I didn't manage a single photo today, and saw very few birds. Phil braved the weather and did a morning sea watch that yielded the first record of a Smew (male) for the site and two Little Auks.
So I decided to use that as an excuse for a bit of birding nostalgia. One of the most memorable birding experiences I've had was sitting next to a Little Auk colony on Spitsbergen at Fuglesan.
There can be few more charming birds, and once they've got used to you being there they take no notice at all.
They are smaller than the pictures make them look, they are only Starling sized and are vulnerable to predation by larger gulls.
At close quarters the small white "eye-lids" are very noticeable.
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