Three Purple Sandpipers at roost on the wall this morning.
I can't resist a rough sea and so I was on the castle at 7.50 watching the first of a good passage of Gannets heading into the strong south-westerly. Despite the heavy cloud, with light rain at times and the spray, visibility was better than I expected.
The fine sight of six Eider (three drakes, three ducks) heading north after 10 minutes persuaded me to stay. The Gannets were mostly moving south in ones and twos, with the occasional group of eight to ten, and among one of these groups I picked out a Great Skua. About half an hour later another one went through, again accompanying a group of Gannets.
In the end, I only packed in at 10.30 when the rain arrived in force and reduced visibility to such an extent that there was no point carrying on.
Totals: Gannet 89, Eider 6, Bonxie 2, Med Gull 3, Red-throated Diver 1, plus an unidentified large diver which I only saw briefly before it dropped onto the sea and disappeared.