Today was predictably cold and predictably good. There was a light dusting of snow first thing in the morning but the wind was fairly light until the afternoon and there weren't many showers. A Golden Plover was heard calling above the golf course. Yesterday's adult Glaucous Gull was again in Greyhope Bay, where it spent much of the day feasting on a dead Herring Gull. It seemed to have spruced itself up slightly, although the blood covered face distracted a little from the neater look.
The sea was the main attraction and some decent passage was on show, at least until the wind picked up. The highlight was a White-billed Diver heading north at around 11am, probably around half a mile out. The yellowish-white bill was striking, at least while the bird was sideways on and in reasonable light. It's not so obvious in my pictures though. Other birds moving included a Great Northern Diver, 18 Red-throated Divers, five Little Auks, two Puffins, two Pink-footed Geese, a Wigeon, a Goosander, three Velvet Scoters, five Common Scoters, five Long-tailed Ducks and 17 Gannets. A couple of good waders later on were a Lapwing and a Bar-tailed Godwit - both patch year ticks.
I spent a while looking at an auk that was a few hundred yards out to sea. It had a head pattern that was somewhat reminiscent of a Brunnich's Guillemot, several of which have been seen recently along the east coast. The head was mostly dark with a pale, isolated chin patch. On closer views it showed some noticeable flank streaking and the bill always looked too long and thin for a Brunnich's, so it seems like it was just a moulting Common Guillemot. It was a reminder that you need good views and close checking to be sure though.
On my way back, I found a second Glaucous Gull, this time a juvenile roosting on the north pier. That's the first time I've seen more than one of that species in a day here.
