A single flock of 140 Common Scoters flying south down the West Coast was a surprise in the morning; easily the biggest flock of recent years. Asides, one Lapwing, one Black-headed Gull, two Spotted Flycatchers, and three Goldfinches were new in and a good count of 102 Puffins was made on the East Side of the Mountain.

The focus of our work at the moment is on the seabirds and we spent much of the afternoon in the colonies ringing, counting and photographing them again.

There are still lots of Razorbills on land

bringing in plenty of fish for the growing chicks

 Some of the youngsters have already fledged and are out on the sea with their fathers

This bird was ringed on Sanda Island off the Kintyre Peninsula in Scotland as a chick in 2010. We rad its ring in the field last year too!

 We spent quite some time photographing ringed birds - one of which was ringed as a chick in 1999

We do not have the largest puffin colony in the world, but it is still increasing in size. From just one or two pairs in 2000 we are now up to over 100. Plenty of birds sitting ashore and lots of fish being brought in

Reasonable numbers of Fulmars are also cackling from the steeper cliff faces