Today, a 50mph southerly wind was driving heavy rain across the island throughout the day, only finally letting up at around 7pm as dusk closed in. 

Due to the abhorrent weather conditions, the day was spent cracking on with paperwork and getting other bits and pieces done that we have to have finished before we can shut the Obs down for the winter, and ultimately, leave the island in the next gap in the weather. All curtains, bed sheets etc need washing and vacuum packing so that they don't become damp and mouldy over the winter, books need pulling away from the walls for the same reasons as does the furniture in all of the rooms. 

These are pretty mundane tasks, but when you add them all up, along with getting all of the data entry done, there's a lot to do before we can get on the boat! So these wet and windy days are rather a welcome inconvenience. 

The only birding today came between the bands of rain, with a few quick spells of seawatching, yielding only a few records of note: one Wigeon, two Common Scoters, six Mediterranean Gulls, 32 Black-headed Gulls, one Common Gull, three Great Black-backed Gulls, 120 Kittiwakes and 250 Razorbills.