Fair Isle - Day 5 in the Puffinn Household

The intended lie-in this morning was somewhat curtailed by the 300 Greylag Geese that started to shelter behind the house at 2a.m. this morning. The 35mph NW wind meant that shelter was in short supply today, as were any new birds. Undetered, the Puffinn Household headed out into the blustery wind, some heading to watch the sea, but I decided to check the sheltered coves in the SE corner of the island. My first encounter was with a ringed dead Grey Heron. It had been ringed a few days earlier but had succumbed to the lack of goldfish in croft ponds. A female Scaup, which had obviously been roosting on some rocks by the shore moved quietly away, but spent the rest of the day around the cove. The best bird of the day though, was a Richard's Pipit that flew in off the sea, calling. It flew in over my head and spent a couple of minutes around Haa and then flew off towards Leough.
The rest of the day was spent checking the eastern Geos, which were quite empty, but some seawatching produced a few trip ticks.
The temperature plumeted this evening, so most off us were back at The Puffin well before dark. We've heard that it's quiz night at the obs tonight, so we might try and get ourselves down there.
It's looking like it may be a quiet weekend, with prodominently NW winds, but the forecast says SE winds from Monday. Here's hoping!

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