Cormorants

A walk again in Stenness in the snow. The ice on the lochs was corralling ducks into small pools with masses of goldeneye, tufted, wigeon, mallard, scaup, pochard and a few red-breasted mergansers. I saw a pair of raven at a traditional nesting-site and they were loudly proclaiming their property rights. The cormorants were on the side of the Loch of Stenness, the extra is of some of the ducks. They were a good distance off and, like the cormorants, not disturbed by me. Hundreds of duck did rise into the air at one point with a wonderful 'whoosh', probably due to a bird of prey going over. I didn't see it, but later did see a hen harrier and my camera battery gave out. The bird did not wait for me to put a fresh battery in.