolPix 3100 as well.

Ok, not great but passable, you can see what it is. 

Digiscope in terrible light, Nikon CoolPix handheld

Uncropped Canon SX50 ISO 3200 at 50x and 160th, very noisy

Then down to Point of Liddle where there were some nice surprises, amongst the 19 GNDivers and 6 Slav Grebes, 26 Velvet Scoter and 362 Eider, plus assorted LtDucks there was a close inshore Red-necked Grebe and a Black-throated Diver, very nice.

I probably should have spent more time searching for Mr Surfie but instead went to Scapa with thoughts of the thick-billed one.... just Tysties and 11 Slav Grebes here though. All the same a very nice afternoon out east.

Pochard and Twite

A huge flock of 817 Pochard counted yesterday on Loch of Harray by the Merkister was added to today by a flock of 387 Twite at nearby Russland Mill. Both spots are within my Foot It zone so hopefully they will hang around, as hopefully will the Meadow Pipit which can be a tricky species in january. Down at Howaback, which is just beyond my one mile Foot It limit, there was a (hard to get) Pied Wagtail as well as a Slavonian Grebe.

The garden yielded further out of season fayre with a Woodpigeon and  Black-headed Gull.

The afternoon was spent at Palace, a family walk which really and no special birds, but more interesting light with which to play with the Canon SX50 which has replaced the faithful (but sometimes rather irritating) SX20.

 The camera seems to have a depth of colour and sharpness that the SX20 did not achieve.

The light was poor and the zoom high, the image seems pretty sharp to me.

Year end

Here's a year end picture. Text to follow later maybe....

Warbeth Beach, Stromness, it was barely possibe to make any headway into the wind yesterday.

Reflective

Having failed to see the glossy one yesterday, I now suspect it was hiding behind the wall of the field, I nipped along there first(ish) thing and connected. The ibis walked out from behind the wall when I parked, it was just across the road.

The ibis was finding plenty to eat in the peedie field.

I moved on to Evie, the idea being to check out the whale corpse. However, high tide,a few sightseers and the appearance of an Iceland Gull when I got there weakened my resolve. half way to the corpse I gave up, most of the gulls were at the other end of the beach.

Searching the other way a Leeb was a fair reward, actually much less common here in winter than an Iceland Gull.

1cy Iceland Gull

1cy Leeb

There has been no sign of the Tree Sparrow at home since last Saturday, 14th, sadly it may have gone or been predated.

Tinkle

The Twitch - I didn't get there that early, it had been light for a while, but I was still the third person there. See the other two and the (rather dead) sperm whale.

Here's the scene, though a bit of a cheat as the gull was not feeding when I first got there, just sitting around. It then flew off strongly north. So after a bit I and two others (two more) tramped north along the shore. I looked the wrong way whilst an otter showed.

About a mile up the coast, scanning, and eventually the whitest one came into view. Flying back across from Eyenhallow, where it may roost. The pure white plumage and very long white wings, very pointed, were a sure giveaway.

This is a very white individual and I do wonder, what with the plumage and the yellow coming into the bill if it might not be a 2cy? The gull book does not entertain such nonesense of course, 1cy or adult are the options.

The bill it would seem is especially adapted to the task of piercing the tough outer whale skin. The gull continually worked at a tiny hole.

Nice bird, early Christmas present I guess, although I could do with a year end find.

WeBS counting today produced two nice drake Goosander on Loch of Bosquoy. The 120 or so Teal on The Shunan refused to reveal a G-wT though.

Goose counting in the rain

Goose counting day again so I headed over to the East Mainland to my goosey spot. Nearly 4700 Greylags counted and a rather low number of Pinkies 209. Also missing were Great Northerns, only abut 4 seen and Slav Grebes, same again. However, two good sized Eider flocks, a 607 and a 330 and a decent flock of 419 Long-tailed Ducks. Only other highlights were a flock of 36 Velvet Scoter and three Hen Harriers.

Short-billed Dowitcher

Here's some pix, not the greatest but....

Also managed to stumble upon an Iceland Gull and a tromp down the island produced a very nice Green-winged Teal at Gretchen.

The first time I've ever flown for a bird and a brilliant day's birding. Thanks to MW for transport and locations.

Goosey counting today

...and seeing great birds. My area is north and east of Kirkwall and Tankerness. Really like birding on Tankerness, I should do it more often!!

Kicked off with flocks of 784 Eider and 235 Long-tailed Ducks and then it just got better. A Waxwing on west Tankerness, I was wondering where all the Velvet Scoter were as I only found 7, until i found a flock of 47 in Deer Sound and a drake Surfie with them. Also in Deer Sound was another Eider flock, this time 199. All around Tankerness there were Great Northerns, Slav Grebes, Long-tailed Ducks and a few Red-throated Divers. Other highlights were a Black-tailed Godwit and a Jack Snipe amongst two really large gatherings of wadeers. Geese were restricted to just over 5000 Greylags and 445 Pinkies, plus a weird Canada hybrid.

Flood

 Water bubbling up into the field

 At the end of our track, a boat might be handy

A very useful bridge, the ditch, our track (left to right)

Other than all this weather mullarky a slightly frustrating weekend birding-wise. Despite lots of effort on Saturday it took until late afternoon to finally get to grips with the Chiffchaffs that were skulking about the garden all day. In the end one was nailed as tristis, the other probably was one. No pix unfortunately because it was late in the day when i finally got half decent views. The bird looked very like the one in the photo from the other week on N Ron, although the rusty cheek patch was not as marked.

Today I ventured out in the afternoon and in an hour three blue Fulmars passed Pt of Buckquoy, two dark morphs and a deep blue double dark.