Elmer Rocks: The cold weather had obviously prompted a bit of an influx and there were a lot of birds on the sea today. There were at least 12 Red-throated Divers on the water – some quite close behind the rock islands – whilst a further 27 flew west, though the highlight was the two Velvet Scoters which took off from the sea and flew east a short way, before dropping down again off Poole Place. My log for the morning (0830-1100hrs) was as follows. (OM)

Red-throated Diver – 1E, 27W, 12 o/s 

Great Crested Grebe – 60 o/s 

Gannet – 7E 

Brent Goose – 8E, settled o/s 

Common Scoter – 3 o/s 

Velvet Scoter – 2 o/s 

Red-breasted Merganser – 45 o/s 

Wigeon – 4W 

Curlew – 1E 

Oystercatcher – 9 o/b 

Grey Plover – 5 

Ringed Plover – 25 

Sanderling – 8 

Dunlin - 1 

Turnstone – 12 

Razorbill – 3E, 1W 

Auk sp – 6E, 1W

Nearby, 28 Curlews were feeding in the back fields behind the Poole Place area.