Mixed Bag

2/4pm today, Castle Island first - Common Buzzard over and off west along the river, Teal and Mallards, a couple of Goldeneye, a sleeping male Goosander, and loads of gulls.

NbtS - Med Gulls and Ringed Plovers on the shore, Eiders on the sea, and a huge raft of sea ducks, 'Bloody Common Scoter, thousands of 'em!'  Or, when I'm not in Zulu mode, hundreds, in a 'string' between Chirch and Beacon Points.  A departing birder told me there was a drake Velvet there.  Could I see it?  Could I b*llocks!!  Did see a R-t Diver, and an u/k bird, on the sea.  Too heavy and not long enough for a diver, too big for a grebe, and not an auk.  The head was level (not tilted up like the R-t Diver), the upper half of the head, neck and torso was dark grey, the lower was white.  The contrast was quite clear.  It was a good half a mile or more out and even with my 20 x 60 on Warp Factor 3, I could not be certain.

Called in a Blyth on the way back.  Behind the cafe, looking north over the river, amongst the Redshanks on the north shore was a solitary Grey Plover.  And no sniff of any owls at West Hartford either (I did 'tick'  Birdingus Sometimesii travelling east over the r/about o/s the new fire station tho'!).