I started at the coast guard station, which turned out to be an excellent choice. I'd hardly got myself set up when a large bird flew past off-shore, American Bittern! It landed in a small reedbed just along from me. Naturally when I approached its spot it was totally invisible until it exploded out of the reeds right in front of me. The nearest I've been to this bird was dipping on one in Morecombe (I think) in 1991.
I continued on to the west end car park, and walked down the beach to the point. The dunes had the usual flocks of Horned Lark and Snow Bunting, with 2 Lapland Buntings.
At the jetty a large flock of Common Eider was just off shore. While watching them another birder pointed out a pair of Harlequin Duck. This was my main target species achieved, and I settled in to enjoy them. Astonishingly beautiful, when I showed the pictures to my youngest son he thought they weren't real. Also at the point were several small groups of Long-tailed Duck, 1 White-winged Scoter, 2 Black Scoter, many Red-breasted Merganser, Red-breasted Loon and Common Loon. A small flock of waders on the rocks consisted of 20 or so Sanderling, about 40 Dunlin and a single Purple Sandpiper.
On the way back there wasn't much, apart from a single Peregrine.
