More Sun

Another fine sunny day ! Out on the patch and the only thing new for the year was a Grey Heron, still, it's nice to be out in this kind of weather.

Grey Heron

Fulmars.

Purps.

While the weather was nice and sunny (the first time in ages), spent a most pleasant couple of hours on the beach near the house with these Purple Sandpipers. The rest of the patch was, of course, as dead as 'A' line flares with pockets on the knees !

Common Scrotum

A bit of a surprise this morning was 3 Common Scoters in front of the house (a male and 2 females) with a couple of male Goldeneye, the rest of the patch was dead though (not too surprising for mid Feb !)

Hello Skinny

Proper classic ! As weird and disturbing as only The Residents can be.

A Few More

A few more patch year-ticks added this week - Ringed Plover, Kittiwake and Short-eared Owl, the weather has been shite with gales and rain, so I might go into hibernation until April !

Hooded Crow.

Kittiwake.

GB.

Straw Clutching

With a south-easterly wind and a westerly swell in the bay for the last couple of days, the waves in front of the house were pretty spectacular. So, being as there are no birds about (and not likely to be for ages yet), went to the beach and took these photos - proper clutching at straws !

Eb Goode

Just how did they get away with this ? Everyone I knew at the time, in the Hacienda and elsewhere, thought this tune was pretty bloody marvelous and a positive 'fingers up' to the establishment at the time - rave on John ! Enjoy and turn it up !

A Bit More Fun

Just a bit more fun.... while there's nowt about...
No wonder the Eiders on Shetland aren't doing particularly well - there's no Green Woodpeckers up here to protect their young from Bonxies etc....


And as the row rumbles on about Andy Gray's comments about the lines-woman not knowing how to do her job, this photo shows that she was doing it quite adequately !!!

(both photos stolen, borrowed, nicked, usurped etc from other websites)

Some Dross

A couple of short jaunts on the patch this week, and just the usual dross, the Kestrel that has been wintering on the airport, finally decide to cross over to the patch on Saturday and the early Shelduck is still at the back of the loch. This morning, doing the daily scan of the bay from the living room window, picked up the first year male King Eider off the end of Little Holm - a room tick ! I'd already house ticked King Eider with this one from the kitchen window in 2008. After the storm, with the beaches all stirred up, there were Gulls everywhere, but no white-wingers.

Common Gulls

Black-headed Gulls.

The Storm

Winds last night peaked at 104 mph ! (or 93 mph, depending on which news programme was reporting), the result being that 2 of my beaches have now disappeared !

White Rabbit

Classic !