A quiet end to the month

30th November 2022 – overcast/mist/murk SE2/3
Offshore
A check of the sea (0830-0930) produced 43 Common Scoter, 10 Razorbill and 5 Red-throated Diver. The Shag remains in residence along the sheltered eastern shore.
Grounded Migrants
Four Redwing and a Fieldfare were logged.
Diurnal Migration
Several skeins of Pink-footed Geese totalling 135 birds flew through along with 7 Whooper Swan.
Wildfowl and Waders
Two Shoveler were seen and waders included 8 Greenshank.
Miscellaneous
The Hooded Crow remains and single Merlin, Peregrine and Water Rail were the best of the rest.

Fogbound

29th November 2022 – foggy ESE1/2
Grounded Migrants
Single Redwing and Fieldfare were logged.
Diurnal Migration
Several skeins of Pink-footed Geese flew through and 6 Siskin were seen.
Miscellaneous
A Merlin and 2 Water Rail were the best of the rest.

Brent Goose flock finally increases

28th November 2022 – sunny spells/showers ESE2/3
Offshore
A quiet morning over the sea with just 34 Common Scoter and single Gannet and Red-breasted Merganser recorded.
Wildfowl and Waders
The Brent Goose flock held a total of 385 birds involving 312 pale and 73 dark-bellied birds.
Diurnal Migration
Three Siskin and 3 Tree Sparrow were seen.
Miscellaneous
Single Water Rail and Raven were the best of the rest.
Ringing
The pair of light-bellied Brent Geese ringed at Axel Heiberg Island, Canada on 2nd August 2014 have returned for another winter.

Third Cetti’s Warbler of the autumn

27th November 2022 – overcast/showers S2/3
Rarities
The third Cetti’s Warbler of the autumn was located in the scrub on the coastal path that runs along the eastern side of the airfield.
Wildfowl and Waders
Three female Scaup were seen and the Brent Goose flock held both dark and light-bellied birds. Waders included 101 Snipe, 10 Greenshank, 2 Purple Sandpiper and single Black-tailed Godwit, Woodcock and Jack Snipe.
Miscellaneous
The Hooded Crow remains in residence and 6 Water Rail; 3 Peregrine and single Short-eared Owl and Merlin were the best of the rest.
Mammals
Single Otter and Roe Deer were logged.

Little on offer!

26th November 2022 – overcast/showers SSE4/5
Offshore
The sea provided 20 Common Scoter, 6 Red-breasted Merganser, 3 Red-throated Diver and single Kittiwake and Gannet. A Shag continues to reside on the sheltered eastern shore.

Wildfowl and Waders dominate sightings

25th November 2022 – sunny spellsWSW4/5/6
Offshore
The sea provided 52 Common Scoter, 30 Shag, 10 Guillemot, 7 Red-throated Diver and 5 Razorbill.
Wildfowl and Waders
The male Goosander remains amongst 25 Red-breasted Merganser and additional wildfowl included 1905 Wigeon, 740 Teal, 226 Brent Geese, 125 Mallard and 115 Pintail. Waders included 4080 Oystercatcher, 2715 Dunlin, 1820 Lapwing, 1105 Redshank, 570 Curlew, 340 Golden Plover, 205 Snipe, 193 Turnstone and 109 Grey Plover.
Miscellaneous
A Water Rail and 30 Little Egret were the best of the rest.

Hooded Crow and Goosander again

24th November 2022 – overcast/showers then rain SSE4/5/6
Grounded Migrants
Limited to a solitary Fieldfare.
Wildfowl and Waders
The male Goosander remains.
Miscellaneous
The Hooded Crow continues in residence and 18 Twite were seen. Raptors were well represented with Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, Merlin and Peregrine all seen.
Mammals
A Fox was unwelcome.

Hooded Crow and Goosander

23rd November 2022 – overcast/rain clearing to sun and showers SE5/6 then SW4/5/6
Offshore
A check of the sea as the rain cleared (1100-1200) produced 150 Kittiwake, 43 Common Scoter, 9 Red-throated Diver, 2 Gannet and a Fulmar.
Wildfowl and Waders
A male Goosander remains.
Miscellaneous
The Hooded Crow continues in residence and 14 Rock Pipit were amongst 80 Skylark.

Black Guillemot and Woodcock

22nd November 2022 –sunny spells/calm
Offshore
A check of the sea at dawn revealed a congregation of 38 Shag, also seen were 34 Common Scoter, 12 Red-throated Diver, 8 Guillemot, 3 Razorbill and 2 Red-breasted Merganser. A second check on the falling tide added 5500 Eider, 9 Great Crested Grebe, 8 Razorbill, 7 Guillemot, 3 Red-throated Diver and a Black Guillemot.
Grounded Migrants
A Fieldfare and 8 Redwing were amongst 37 Blackbirds.
Wildfowl and Waders
A drake Goosander was seen and waders included 15 Greenshank, 2 Purple Sandpiper and a Woodcock.
Miscellaneous
A group of 15 Twite were seen and two Water Rail and single Merlin and Peregrine were the best of the rest.
Mammals
A Badger again revealed its nocturnal meanderings.
Butterflies and Moths
Two Red Admiral were on the wing in the warm sunshine.

Jack Snipe and Purple Sandpiper

21st November 2022 – overcast/rain later E/4/5/6
Grounded Migrants
A Fieldfare was amongst a handful of Blackbirds.
Wildfowl and Waders
The Brent Goose flock held 230 light-bellied birds while additional sightings included 3 Shoveler. Waders included 9 Greenshank, 2 Purple Sandpiper and a Jack Snipe.
Miscellaneous
Just 6 Twite were seen and single Water Rail, Merlin and Peregrine were the best of the rest.
Mammals
A Weasel was logged.
Butterflies and Moths
The moth trap held a single Silver Y.

An excellent seawatch – for mid-November

20th November 2022 – sunny spells/rain later W3/4/5
Offshore
An extended morning check of the sea (0800-1100) revealed 805 Kittiwake, 332 Common Scoter, 45 Razorbill, 22 Red-throated Diver, 15 Guillemot, 15 Red-breasted Merganser, 2 Gannet, 2 Great Crested Grebe and single Shag, Little Gull, Great Skua, Arctic Skua, Great Northern Diver and Manx Shearwater – the observatory has only recorded a handful of November records for the latter species in the last 50 years.
Mammals
A Common Dolphin was also offshore.

Second Cetti’s Warbler and first autumnal Woodcock arrive

19th November 2022 – bright and sunny/calm
Offshore
An early morning check of the sea (0730-0800) revealed 43 Common Scoter, 28 Shag, 23 Razorbill, 7 Red-throated Diver, 6 Kittiwake, 2 Red-breasted Merganser and 2 Guillemot.
Grounded Migrants
The second Cetti’s Warbler of the autumn was located and early morning thrushes involved 44 Blackbird, 8 Song Thrush and 7 Redwing. A single Chiffchaff was amongst 3 Goldcrest and a Treecreeper was seen.
Diurnal Migration
A few birds were on the move in the, for this autumn, unusually calm conditions with 11 Whooper Swan and single Tree Sparrow, Siskin and Lesser Redpoll amongst the species recorded.
Wildfowl and Waders
The first 2 Woodcock of the autumn arrived.
Miscellaneous
The Twite flock increased to 55 birds and single Merlin and Peregrine were the best of the rest.
Mammals
Single Badger, Weasel and Harbour Porpoise were logged.

A few more seabirds but little else

18th November 2022 – sunny spells and heavy showers WNW4/5/6
Offshore
An early morning check of the sea (0830-0930) revealed 67 Common Scoter, 38 Kittiwake, 30 Pintail, 9 Red-throated Diver, 5 Guillemot and 4 Red-breasted Merganser.
Grounded Migrants
Early morning thrushes involved 14 Blackbird and 2 Fieldfare.
Miscellaneous
The long-staying Hooded Crow was the best of the rest.

A few seabirds despite the weather

17th November 2022 – overcast/rain NW2/3/4
Offshore
Sightings in an early morning check of the sea (0830-1030) included 465 Common Scoter, 35 Razorbill, 22 Red-throated Diver, 9 Guillemot, 4 Kittiwake, 2 Gannet, 2 Red-breasted Merganser and a Goldeneye. A Shag remains in residence along the eastern shore
Miscellaneous
Single Merlin and Peregrine were the best of the rest.

Short-eared Owl and Twite

16th November 2022 – overcast/murky then sunny spells SE3/4
Offshore
A morning check of the sea saw just 25 Common Scoter, 17 Shag, 8 Razorbill, 4 Red-throated Diver and a Kittiwake.
Grounded Migrants
Early morning thrushes involved 15 Redwing and a Fieldfare.
Diurnal Migration
The skies were also quiet with just 21 Pink-footed Goose logged.
Miscellaneous
A Short-eared Owl hunted the island and 30 Twite were logged while 2 Water Rail were the best of the rest.

Second wave of Fieldfare

13th November 2022 – overcast/murky then sunny spells ESE3/4
Offshore
A morning check of the sea saw just 5 Common Scoter, 4 Red-breasted Merganser and a Red-throated Diver appearing through the gloom.
Grounded Migrants
Early morning thrushes involved 16 Blackbird, 2 Song Thrush and a Redwing.
Diurnal Migration
The skies provided the most activity with evidence of movement provided by 2000 Starling, 630 Fieldfare, 240 Jackdaw, 200 Pink-footed Geese, 32 Meadow Pipit, 29 Carrion Crow, 21 Skylark, 13 Siskin, 13 Whooper Swan, 8 Reed Bunting, 7 Rook, 3 Stock Dove, 2 Lesser Redpoll and 2 Mistle Thrush.
Miscellaneous
Raptors involved Merlin, Sparrowhawk and Kestrel while a Water Rail was the best of the rest.

An away day!

12th November 2022 – bright and sunny spells SE3/4
Diurnal Migration
Evidence of movement was provided by 25 Pink-footed Geese, 5 Siskin and a Brambling.
Miscellaneous
Highlights from a check of some of the less frequently visited parts of the island were 38 Little Egret, 10 Long-tailed Tit, 9 Bullfinch, 6 Goldcrest, 4 Jay, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 3 Sparrowhawk, 2 Peregrine and single Merlin, Redwing, Grey Wagtail and Water Rail.
Butterflies and Moths
A Hummingbird Hawkmoth was seen and butterflies still on the wing in the warm sunshine involved 3 Red Admiral and a Painted Lady.

Deja vu

11th November 2022 – overcast/drizzle then sunny spells S4/5/6
Offshore
A check of the open shore again revealed little of note with just 10 Common Scoter, however, birds sheltering on the leeward side of the island on the rising tide included 30 Red-breasted Merganser, 17 Great Crested Grebe, 2 Red-throated Diver and single Great Northern Diver, Black Guillemot and Shag.
Wildfowl and Waders
A female Shoveler was the pick of the wildfowl while waders included 2100 Oystercatcher, 1200 Dunlin, 500 Redshank, 78 Grey Plover and 25 Greenshank.
Miscellaneous
A Raven was the best of the rest.

Great Northern Diver and Black Guillemot

10th November 2022 – overcast/rain/drizzle/mist SSW4/5/6
Offshore
An early morning check of the open shore revealed just 8 Common Scoter and 2 Kittiwake, however, birds sheltering on the leeward side of the island on the rising tide included 24 Red-breasted Merganser, 13 Great Crested Grebe, and single Great Northern Diver, Black Guillemot, Goosander and Shag.
Wildfowl and Waders
Waders included 120 Snipe and 11 Greenshank.
Miscellaneous
A Peregrine was the best of the rest.

Yet another Little Gull

9th November 2022 – overcast/showers then sunny spells W4/5/6
Offshore
Observations over the sea (0800-0900) were led by an adult Little Gull amongst 730 Kittiwake. Also seen were 180 Common Scoter, 30 Razorbill, 7 Red-throated Diver, 4 Red-breasted Merganser and 2 Shag.
Miscellaneous
A Merlin was the best of the rest.

Another Little Gull

6th November 2022 – sun and showers SSE3/4/5
Offshore
Observations over the sea (0830-0930) were led by a first-winter Little Gull amongst 115 Common Scoter, 22 Razorbill, 8 Kittiwake, 4 Red-throated Diver, 3 Guillemot and a Gannet.
Grounded Migrants
Limited to a single Redwing.
Diurnal Migration
A group of 11 Whooper Swan flew through.
Wildfowl and Waders
The Brent Goose flock held 253 pale-bellied birds while 100 Pintail were also logged.
Miscellaneous
The Hooded Crow remains while 2 Merlin and 2 Peregrine were the best of the rest.

More Water Rails

4th November 2022 – sun and showers/calm thenWNW3/4/5
Grounded Migrants
Early morning thrushes involved 20 Blackbird, 3 Fieldfare and a Redwing. A Chiffchaff was amongst 3 Goldcrest.
Diurnal Migration
The skies added variety with 650 Jackdaw, 55 Carrion Crow, 55 Woodpigeon, 24 Tree Sparrow, 11 Chaffinch, 6 Stock Dove, 5 Siskin, 3 Lesser Redpoll, 2 Brambling and single Rock Pipit, Twite and Whooper Swan amongst the species logged.
Miscellaneous
Three Water Rail were recorded.

Velvet Scoter, Goosander and Water Rail

3rd November 2022 – sun and showers S2/3
Offshore
Two Velvet Scoter were logged.
Grounded Migrants
Early morning thrushes were limited to 6 Blackbird, 3 Song Thrush and a Redwing. Two Goldcrest were the only other records of note.
Diurnal Migration
A few birds were on the move including 410 Starling, 100 Jackdaw, 26 Skylark, 25 Chaffinch, 21 Carrion Crow, 9 Siskin, 5 Greenfinch, 2 Lesser Redpoll and 2 Tree Sparrow.
Wildfowl and Waders
A Goosander was amongst 20 Red-breasted Merganser and 9 Greenshank were the pick of the waders.
Miscellaneous
The Hooded Crow remains and a Water Rail was the best of the rest.
Butterflies and Moths
A Red Admiral was still on the wing and the moth trap held a Juniper Carpet - the first island record.

Rain and then more rain!

2nd November 2022 – overcast/rain SSE5/6/7
Offshore
Observations over the sea (0900-1000) during a drier interlude in the horrendous conditions revealed just 65 Common Scoter. The Shag continues to shelter along the easter shore.
Ringing
A colour-ringed Black-headed Gull seen on the island earlier in the autumn had been ringed at Castle Espie, County Down, Northern Ireland on 19th June 2014. <

Scaup and Little Gull

1st November 2022 –showers/sunny spells W4/5/6
Offshore
Observations over the sea (0800-1000) were led by an adult Little Gull and drake Scaup amongst 440 Kittiwake, 430 Common Scoter, 277 Razorbill, 11 Gannet, 5 Guillemot, 4 Red-throated Diver, 2 Brent Goose and a late Manx Shearwater.
Grounded Migrants
Early morning thrushes involved 19 Fieldfare.
Miscellaneous
A Peregrine was the best of the rest.