Wed 19th April. Thirteen group members were delighted to be out and about on the uninhabited island of Glimps Holm in calm, occasionally warm weather. Much of the outing was sea focused and our sightings were enhanced by the relative lack of ripples. Assuming that our pipits were both rock and meadow we were treated to 30 species over our almost three hour wander along the elevated pasture land above the rocky shore and later across sandy beach.

 

As well as the usual suspects we were treated to some lovely behaviour as our feathered friends were clearly gearing up for spring. We spent quite a while watching a great northern diver preening and cleaning in the water, constantly changing position. The trill of the skylark was often heard and very clearly in the still air  easy to pinpoint the bird itself. Many of us saw our first bonxie of the year. It was to be the day of the diver though as we were lucky enough to witness the courtship display of a pair of red throated divers as they reared up in the water one behind the other and practically ran across the surface. A real Attenborough moment.

 

Such a joy to be out and about without having to brace against the wind and battle with binos. We are so lucky to have these wonderful creatures around us. For the purists here is the species

count - red breasted meganser, black headed gull, eider, shag, ringed plover, oyster catcher, tystie, great northern diver, long tailed duck, redshank, snipe, shell duck, curlew, black headed gull, bonxie, skylark, meadow pipit, razorbill, fulmar, raven, pied wagtail, rock pipit, rock dove, red throated diver, wren, golden plover, herring gull, mute swan, turnstone, starling.

 

What a lovely outing.