Puffin.

[gleeber]

An interesting little titbit. I was talking to someone today who saw a puffin sitting on the edge of the Esplanade yesterday. Probably something to do with Thurso bay boiling with fish and sand eels the previous evening.

[Moira]

Would this have anything to do with the dredging/dumping operations going on around Scrabster Harbour at the moment?

It would be interesting to hear from some of our experienced bird watchers.

[Kenn]

Think gleeber is on the right track Moira as we have been seeing shoals of fish on or near the surface of the bay and even one beside where the lifeboat is moored.
The dredging seems to have had little effect on the bird numbers in the harbour and the diving birds, guillemots and scaffs are there in along with the eiders.
The biggest disruption seemed to be when they were pile driving even Sammy and Sammy removed to Thurso river mouth for some peace and quiet!

[Moira]

Thanks Lizz. I'm glad the dredging operations are not affecting the birds.

[gleeber]

A few weeks back when the dredging operations were in full swing there did seem to be a different kind of movement on the beach especially at the harbour end. Some were blaming the dredging and it may have been but I doubt it. Theres talk that the last pier built for the ferry has caused erosion at the rocks end of the beach. Theres no doubt that end has dropped by a couple of feet this winter but the beach is always moving anyway. I blame nature myself. I thought it was interesting though that a puffin should appear there. I wonder if anyone else has seen a puffin around there before?

[Kenn]

Could have come across from Holborn Head as there is a small breeding colony out there,