A thoroughly pleasant late autumn/early winter's day saw the now regular flock of Eider in the gutter with eight birds present in addition to three others just off the North End over the tide.
A single Snipe flew over the sole observer as they approached the island as the the tide flooded and, unusually, it landed on the rocks but skulked off and could not be relocated for a photograph.
Nine Purple Sandpipers were roosting at the North End sheltering out of the blustery westerly breeze.
The three Eiders seemed to be enjoying riding the waves and swimming and diving in the frothy sea and likewise several flocks of Common Scoter were noted totally 350 birds.
Other sea watching highlights included single Red-throated Diver and 3 Great Crested Grebes but not a single auk.
As the tide dropped the Pale-bellied Brents moved up from Little Eye and began to feed between the islands and to the west of the pool with a minimum 280 birds counted including a colour-ringed bird previously ringed on Iceland on passage to/from the Canadian Arctic breeding grounds.
Two Song Thrushes and a single Blackbird were noted on the island but no pipits of any species were seen today.
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