Weekend Birding... 8 Scaup & Rough-Legged Buzzard!

What's that with the Eiders?
3 Scaup and a Tuffed Duck in the South Harbour 

Saturday...

One of each... Scaup, Tuffed Duck & female Eider

Tuffed Duck - 3 Scaup - the middle one has a pointy head like Lesser Scaup but who can say?

On the beach while photographing the Ducks I found this little "Wader" hanging with the Turnstone.
leg colour changes depending on light and shadow

Wing Pattern any help?

Redwing on South Harbour Cliff

Henry & I went down to the lighthouse to feed the fish in the studio.
We saw 2 Blackcaps & a Dunnock on the way, plus Bramblings, Chaffinch, Redwings & Fieldfare.

Henry spots this Snow Bunting just outside the studio tells me to take a photo.
A small flock of about 20 have been hang around the south of the isle for a while now.

 The Skerry Holm Ram

The Girl on Skadan

In the huge tidepool below my Lighthouse Studio I spied 4 more Scaup that flew out to Sea thanks to Henry's loud and excited voice. He saw a Heron and a Sparrowhawk! (Plus a Wigeon) that made 7 Scaup! I thought that might be some sort of a record? To my surprise shortly after on the Scrape I refound our old friend... the Scaup from our pond! OMG! it's alive and well! I watched it leave the pond and saw it was ringed. it even flew! now that's 8 SCAUP in a day! then 2 Owls flew out and around me! Wow! is this cool or what? On Sunday we found our Scaup again on Dave's Pond along the road at Field, It flew off down island as we drove by.

One of the 2 Owls I saw Yesterday... I flushed one from my Garden recently.
I wonder if they are the same two I saw driving to Darts Club Thursday night?

2:30pm and got a call as the sun was setting... Rough-Legged Buzzard in the north high on Ward Hill.

My camera is not nearly as good as my binoculars... consent problem for blogging.
Light was failing plus when it came close I was looking not taking pics.
Stunning!

Sunday...

Rough-Legged Buzzard - Speck to Smudge

As I was looking at the RLB drift over the hill ... Henry yells it's over there! What the heck?
This bird was back lite in failing light and but I could not make out the white patch on tail?
Later, I heard that a common Buzzard was seen today aswell. Wow! That's rare on Fair Isle!
I'm looking for a Buzzard in good light tomorrow.



One Bean Goose... David the Warden counted 59 

Other days highlights:  2 Reed Buntings at Netter Taft crop - Windchat at Chalet - Peregrine and Sparrowhawks



The Buzzard scared up the Gulls
Thanks that helps!