Saturday Struggle . . . 

The strong gales and heavy downpours continued today. I photographed the male Long-tailed Duck which was still present in North Haven during a brief sunny spell as well as a confiding Redwing. 2 female Long-tailed Duck & the 2 Grey Phalaropes were also still present. I headed north & birded the cliffs round to Easter & Wester Lother before lunch but it was a virtually birdless venture, my only bird of note being a Tree Pipit  - shown in the photographs below (a trip tick for me).  Other birds I noted today include 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Northern Wheatear, 1 Purple Sandpiper, 2 Kittiwake, 4 Common Gull. Phil had 3 Great Northern Diver & 1 Red-throated Diver during a South Light Seawatch.

Saturday - More force 9 gales & lashings of rain.

Spent most of the morning and afternoon around the more sheltered areas of North Haven & Buness. Finally got some shots of the illusive Bluethroat which frequented South Haven beach and the old small buildings in the Havens. A flock of Snow Bunting (19) fed on the grassy banks by the beach and Eiders dived for crabs in the calm North Haven waters.  Other birds present here included 3 Red-breasted Mergansers, a Razorbill, 30 Turnstone, 2 Redshank, 2 Knot flew overhead, 1 Arctic Tern, 1 Guillemot, 1 Chaffinch, 2 Bonxies, 3 Common Gull. A blackbird and Lesser Whitethroat were in the new plantation. (A Grey Phalarope & Pectoral Sandpiper were seen in the south of the Island).