Nothing says new year like wooing eider. I've managed to get out of the flat 3 time this year, and each time they've been there waiting for me. With some lovely friends. New year's day bought sightings of both red throated and great northern divers and, surprisingly, large numbers of razorbills and guillemots. Again today, there were a pair of RT divers (one a real corker) and eight or nine little groups of razorbills and 'mots.
I'm used to seeing the oddly patterned black guillemots in their higgledy-piggledy winter plumage, but seeing large numbers of other auks so close is a sign of all this bad weather we've been having. We've also had a trio of barnacle geese (not common on the island) in with the greylags. One with a black forehead and darker belly (anyone got any ideas on the cross?).
One thing I haven't seen this year is a wren, I've been keeping an eye on the garden, but so far nothing, none of Farland point either. Not a hint of the scolding chur. I'll keep you in the loop. Not much to report on the feeders, usual hungry winter mix. Getting greenfinches regularly at the moment though.
In other news, the next report of NB will be fresh from the Mirco2014 conference in Brest.
Hope everyone had a great holiday, despite the storms.
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