6th October

In a monkey's wedding day of sunshine, heavy showers, wind, rainbows and hailstorms admixed, avian diversity couldn't quite match that of the weather. There were hardly any geese on the move, but at least 16 Whooper Swans were on the island. A Barred Warbler near Ancum Loch could well have been the bird from the previous week. A Short-eared Owl at the north of the island might also have been the bird from earlier in the week, and 3 Grey Plovers were probably all long-stayers. There did seem to have been a considerable increase in the number of Snow Buntings, with about 200 dotted around the island.

Short-eared Owl