Near Bay of Skail

The Loons reserve was quiet. Walking down to Marwick there were flocks of starlings 'murmurating' and five black-tailed godwits. I headed south. It was unusual to see quite a few grey seals along this stretch of coast. A small group of knot was the first I'd seen in this particular spot approaching the Bay of Skail. At the bay were many small waders like sanderling, ringed plover and turnstone, and also an Iceland gull, one of the Nearctic 'white-winged' gulls that visit the islands, mainly in the winter.