Thursday 14th & Friday 15th December

Horrible weather with no birds sighted yesterday. Weather not that much better today, but some birds to tell you about:

Apart from my observations of a pair of adult Golden Eagles low over Uiskentuie where I finally connected with the immature Glaucous Gull, the RSPB had been out hard at work on Loch Gruinart doing their BTO WeBS count, Annie Rudd kindly sent in these very comprehensive results:

MALLARD 150, 

WHOOPER SWAN 30, 

TEAL 1,242, 

HERON 2, 

GOLDENEYE 4, 

CORMORANT 2, 

MUTE SWAN 6, 

LAPWING 883, 

CURLEW 201, 

OYSTERCATCHER 130,

BAR-TAILED GODWIT 863, 

HERRING GULL 4, 

RED-BREASTED MERGANSER 19,

SHELDUCK 46, 

SHAG 1, 

WIGEON 314, 

REDSHANK 90, 

DUNLIN 556, 

BLACK-HEADED GULL 11, 

RINGED PLOVER 89, 

KNOT 12, 

GREENSHANK 22,

GREAT-BLACK BACKED GULL 6,

WHITE-TAILED EAGLE 1, 

LONG-TAILED DUCK 1,

TURNSTONE 49, 

COMMON GULL 16, 

EIDER 4,

 SNIPE 8, 

GOLDEN PLOVER 667,

LITTLE EGRET 6, 

PINTAIL 123, 

SHOVELER 50, 

BLACK-TAILED GODWIT 4, 

GADWALL 1,

JACK SNIPE 1

Particularly noteworthy is the high count of Pintail and the Bar-tailed Godwit tally is the highest ever recorded.