North Ronaldsay Bird Observatory

19th and 20th February

2012-02-20T20:38:00.000Z

The bird sightings for both days showed little change, with White-fronted Geese (67 seen on the 19th, 61 on the 20th), Iceland Gulls (1 each day) and Glaucous Gulls (the usual bird both days, plus a new one on the 20th) providing the main interest. A Woodcock was seen on the 19th and a Knot on the 20th was a new species for the year.

Glaucous Gull. Like a fascist with a speech impediment, we've been having a lot of white-wing views recently.

17th and 18th February

2012-02-18T16:48:00.000Z

The usual Glaucous Gull near the observatory and an Iceland Gull flying over Nouster Bay were the highlights of the 17th. A Woodpigeon took first prize in the migrant-of-the-day stakes on the 18th, while the flock of White-fronted Geese reached a new high of 68 birds, including the single flavirostris bird.

15th and 16th February

2012-02-16T20:49:00.000Z

Sightings on 15th included a new adult Iceland Gull on Gretchen in the afternoon along with the 2 2nd winter Glaucous Gulls also still there (one of which was trapped and ringed). At least 3 different Hen Harriers were also seen and there were 5 Linnets and 13 Snow Buntings near the Observatory. On 16th a wander to the north end of the island found a 2nd winter Iceland Gull and a new 1st winter Glaucous Gull at Bewan with a 2nd winter still in the south. A Whooper Swan was regrettably found dead so there are now 4 on Garso Loch and a Little Grebe near Vincoin was unusual as it tried to feed on a flooded field! 35 Twite appeared at the Observatory late in the day and are hopefully a sign of things to come if the forecast snow arrives in a few days time?!

One of the lingering Glaucous Gulls was trapped and ringed on 15th at the Seal carcass near Gretchen.

13th and 14th February

2012-02-15T09:11:00.002Z

A quiet couple of days with little to report on 13th but for an immature Iceland Gull at Ancum briefly. While on 14th the 2 immature Glaucous Gulls were seen again at Gretchen, 27 European White-fronted Geese were at the school and a Hen Harrier hunted the south of the Island.

11th and 12th February

2012-02-12T17:51:00.000Z

On 11th a third Glaucous Gull arrived with both 2nd winter birds on Gretchen all day and another 2nd winter on the Links. The adult Iceland Gull was also seen again dropping into Gretchen briefly, there was a single Jack Snipe at Hooking and 2 Hen Harriers (male and ringtail) roosted there. Our fourth Glaucous Gull in two days was seen at Gretchen next day, this time a juvenile with the 2 2nd winters also still present there. A juvenile Iceland Gull flew south past Twingness and 23 European White-fronted Geese were near the school. 12 Twite and 3 Linnets returned to the Observatory crops for the first time in a while and a Song Thrush was with 8 Fieldfares and 21 Redwings at Holland House.

3 Humpback Whales were sighted from a Survey vessel east of the Island today, but unfortunately our attempts to see them drew a black and we were only able to catch sight of the ship on the horizon-just!

Reed Bunting

10th February

2012-02-10T17:15:00.000Z

Not much to report today. The adult Iceland Gull was feeding with other Gulls in Nouster Bay again, while the usual 2nd winter Glaucous Gull was still at Gretchen. The 47 European White-fronted Geese and single Greenland White-fronted Goose were still near the school and a Merlin was seen.

9th February

2012-02-09T21:50:00.000Z

Most of the Island was covered today and as a result there were some good counts of both Wildfowl and Waders. The 6 Tundra Bean Geese were re-found at Westness, while the Greenland White-fronted Goose was also seen again with 47 European White-fronted Geese near the School and 1179 Greylag Geese were counted. 5 Shelducks at Bridesness were new and counts of 322 Wigeons, 104 Teal, 8 Gadwalls, 7 Pintails, 20 Tufted Ducks and 15 Goldeneyes were made and the Scaup had returned to Ancum. As for Waders, species recorded in good winter numbers were 129 Oystercatchers, 170 Lapwings, 47 Bar-tailed Godwits and 3 Jack Snipes flushed from Hooking. The 2 Glaucous Gulls were both still present and 2 Hen Harriers, 2 Merlins and a Peregrine were seen. Passerines were limited but for 20 Fieldfares, 31 Redwings, a Song Thrush and 9 Twite.

Greenland White-fronted Goose (left hand bird) with European White-fronted Geese

8th February

2012-02-09T08:39:00.000Z

A single Tundra Bean Goose joined the Greylag Geese near the School and nearby were 50 European White-fronted Geese. A thrash around Hooking Loch yielded no Bitterns but found the first 2 Jack Snipe of the year. 124 Snipe were also logged along with 4 Meadow Pipits (year tick) and a Water Rail. Other waders noted were 77 Sanderlings, 39 Ringed Plovers and 18 Dunlins on the Links while 3 Woodcocks were around the south of the island. Both of the immature Glaucous Gulls remain and there was an adult Iceland Gull in Nouster Bay briefly.

7th February

2012-02-07T19:07:00.000Z

A Brambling at the Observatory was the days highlight, while the only other new arrival today was a juvenile Iceland Gull which flew south through the Island in the morning. Lingering birds of note included the 2 Glaucous Gulls at the south end, 57 European White-fronted Geese near the School and at least 2 Woodcocks, 28 Redwings, 4 Fieldfares and 3 Linnets.

Fieldfare

Raven

6th February

2012-02-06T20:46:00.000Z

After a couple of days without any Iceland Gull sightings at least 3 were seen today, the most interesting of which was an immature that was either a very dark individual or a 'Kumlien's' Gull at Gravity briefly in the morning before flying south. An adult near the Airfield was also a new bird wheras a 2nd winter near the lighthouse was probably lingering from last week. The 2 2nd winter Glaucous Gulls also remained in the south of the Island, and the 5 Whooper Swans were still in the north. A Pochard on Ancum was new and Tufted Ducks increased to 42. Also new in were an adult male Hen Harrier, 4 Woodcocks in Holland House gardens and 201 Purple Sandpipers counted on the coast was the highest of the year. A few Robins have arrived with at least 7 now present, while 16 Fieldfare and 18 Redwing were noted.

Dark Iceland Gull or Kumlien's Gull? Poor photo's taken early this morning, any comments welcome.

Purple Sandpipers

4th and 5th February

2012-02-05T17:23:00.000Z

With horrendous weather on 4th the entire day was spent indoors, but a return to calmer conditions the next day meant there were a few things to report. Presumably the same lingering 2 immature Glaucous Gulls spent most of the day around Gretchen but an adult male Merlin was a new individual and 2 Hen Harriers were seen. Despite the current cold snap throughout most of Europe and other parts of the UK, wildfowl numbers have thus far remained fairly static but thrushes though continue to increase slowly with 52 Redwing and 14 Fieldfare now present, while 3 Linnets have also arrived.

2nd and 3rd February

2012-02-03T18:42:00.000Z

A wander around the Island on 2nd found 60 European White-fronted Geese to still be present near the School while the regular 2nd winter Glaucous Gull was still at Gretchen, but a 1st winter Iceland Gull feeding in Nouster Bay was new. The female Scaup re-appeared on Ancum and 14 Long-tailed Ducks were off the east coast. A small influx of Thrushes has been noted with 39 Redwings, 10 Fieldfares and a Song Thrush counted. On 3rd another new Iceland Gull arrived, this time a 3rd winter at the Kirk and a handful of Skylarks were noted coming in off the sea. Over the two days at least 2 Hen Harriers and 2 Peregrines have been seen, and a few more Woodcocks also seem to have arrived.

This Woodcock (above) and Snipe (below) were caught during a rare winter ringing session in the Holland Gardens, with the aim of catching a few Redwings frequenting the area. Just 4 were caught but did include an bird previously ringed in Iceland. This is only the 3rd foreign ringed Redwing to have been re-trapped on North Ronaldsay-the other 2 had also been ringed in Iceland!

Winter ringing has been surprisingly productive so far, with an attempt to catch Ducks on Bridesness during slack weather last night resulting in zero Ducks being trapped-but instead just the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Bar-tailed Godwits to have been ringed on the Island were caught.

1st February

2012-02-01T18:34:00.000Z

Sightings were limited and confined to the Twingness area as the day was spent working through various jobs in and around the Observatory. The ever present 2nd winter Glaucous Gull remains and an immature Iceland Gull was seen to fly south. A female Common Scoter was off the Pier and a Linnet briefly joined the 30 Twite in the Observatory crops.

31st January

2012-01-31T20:32:00.000Z

The final day of the month was the coldest of the year so far with a brisk south-easterly wind blowing all day. A single Greenland White-fronted Goose was a new arrival accompanying 62 European White-fronted Geese in the middle of the Island, and a count of 1315 Greylag Geese was made. A 2nd winter Iceland Gull was near the Lighthouse and at least one 2nd winter Glaucous Gull was seen. Some wildfowl numbers increased with 9 Pintails and 23 Shovelers the most notable, while the 5 Whooper Swans remained and there were now 8 Mute Swans present. Singles of Peregrine and Merlin were around Twingness and 17 Twite were still in the Observatory crop.

Iceland Gull

30th January

2012-01-30T18:47:00.000Z

A Black-throated Diver on the sea off Torness in the afternoon was an unexpected highlight today. Also off the more sheltered west coast were 4 Red-throated Divers, 2 Great Northern Divers and 242 Eiders, easily the highest count of the year so far. A drake Common Scoter also flew north past Torness and 4 Woodcocks flushed from the boulder scree suggested there had been a little cold weather movement. Other indicators were 4 Redwings newly arrived at the Observatory and a Song Thrush at West Beach. The 2 Glaucous Gulls remained in the Gretchen area all day and an immature Iceland Gull was seen briefly off the pier, while another was found recently dead along the west coast-the third individual known to have perished on the Island in recent weeks.

29th January

2012-01-29T20:46:00.000Z

With a switch in the wind to a strengthening south-easterly there was a decent movement of Little Auks passing by the north end, with 114 counted moving west during an hour long sea-watch in the morning. 52 Kittiwakes also passed west and 3 Red-throated Divers flew east. There were now 2 immature Glaucous Gulls feeding on the seal carcass near Gretchen and 18 Snow Buntings were in the same area. 2 Woodcocks were flushed during the day and notable wildfowl included 5 Gadwalls, 3 Pintails and 15 Goldeneyes.

This Glaucous Gull has been closely guarding a seal at Gretchen for over a week, but today it allowed a second bird to join it and share the spoils.

27th and 28th January

2012-01-28T18:13:00.000Z

The usual 2nd winter Glaucous Gull was seen in the south of the Island on both dates, but otherwise the only significant sighting on 27th was the first Water Rail of the year at Bridesness Loch. On 28th a 2nd winter Iceland Gull (also likely a lingering bird) was on the Links, 60 European White-fronted Geese counted near the School and the Scaup reappeared on Ancum. A juvenile male Hen Harrier was at least the fourth individual seen this week, and two Merlins and a Peregrine were around Twingness.

26th January

2012-01-26T18:39:00.001Z

After yesterdays gales it wasn't surprising to find large numbers of birds feeding on the storm driven seaweed on the east coast of the Island. Bridesness in particular was a busy place, with hundreds of Gulls, Wildfowl and Waders making the most of the newly available food. 4 Iceland Gulls (3 adults and a 2nd winter) were seen and at least 2 immature Glaucous Gulls roamed the coastline. The 6 Tundra Bean Geese reappeared again, and at least 43 European White-fronted Geese were counted. A Pochard was on Ancum, and there were 26 Tufted Ducks and 12 Goldeneyes on various Lochs. 15 Rock Pipits were at Bridesness, a single Linnet in the north and Twite at the Observatory increased yet again to 48 birds.

Of the 22 Twite trapped today, 5 were colour ringed birds. Two colour combinations were noted-The first on left leg ORANGE over LIGHT BLUE and on right leg WHITE over BTO metal ring (as in the bird above), the second similar combination was on left leg LIGHT BLUE over ORANGE and on right leg WHITE over BTO metal ring. Any details as to the origins of these birds would be welcome.

24th and 25th January

2012-01-26T10:51:00.000Z

Sightings on 24th were much the same as recent days with the 2nd winter Iceland Gull still near the lighthouse and the 2nd winter Glaucous Gull still at the south end. 2 Peregrines were seen together and a ringtail Hen Harrier was seen again. In strong southerly winds on 25th there were many more Gulls at the north end with a mixed flock of c300 Herring Gulls and Great-black backed Gulls joined by a 1st winter Glaucous Gull there. Two Iceland Gulls were seen in Nouster Bay, a 2nd winter and an adult which at a distance appeared to show features of Kumlien's Gull, but disappeared towards Stromness Point before it could be confirmed. A Woodcock was near the Observatory and 40 Twite were still around.

This Wigeon was the highlight of a late night dazzling session, it was just the 10th to have been ringed on North Ronaldsay and the first since 2000. More routine fare trapped and ringed were plenty of Turnstones, Purple Sandpipers and singles of Lapwing, Ringed Plover, Oystercatcher and Snipe.

22nd and 23rd January

2012-01-23T16:29:00.000Z

There were few sightings on 22nd with 4 Pintail and the Scaup noted on Ancum, while the Twite flock at the Observatory had increased further to 32 birds. The 23rd saw a new addition to the year list in the shape of a Little Auk which flew past the Beacon. 12 Kittiwakes also passed there, and there were 9 Red-throated Divers and 3 Great Northern Divers on the sea off the north end. The 5 Whooper Swans were still on Garso, along with 2 Pintail and a single Shelduck was on Gretchen. A 2nd winter Glaucous Gull was still feeding on the seal carcass in the same area, while a 2nd winter Iceland Gull near the Lighthouse preferred to feed on a freshly deceased Shag! The Twite flock at the Observatory contained roughly 25 birds and 16 Snow Buntings were around Bewan.

21st January

2012-01-21T18:28:00.002Z

Todays sightings were very limited given the weather, with notable sightings in keeping with recent posts, as 3 immature Glaucous Gulls were feeding on various dead things around the island.

Glaucous Gulls

20th January

2012-01-20T18:50:00.000Z

A much more pleasant day, with long periods of sunshine. Just two Iceland Gulls (1st winter and 2nd winter) were seen, but both were brief flybys. Much more obliging was a 2nd winter Glaucous Gull which spent the day feeding on a seal carcass near Gretchen. 58 European White-fronted Geese were again near the School and the ever present Scaup was on Ancum. The adult male Peregrine was seen again, along with singles of Merlin and Hen Harrier. Notable passerines included a Song Thrush and 19 Redwing in Holland Gardens, 3 Reed Buntings and the Twite flock in the Observatory crop had increased to 27 birds.

European White-fronted Geese

19th January

2012-01-19T17:35:00.001Z

A few more birds were recorded today with 4 Iceland Gulls seen (adult, 3rd winter and 2 2nd winters), plus an adult was picked up freshly dead at Garso. There were also 2 Glaucous Gulls with a 1st winter near the Lighthouse and a 2nd winter at Bridesness. The 5 Whooper Swans remained on Garso Loch and 37 European White-fronted Geese were between the school and Hooking. Other wildfowl of note were a single Shelduck, 2 Pintails, 15 Shovelers, 33 Tufted Ducks and the Scaup. The first significant count of Sanderling this year saw 74 on the Golf course, the wintering Grey Plover was also there and a Woodcock was flushed from Stromness Point. The Chaffinch was seen again, 16 Twite were in the Observatory crop and 32 Snow Buntings were at the north end.

Whooper Swans winter annually on North Ronaldsay, however Bewick's Swan has amazingly yet to be recorded so with 2 birds on mainland Orkney last week we'll be checking the Lochs fairly regularly over the winter months.

18th January

2012-01-19T16:48:00.001Z

A return to the more expected wet and windy weather resulted in not much being seen. An adult Iceland Gull was still on the Airfield, and a presumed different adult was at Bridesness. The Scaup was still on Ancum and just a handful of thrushes were seen.

Iceland Gull

17th January

2012-01-17T18:41:00.000Z

A male Chaffinch was the first of the year and an unexpected passerine highlight. Otherwise it was white-winged Gulls which dominated once again with 4 Iceland Gulls (2 adults and 2 immatures), plus a 2nd winter bird unfortunately found dead and at least 1 Glaucous Gull (1st winter) was seen at various sites during the day. 1229 Greylag Geese was a high winter count for the Island but just 23 European White-fronted Geese were with them today. The Scaup remained on Ancum Loch and 202 Teal were counted, most of which were on Bridesness along with 18 Shovelers and 3 Pintails. 38 Dunlins were on the beach at Nouster along with 60 Ringed Plovers, and 2 ring-tail Hen Harriers, a female Merlin and the immature male Peregrine were all noted again.

With several days of calm, fine weather we've even been tempted to put the mist-nets back up in the Holland House gardens to try and catch some of the 30 or so Redwings wintering there. All those which have so far been trapped and ringed have been of the slightly larger, darker Icelandic race 'coburni'.

16th January

2012-01-16T20:46:00.001Z

A Long-eared Owl was flushed from Holland Gardens during the morning, with the rest of the day involving repairs to winter damaged stone dykes. Casual sightings however produced both Iceland and Glaucous Gulls,and 10 Twite and 3 Skylark were in the Obs crop fields and 61 European White-fronted Geese near Hooking was close to the record count of 65 set in 2011.

15th January

2012-01-15T20:27:00.000Z

Coverage was less extensive today and as a result just 4 Iceland Gulls (2 adults, a 2nd winter and a 1st winter) were seen. There were however 2 new Glaucous Gulls with a 2nd winter on the Links and a 1st winter on Bewan Loch both different individuals from those seen on 13th. Notable wildfowl included the first Pochard of the year joining the Scaup on Ancum, 13 Goldeneyes and 8 Gadwall on Bewan, 32 Tufted Ducks and 3 Shelducks. 35 European White-fronted Geese were at Hooking and the 6 Tundra Bean Geese were seen again at Westness. An adult male Peregrine near the Lighthouse was different from yestedays bird and there were 4 Great Northern Divers on the sea off the north end. 3 Robins, 2 new Song Thrushes, 4 Fieldfares, 26 Redwings and 34 Twite were the only passerines.

Glaucous Gull

14th January

2012-01-14T20:44:00.002Z

A cracking winters day gave us the chance to get around most of the Island and some notable counts were made. A minimum of 9 Iceland Gulls (3 adults, 2 2nd winters and 4 1st winters) were present and 460 Common Gulls were counted feeding in the bays so there is clearly plenty of food on offer for Gulls at the moment. None of the Iceland Gulls seen in recent days have been 1st winters so there are clearly new birds arriving and moving through daily. Also of note were 58 European White-fronted Geese near Hooking and there were 5 Whooper Swans on Garso Loch. Other wildfowl counts were 248 Wigeon, 132 Teal, 88 Mallards, 9 Tufted Ducks, a female Scaup on Ancum, 13 Red-breasted Mergansers and 5 Goldeneyes. Raptors were well represented with at least 3 Hen Harriers, an immature male Peregrine and a Merlin making the most of the fine weather. There were also more passerines around than expected with 18 Skylarks, 12 Fieldfares, 32 Redwings, a Song Thrush, 23 Twites, 2 Linnets and 96 Snow Buntings seen.

Skylark

Early January

2012-01-13T18:08:00.001Z

Apologies for the lack of any sightings recently, ornithological staff have been away from the Island for the last month and have only just returned. With fine weather forecast for the weekend we'll be having a thorough thrash around the Island to see whats about and will be updating the sightings page regularly again. Casual sightings over the last couple of days include 6 Tundra Bean Geese and 20 European White-fronted Geese with the Greylags, and in-line with the current influx into the Northern Isles up to 7 Iceland Gulls have been present along with 2 Glaucous Gulls.

Iceland Gull

Glaucous Gull

We are also currently experiencing technical difficulties with the website and have thus far been unable to update our prices for 2012 so please call 01857 633200 or contact alison@nrbo.prestel.co.uk for details and booking enquiries.

11th and 12th December

2011-12-12T16:31:00.001Z

A walk around the north of the island on 11th found more Whooper Swans to have arrived with 13 now on Garso Loch with the 3 Mute Swans. A lone Pink-footed Goose at Rue was also a new arrival, while the 5 Tundra Bean Geese and at least 19 European White-fronted Geese were still around. On Ancum Loch there were now 4 Pochards, while the 2 Scaups remained with 19 Tufted Ducks. The 12th saw some Gull interest at last with a juvenile Iceland Gull and a juvenile Glaucous Gull seen, the latter lingering off Twingness for most of the morning. A Merlin was was seen on both dates and 16 Twite were in the Observatory crop on 12th.

Glaucous Gull off Twingness

8th to 10th December

2011-12-10T15:52:00.000Z

Severe damaging gales on 8th and 9th December meant those 2 days were spent carrying out repairs and paperwork, so there was no bird news to report at all. A wander out on 10th didn't reveal much but 5 Tundra Bean Geese and 41 European White-fronted Geese were present among the Greylags. 11 Long-tailed Ducks were in Linklet Bay, and the Hen Harrier was still hunting Hooking Loch. 4 Snow Buntings, 2 Twite and a handful of thrushes were the only passerines seen.

5th to 7th December

2011-12-07T22:51:00.000Z

The island remains quiet despite the continuing current cold snap with only a few minor cold weather movements observed. The snow and ice remained to 5th when there was an increase in Lapwing numbers to at least 113, including several small groups noted flying south and out to sea in search of unfrozen ground. A few Curlew, Fieldfares and Redwings were also seen to fly south, and 21 Skylarks were counted in suitable habitats. Geese continue to feature with 7 Tundra Bean Geese present on 6th, and a single Greenland White-fronted Goose joined 59 European White-fronted Geese near the school on 7th. One each of Hen Harrier and Merlin remained throughout along with 7 Twite.

4th December

2011-12-04T17:43:00.000Z

An unbirdable wet and windy day on 3rd was followed by the first snowfall of the winter overnight and during the morning of the 4th. A pleasant wintry day revealed large numbers of Geese to have left the island with just 314 Greylags counted during a Goose census. 12 Tundra Bean Geese were found though which was an increase on recent days, and 10 European White-fronted Geese were still present. 2 Little Auks, 6 Red-throated Divers and 93 Kittiwakes were seen during a brief half-hour sea-watch. 3 Mute Swans were now present while a check of all the Lochs found increases in a few species of ducks with 21 Shovelers, 11 Goldeneyes and 32 Tufted Ducks notable plus the 2 Scaups and 2 Pochards still. A few thrushes continue to hang-on with 32 Redwing, 8 Fieldfare and 21 Blackbirds in the north along with 5 Robins.

Snow on North Ronaldsay

1st and 2nd December

2011-12-04T17:08:00.000Z

The 1st was yet another extremely windy day, with a search for interesting Gulls in the afternoon failing to turn up the hoped for 'white-winger'. There was a general increase in numbers though with at least 250 Herring Gulls, 150 Great-black-backed Gulls and 200 Common Gulls found feeding in the swells off either Bridesness or Scottigar. The 6 Whooper Swans remained, as did the 2 Pochards and 2 Scaups with the Tufted Ducks on Ancum Loch. The wind dropped completely overnight for the first time in over two weeks and a few new arrivals were found on the morning of the 2nd. More Geese had arrived with 65 European White-fronted Geese near the school a new record count for the island. Also present were a single Tundra Bean Goose, the lingering Barnacle Goose and at least 570 Greylags, while in the afternoon a flock of 21 Pink-footed Geese flew south. A male Sparrowhawk replaced the female from last week, the Peregrine was still around and 16 Twite were near the observatory.

Purple Sandpipers

28th to 30th November

2011-12-02T17:33:00.000Z

With the gales and hailstorms continuing to batter the island it was still fairly quiet with a Shelduck near Kirbest on 28th the most unusual sighting. 2 Pochards have joined the 2 Scaups and up to 26 Tufted Ducks on Ancum Loch and a Common Scoter was seen off the south end on 29th. 8 Tundra Bean Geese, 17 European White-fronted Geese and the lone Barnacle Goose were still with the Greylag flocks. An immature female Peregrine on 30th was new, while at least 2 Merlins and a Hen Harrier remained. A count of 227 Purple Sandpipers around the coast on 28th was one of the highest of the year, and the wintering flock of Dunlins was up to 48 birds. A venture to the north end of the island on 28th found 6 Woodcocks, 2 of which were seen coming in off the sea and also 2 Black Redstarts including the smart male still near the lighthouse. Otherwise the only other passerines of any note during the period were a Chiffchaff at Brigg, 15 Twite and a Chaffinch near the Observatory and a Lapland Bunting near Holland House, all on the 30th.

24th to 27th November

2011-11-27T20:48:00.000Z

A period of atrocious weather was very productive for getting up to date with IPMR and rarity descriptions; It was not, however, very productive for practical field ornithology. A Sparrowhawk on the 24th was just about the only new migrant recorded, and a flock of 34 Long-tailed Ducks sheltering in Linklet Bay on the 27th was a notable count; but the few other birds that were seen were presumably those that had failed to fly south before the gales and hailstorms hit: 10 Tundra Bean Geese were still around on the 24th, up to 27 European White-fronted Geese and the Barnacle Goose were present throughout, and 1 of the Woodpigeons was still near the observatory.

We have done our best to take advantage of the rough weather and have been out catching waders on Gretchen Loch most nights. Several Purple Sandpipers, Turnstones and Golden Plovers have been ringed, along with a few Sanderlings and Ringed Plovers that have been roosting in Nouster Bay.

23rd November

2011-11-24T18:29:00.000Z

The best new birds of the day were a very late Wheatear, a Little Auk and a new Little Grebe on Gretchen Loch. Other birds seen included much the same collection of geese as the previous day, 3 Woodcocks, the 2 Woodpigeons and the Blackcap.

22nd November

2011-11-22T20:02:00.001Z

A flock of 19 Whooper Swans flying south down the east side of the island was the highlight of a very quiet day. There were still a Barnacle Goose, 10 Tundra Bean Geese and 37 European White-fronted Geese among the Greylags, the 3 Scaups and 2 Woodpigeons were still present and a Common Redpoll, a Blackcap and a Chiffchaff were at Holland House.

Whooper Swans

21st November

2011-11-22T19:58:00.000Z

New birds included a smart male Black Redstart, a Peregrine and 2 Hen Harriers. The goose flocks contained 26 European White-fronted Geese, 2 Tundra Bean Geese and a probable Taiga Bean Goose, and the 3 Scaups were still on Ancum Loch.

20th November

2011-11-20T20:21:00.000Z

Again, there was little change to report. A couple of Dunnocks, a Chiffchaff, a Brambling and a Chaffinch were the passerine highlights and a Woodpigeon and a Long-eared Owl were still present. The 3 Scaups, 9 Tundra Bean Geese, 23 European White-fronted Geese, 6 Pink-footed Geese and the Barnacle Goose were all recorded again during the census.

19th November

2011-11-20T20:16:00.000Z

Virtually nothing new was seen, and the only lingering species of note were 17 Tundra Bean Geese, 20 European White-fronted Geese, 2 Woodpigeons and a Long-eared Owl.

18th November

2011-11-18T19:58:00.000Z

Most of the day's excitement took place in the very small hours of the morning when, during a nocturnal ringing excursion in search of waders and geese, the long-staying and increasingly elusive Baird's Sandpiper made its first appearance for five days in the ringers' torch beams. It was duly trapped, becoming only the third of its kind to be ringed in Britain. The previous two were also caught at bird observatories: Fair Isle in 1991 and Bardsey in 2004.

Although the biometrics fell mostly in the overlap zone, the Baird's Sandpiper was towards the small end of the scale and probably a female.

There was almost nothing new to report from a very quiet day's migrant census, but notable species still present on the island included at least 22 Tundra Bean Geese, 6 Pink-footed Geese, 26 European White-fronted Geese, 1 Barnacle Goose, 3 Scaups, 1 Goosander, 2 Little Gulls and 1 Woodpigeon. The best of the passerines were a Rook, a Dunnock, 2 Chaffinches and a Brambling. All three Long-eared Owls were caught at Holland House: 2 were new birds, the other was ringed here earlier in the week.

17th November

2011-11-17T20:34:00.004Z

A second-winter Glaucous Gull and a Mute Swan were the pick of a very thin selection of new birds. A thorough goose count wasn't done, but 6 Tundra Bean Geese, 10 Pink-footed Geese and 10 European White-fronted Geese were seen and 3 Whooper Swans were still present. The Goosander, 3 Scaups and 2 Common Scoters all remained from earlier days, as did a Woodpigeon, a Collared Dove and a Black Redstart. There were 3 Long-eared Owls in Holland House garden, 2 of which might have been fresh migrants.

Glaucous Gull

Tundra Bean Geese

16th November

2011-11-16T23:05:00.000Z

The only new birds of note were the first Collared Dove since the summer, a new Hen Harrier, a Grey Wagtail and a Blackcap. Remaining birds included a Sparrowhawk, a Little Gull, a Woodpigeon, 2 Black Redstarts and 2 Chiffchaffs.

The number of European White-fronted Geese increased to 48 birds, breaking the island record for that subspecies. Counts of the other geese came to 22 Tundra Bean Geese, 11 Pink-footed Geese and the lone Barnacle Goose. Lingering uncommon ducks included the Goosander, 3 Scaups and 2 Common Scoters.

15th November

2011-11-15T18:21:00.001Z

North Ronaldsay's record Tundra Bean Goose count was toppled once again, with 23 now present around the island. The number of European White-fronted Geese had increased to 39, and a single Greenland White-fronted Goose was found among them. The Barnacle Goose and 2 Pink-footed Geese were also still around and a fourth Scaup joined the 3 already present. Other sightings included a Sparrowhawk, the 2 Woodpigeons and 2 Black Redstarts.

Divers, including a few Great Northern Divers, have been more visible than usual during the relatively calm weather of recent days.

14th November

2011-11-15T18:13:00.000Z

New birds were in short supply, but a flock of 180 Snow Buntings flying south over the island was the first significant movement of that species for a while. Counts of noteworthy landbirds came to 8 Woodcocks, 2 Woodpigeons, 5 Long-eared Owls, 4 Short-eared Owls, 4 Dunnocks and 2 Black Redstarts. Lingering wildfowl included 28 European White-fronted Geese, 5 Tundra Bean Geese, 2 Scaups, 4 Common Scoters and the Goosander.

13th November

2011-11-13T18:29:00.000Z

There were geese galore for a second day, with numbers of the scarcer species increasing even further: Tundra Bean Geese now numbered at least 18, and European White-fronted Geese reached 36. Also among 550 or so Greylag Geese were 7 Pink-footed Geese and a Barnacle Goose. Quite an array of ducks was on display too, including 2 new and 1 lingering Scaup, 3 Common Scoters and the Goosander, as well as multitudes of Wigeons and other common species.

Just 1 adult Little Gull was seen, along with 3 Long-eared Owls, 2 of which were caught and ringed at Holland House. Other odds and ends from the day's log included 8 Grey Herons, 2 Woodpigeons, 1 Peregrine, 2 Hen Harriers, 3 Dunnocks and 5 Chiffchaffs.

Tundra Bean Goose

European White-fronted Geese

12th November

2011-11-12T18:29:00.000Z

Wildfowl continued to bring plenty of the interest, with a real Anser bonanza enlivening a perfectly clear and sunny afternoon. At least 11 Bean Geese were the highlight, and a record count for the observatory: surprisingly, no more than 2 have ever been recorded here at the same time before. A notable count of 31 European White-fronted Geese was the highest for more than a decade, while 11 Pink-footed Geese and a single Barnacle Goose were also found among the flocks of Greylags. A drake Scaup on Ancum Loch was the best new duck of the day, the Goosander was still on Gretchen Loch, and 7 Common Scoters and 2 Whooper Swans were also seen.

It wasn't all about the quacks though, and a variety of other noteworthy species all added up to quite a satisfying day's birding. A lot of gull activity in Linklet Bay included 6 Little Gulls which, again, somewhat surprisingly, appears to be the island's highest ever count of the species. As well as slightly increased numbers of common waders, the Baird's Sandpiper was still present on the links and a Grey Phalarope was on an inland puddle. A couple of Short-eared Owls and 5 Long-eared Owls were found, and a late Pied Wagtail was the best new passerine.

The 11 Bean Geese exhibited bills of various shapes and patterns, but all were fairly stocky birds and we believe them to be of the tundra race rossicus. The only previous Bean Goose this year was a lone taiga fabalis bird that arrived in the middle of summer.

We have caught several Long-eared Owls this autumn, but none so easily as this adult male that was found sitting inside the observatory's newest Heligoland trap.

11th November

2011-11-11T19:07:00.001Z

Common Scoters are normally quite an uncommon sight from North Ronaldsay, but small groups were seen in various places around the island, including a couple that were swimming on Gretchen Loch in the company of a Goosander. Also unusual for the time of year was a lone Shelduck. A Pomarine Skua and a Glaucous Gull were seen during the morning census, and 3 Long-eared Owls were also present.

The Common Scoters (1 shown, top picture, with a Red-breasted Merganser) and the Goosander (lower picture) were among a busy array of ducks on Gretchen Loch that also included a Pintail, 5 Goldeneyes and 140 Wigeons.

10th November

2011-11-10T20:24:00.000Z

Another exodus of birds took place during the cloudy, but still very bright, moonlit night, with the numbers of all thrush species decreasing by more than fifty percent by the morning. A Rook, 30 Robins and a Wheatear were among a diminished selection of small migrants, and 34 Woodcocks and 3 Pochards were also recorded. There was more of interest among the contingent of long-staying non-passerines: the Baird's Sandpiper made a reappearance after a week's apparent absence, the Brent Goose was at the north coast, and both the Little Gull and the Swallow were seen again.

Little Gull

9th November

2011-11-09T20:06:00.001Z

An increase in the south-easterly wind and overcast conditions resulted in another substantial fall of thrushes on the island, along with a thin assortment of other migrants that included the first 2 Waxwings since January and a Lesser Whitethroat. The day's census counts of thrushes came to 886 Blackbirds, 563 Fieldfares, 245 Redwings, 46 Song Thrushes and a Ring Ouzel; totals of other passerines included 60 Robins, 6 Black Redstarts, 2 Wheatears, 15 Blackcaps, 4 Chiffchaffs, 4 Goldcrests, 2 Chaffinches, a Greenfinch and the same tardy Swallow.

At least 49 Woodcocks were found on census, as well as 4 Short-eared Owls and 3 Long-eared Owls. A Pale-bellied Brent Goose (probably the bird from earlier in the week) was on Tor Ness, 11 Common Scoters were seen offshore and the Little Gull was still touring around the island.

Long-eared Owl

8th November

2011-11-09T19:52:00.000Z

Besides an increase in the number of thrushes, comprising 103 Blackbirds, 275 Fieldfares, 167 Redwings and 9 Song Thrushes, there wasn't a lot to report. The Little Gull, 17 Robins and a Black Redstart remained from earlier days, 3 Short-eared Owls were seen and the lingering Swallow still hadn't moved on.

7th November

2011-11-07T20:31:00.002Z

The glorious spring-like weather continued but there were only a few new arrivals. Wildfowl numbers increased slightly with 213 Wigeons and 112 Teal counted. 2 Common Scoters were on the sea but the highlight was the second Pale-bellied Brent Goose of the autumn which flew past the north end. Passerine numbers continue to dwindle, although a Grey Wagtail was new, while 13 Robins, 2 Black Redstarts, 6 Blackcaps, 4 Chiffchaffs and 2 Lapland Buntings remained from previous days.

6th November

2011-11-07T12:33:00.001Z

Another pleasant but quiet day, with a visible clear-out of migrants overnight: just two new birds were trapped and ringed at Holland House during the morning's ringing session. A whole-island goose census revealed 653 Greylags to be present and with them 2 Pink-footed Geese. A couple of Pochards on Ancum Loch and yet another late Swallow were the only birds of note.

5th November

2011-11-05T17:30:00.001Z

The highlights of a fine, calm and sunny day were a juvenile Pomarine Skua flying over the island, 2 Little Auks and 3 Common Scoters offshore, and a mass arrival of 43 Tufted Ducks on Bridesness Loch. An arrival of Whooper Swans in the late afternoon comprised 13 birds on Gretchen and Garso Lochs. The Desert Wheatear remained on the west coast in the morning.

Desert Wheatear

4th November

2011-11-05T17:22:00.002Z

The Desert Wheatear was still on the west coast of the island, and both the Iceland Gull and the Little Gull were seen again. At least 8 Short-eared Owls and 1 Long-eared Owl were seen, and 15 Woodcocks were found scattered around the island. A Ring Ouzel and a Little Auk were probably the most notable new species, while a charm of 6 Goldfinches at Holland House was only a single bird short of equalling the island's highest ever count of the species.

This particularly dingy specimen of a Ring Ouzel was the first to be ringed here this year. Of about 95 species that we have ringed in 2011, three have been additions to the observatory's all-time ringing list: White-fronted Goose, Grey Plover and Pechora Pipit.

3rd November

2011-11-03T15:05:00.001Z

Although a day of frustratingly difficult, windy and wet birding conditions got off to an exasperating start with a large (although perhaps not that large) pipit sp. and a warbler (probably Acrocephalus) sp. both evading identification in the irises at Ancum Loch, all was forgotten a short time later when the call came through of a male Desert Wheatear on the west coast. This is a new species for North Ronaldsay and the fourth record for Orkney.

Desert Wheatear

There had clearly been another arrival of thrushes on the island, with 1196 Fieldfares, 304 Redwings, 219 Blackbirds, 33 Song Thrushes and 2 Ring Ouzels recorded; and a variety of other passerines included a late Swallow, 6 Black Redstarts, 10 Robins, 5 Wheatears and the usual Short-toed Lark. A late Great Skua, a juvenile Iceland Gull and an adult Little Gull were seen, as well as 12 Woodcocks, 2 Short-eared Owls and a Long-eared Owl.

2nd November

2011-11-02T22:21:00.000Z

A windy day didn't leave much worth reporting. The Baird's Sandpiper was still on the golf course and there was still a Short-eared Owl near the airfield, but the best new birds were a Little Gull in Nouster Bay and a Grey Wagtail. Numbers of most other species remained much the same, although the small group of Greenfinches at Holland house increased to 6 birds.

1st November

2011-11-01T20:43:00.002Z

Odds and ends continued to make landfall on the coasts, and a new Short-toed Lark was found in the rough fields at the north of the island while the lingering bird was still at Bewan. A male Stonechat near the lighthouse was probably the most interesting of the other new migrants, and counts of the more regular species included 31 Robins, 9 Black Redstarts, 1 Dunnock, 15 Blackcaps, 7 Chiffchaffs, 6 Goldcrests, 3 Chaffinches, 1 Brambling, 3 Greenfinches and 4 Goldfinches. The day's birds of prey were 3 Hen Harriers, a Sparrowhawk, 2 Merlins and a Short-eared Owl.

Short-eared Owl

31st October

2011-10-31T20:50:00.000Z

A variety of new arrivals made for a reasonably interesting day's census, the highlights of which were 2 Great Grey Shrikes. Also of interest were a rather late Swallow and an equally late Common Redstart. Counts of the more every-day species, many of which would be lingering birds from earlier in the week, came to 18 Robins, 7 Black Redstarts, the same Whinchat, 3 Wheatears, 5 Goldcrests, 1 Blackcap, 8 Chiffchaffs, 2 Bramblings, 3 Greenfinches, 3 Goldfinches and a Lesser Redpoll. The Mistle Thrush and 2 Yellowhammers were still around, as was the Short-toed Lark, which is starting to look a little weather-beaten. Thrushes were still present in reasonable numbers, with 515 Fieldfares, 173 Blackbirds, 157 Redwings and 19 Song Thrushes logged.

The Baird's Sandpiper remained on the links, while a noticeable increase in Purple Sandpipers brought the day's count to 109.

One of the Great Grey Shrikes was discovered as it devoured one of the local mice in one of the observatory's Heligoland traps.

30th October

2011-10-31T15:45:00.000Z

Small numbers of migrants continued to arrive, including a late Garden Warbler, a Mistle Thrush and a third Yellowhammer joining the previous day's 2. Numbers of other passerine species included 18 Robins, 4 Black Redstarts, 6 Blackcaps, 4 Chiffchaffs, 5 Goldcrests, 2 Goldfinches and a Greenfinch; 2 Hen Harriers, a Sparrowhawk, a Merlin and 4 Woodcocks were the best of the non-passerines. And the Short-toed Lark was still there as usual.

A New North Ronaldsay Year-list Record!

2011-10-30T16:42:00.002Z

Since early in the spring, an aim of ours has been to record more species on the island in 2011 than have been seen in any other year. The previous best year-list was an impressive 215 species seen in 2003, but we thought that, with a bit of extra observer coverage, this was a reachable target.

Now, after carefully double-checking the list, we can proudly announce that 2011 has officially been the best ever birding year on North Ron. The Firecrest earlier in the week was species number 216 for the year, while Dusky Warbler and Baird's Sandpiper have since taken the list to a record-smashing 218! With two months still to go, and quality birds still arriving, just how high can we set the year-listing bar?

And we've still not had a Buzzard.

29th October

2011-10-29T18:41:00.001+01:00

The surprising highlight of the day was a juvenile Baird's Sandpiper with the Dunlins and Ringed Plovers on the golf course. This record, slightly later in the year than might be expected, is only the second for Orkney; the only previous bird was also on North Ronaldsay in early October 1993.

Besides the sandpiper, there was relatively little change in the number of birds present. The Dusky Warbler was still present, while counts of other small migrants came to 17 Robins, 4 Black Redstarts, 3 Wheatears, 777 Fieldfares, 254 Redwings, 159 Blackbirds, 26 Song Thrushes, 7 Blackcaps, 2 Chiffchaffs, 4 Goldcrests and a Yellowhammer. A variety of finches included 29 Bramblings, 2 Greenfinches, a Goldfinch and 3 Common Redpolls. A Long-eared Owl and 4 Woodcocks were the pick of the non-passerines.

Dusky Warbler

28th October

2011-10-28T20:00:00.000+01:00

Numbers of most migrants continued to fall slightly, and fewer new birds seemed to have arrived than in previous days. The Dusky Warbler remained in its favoured strip of wilted irises near Burray, showing quite well at times. The ever-present Short-toed Lark also remained, along with a Goldfinch, a Whinchat, 5 Black Redstarts, 2 Wheatears and 2 Woodpigeons. Counts of other migrants came to 2 Yellowhammers, 16 Robins, 4 Blackcaps, 7 Chiffchaffs and 10 Goldcrests. Thrush numbers had dropped to 448 Fieldfares, 145 Blackbirds, 100 Redwings and 18 Song Thrushes.

Although quite confiding, the Dusky Warbler was often difficult to see as it scurried around Locustella-like at the bottom of the irises near 'P.G.Tips Field', a patch of dense canary grass which is just to the west of 'Great Snipe Land'.

27th October

2011-10-27T23:08:00.001+01:00

After watching flocks of thrushes departing south out to sea the previous evening, it was surprising to find plenty of birds still present in the morning, although numbers of some species were noticeably diminished. There were also some fresh migrants to be found, the highlight of which was North Ronaldsay's second Dusky Warbler. Almost as rare, in an island context at least, was a Firecrest near Sangar - this is only the fourth record of the species here.

Thrushes were still very conspicuous, with 1052 Fieldfares, 308 Redwings, 182 Blackbirds and 51 Song Thrushes logged. Of the other migrants, a count of 12 Black Redstarts was particularly noteworthy as it is the most ever recorded on the island at once. An influx of Skylarks brought the day's count to 153 birds, while other small migrants included 23 Robins, a Whinchat, 8 Blackcaps, 9 Chiffchaffs, 13 Goldcrests, 17 Jackdaws, a Greenfinch, a Goldfinch, a Common Redpoll and a Lesser Redpoll.

Woodcocks have arrived in numbers in the last few days, including this individual ringed at Holland House.

26th October

2011-10-26T20:50:00.000+01:00

After strong south-easterly wind and steady rain overnight, it was not surprising to find the whole island, particularly the leeward coasts, alive with thrushes and other migrants in the morning. There was nothing particularly rare apart from the previous day's Siberian Stonechat and the long-term resident Short-toed Lark, but the numbers of common species were quite impressive.

Counts of thrushes amounted to 1530 Fieldfares, 1093 Blackbirds (the observatory's highest ever count of this species), 470 Redwings, 109 Song Thrushes, 1 Mistle Thrush and, at long last, the first Ring Ouzel of the autumn. A good variety of less numerous passerines included 6 Black Redstarts, 27 Robins, 5 Wheatears, 107 Skylarks, 19 Blackcaps, 6 Chiffchaffs, 10 Goldcrests, 16 Jackdaws, 18 Bramblings, 2 Chaffinches, 2 Greenfinches, 1 Goldfinch, 1 Common Redpoll and 2 Yellowhammers.

Non-passerines were no less diverse and included 31 Woodcocks, 4 Woodpigeons, 2 Long-eared Owls, 2 Short-eared Owls, 4 Sparrowhawks and 7 Grey Herons. A juvenile Long-tailed Skua was lingering off the north of the island, while a juvenile Pomarine Skua was seen harassing Great Black-backed Gulls near Twingness. The first 2 Goldeneyes since early spring flew past at sea, 24 Barnacle Geese were roosting with the gulls on Tor Ness and a migrant Moorhen looked out of place amongst a flock of Blackbirds on the west coast.

25th October

2011-10-25T20:09:00.003+01:00

Despite the weather verging on unbirdably windy, the same south-easterly winds delivered plenty of new migrants to the island. The bird of the day, a male Siberian Stonechat near Hooking Loch, spent the day sheltering from the gales along a low wall and hiding in the adjacent long grass. This is about the 8th record for North Ronaldsay, and the first since 2001.

Siberian Stonechat: Yes, that blurry black and orange thing in front of the nearly-in-focus bit of grass and to the left of the highly obtrusive foreground fencepost.

A Goshawk at Holland House was equally rare from a North Ronaldsay perspective, there being 7 previous records of this species too, although it was the third record of the year. Thrushes made up the bulk of the migrant numbers, with log counts totalling 670 Fieldfares, 195 Blackbirds, 179 Redwings and 22 Song Thrushes. The best of the other passerines were a Greenfinch, a Goldfinch, 2 Common Redpolls, 5 Bramblings, a Blackcap, 6 Wheatears and 3 Robins. Other oddments included a Woodpigeon, a Short-eared Owl, 5 Woodcocks, a Hen Harrier, 2 Sparrowhawks and a Merlin.

24th October

2011-10-25T17:02:00.000+01:00

A few more thrushes came in on gale-force south-easterly winds, with 129 Fieldfares, 85 Blackbirds and 56 Redwings logged. Despite the previous evening's promising signs, other passerines of interest were very thin on the ground and amounted to little more than a Whinchat, 5 Bramblings and 2 Jackdaws. A Short-eared Owl, a Merlin and a Sparrowhawk were seen on the land, and a Pomarine Skua was off the north end of the island.

23rd October

2011-10-23T20:22:00.000+01:00

A Slavonian Grebe on Hooking Loch and a Grey Phalarope seen flying over Holland House were the highlights of a quiet morning, but the wind backing slightly to the east in the afternoon produced an almost immediate arrival of small numbers of passerines. A Yellow-browed Warbler with a ring on its leg was interesting, it being more than 2 weeks since the previous sighting of the species here, while 13 Blackcaps, 2 Chiffchaffs, 2 Bramblings and a Goldfinch also appeared after midday. Thrush counts came to 112 Fieldfares, 44 Redwings, 2 Song Thrushes, 50 Blackbirds and the autumn's first Mistle Thrush. The Short-toed Lark and the Jackdaw both remained, an Arctic Tern was in Nouster Bay and a Short-eared Owl was near the lighthouse.

Today's Slavonian Grebe is the third record this year, after one in mid February and a bird still partly in breeding plumage in September.

22nd October

2011-10-22T18:24:00.000+01:00

The day's highlight was a juvenile Long-tailed Skua seen flying around near Garso, while at least 3 Pomarine Skuas, 3 Great Skuas and a Little Auk passed by the seawatching hide. The Short-toed Lark, now resident in the same spot for over a month, was still by Bewan Loch. Otherwise, it was a very quiet day, with just 79 Fieldfares remaining from the previous day's influx and almost no new migrants.

21st October

2011-10-22T18:18:00.000+01:00

An arrival of 566 Fieldfares and 70 Redwings in the fields around Twingness accounted for nearly all the day's passerine migrants, with little besides a lone Jackdaw to be seen in the rest of the island. The autumn's first Pale-bellied Brent Goose and Iceland Gull were the best of the non-passerines, and a couple of Woodcocks were also seen.

Brent Goose

20th October

2011-10-20T18:52:00.000+01:00

In much calmer and more pleasant conditions, a short morning seawatch finally produced the first Long-tailed Skua of the year, as well as a juvenile Glaucous Gull, an Arctic Skua, 5 Great Skuas, 2 Sooty Shearwaters and 248 Kittiwakes. Landbird interest was mostly limited to finches, with 2 Goldfinches at Senness, a large arrival of Twite taking the day-count to 119, the Greenland Redpoll still at Holland House and a Common Redpoll of a different variety at Garso.

The Garso Redpoll was quite distinctive in appearance with a large, though faintly streaked, white rump, and could be of Icelandic origin.

19th October

2011-10-19T20:55:00.001+01:00

Just about the only migrant worth mentioning from a cold and very windy day was a Greenland Common Redpoll at Holland House. This is the first record of a rostrata bird on the island this year.

18th October

2011-10-18T21:11:00.000+01:00

The best new birds were a couple of confiding Grey Phalaropes feeding in the surf near Howar. There was little else to report apart from the long-staying Short-toed Lark still at Bewan.

Grey Phalaropes

17th October

2011-10-18T10:03:00.000+01:00

The highlights, if they can be described as such, of another very quiet day of strong westerly wind and showers were a Jackdaw, a Carrion Crow and a Kestrel. Other passerines on the island, most of which arrived a few days or more previously, included a Robin, a Whinchat, 14 Fieldfares, 19 Redwings, a Pied Wagtail, 3 Blackcaps, a Chiffchaff, a Goldcrest, 2 Chaffinches and 10 Bramblings.

A small flock of Bramblings has been frequenting the Holland House gardens and nearby stubble fields for a few days.

16th October

2011-10-16T21:48:00.000+01:00

Although there were few new birds to report, it was quite a good day for birds of prey, with 2 Sparrowhawks, 2 Merlins, a Peregrine, a Hen Harrier, 2 Short-eared Owls and a Long-eared Owl seen. A Grey Phalarope was off the north of the island, the first Mute Swan of the autumn appeared on Ancum Loch and a Little Auk was found swimming on Bewan Loch. The resident Short-toed Lark made another appearance in its usual spot, and the previous day's Common Rosefinch was still around.

Little Auk

15th October

2011-10-16T13:32:00.000+01:00

A little bit of passerine immigration was evident, although, besides 16 Blackcaps dotted around the island, the only notable species was a new juvenile Common Rosefinch at Holland House. A Long-eared Owl and a Short-eared Owl were present and 3 Woodcocks were found. The Great Grey Shrike was seen briefly in the morning, while the Olive-backed Pipit continued to show well at Westness all day.

14th October

2011-10-14T21:38:00.000+01:00

Seen flying south down the west coast early in the morning, the second Goshawk of the year was the best bird of the day. At least 3 Sparrowhawks were also seen, along with 2 Merlins, 4 Short-eared Owls and a Long-eared Owl. A couple of Woodpigeons were also new, and 3 Woodcocks were the only notable waders.

Slightly more passerine migrants were present, including 18 Goldcrests, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 5 Blackcaps, 4 Chiffchaffs, 4 Robins, 1 Dunnock and 63 Fieldfares. The number of Bramblings reached 15, and other finches included 3 Redpolls, 2 Siskins and a Chaffinch. Both the Olive-backed Pipit and the Great Grey Shrike were still around.

The Long-eared Owl was the highlight of a short mist-netting session at Holland House.

13th October

2011-10-13T22:36:00.001+01:00

After a fairly quiet morning a few birds seemed to begin arriving at around midday, one of which was a smart Olive-backed Pipit at Westness. Later in the afternoon the island year-list gained another species in the shape of a Great Grey Shrike near the airfield. A few common migrants that appeared during the day included 8 Goldcrests and 8 Bramblings, while more unusual sightings included a Short-eared Owl, a Woodcock and 3 Pomarine Skuas, 2 of which flew low down along the links.

Today's Olive-backed Pipit is the 16th to be recorded on North Ronaldsay.

Great Grey Shrike

12th October

2011-10-12T22:29:00.000+01:00

In terms of landbirds, this was just about the quietest day of the autumn, with nothing more than a Greenfinch worth mentioning.

Thankfully, seabird passage provided a bit more to write about. The star bird, making its appearance early in the afternoon, was our second Fea's Petrel of the year. This is the fourth record of the species for North Ronaldsay, and the third in just under a year. Other notable seabirds seen during 6 and a half hours in the hide included 2 Pomarine Skuas, a Grey Phalarope, a Little Auk and 2 Common Scoters. A day total of 1415 Gannets was only just shy of the highest ever count here, while other counts came to 269 Fulmars, 23 Sooty Shearwaters, 1 Manx Shearwater, 1 Storm Petrel and 812 Kittiwakes.

11th October

2011-10-12T14:08:00.000+01:00

Although the seawatching was quite slow, there was slightly more happening than there was on the land. Numbers of the common species were low, but 5 Grey Phalaropes and a Little Auk were recorded passing by Dennis Head and 21 Red-breasted Mergansers were dotted around the coast. The only landbirds worth mentioning were 196 lingering Redwings and 16 Fieldfares.

10th October

2011-10-10T21:28:00.002+01:00

In more windy westerly weather, the most interesting sightings all involved wildfowl. Pick of the bunch was a drake Velvet Scoter, a very scarce species here, that flew past the old beacon heading east during the morning. Greylag Geese were scattered around the island, with 12 Barnacle Geese, 5 Pink-footed Geese and a European White-fronted Goose arriving during the day and the lingering Greenland White-fronted Goose still in residence at the north of the island.

A Grey Phalarope was at Quoy Banks in the morning, and a presumed different individual was at Bridesness a short time later. The long-staying Short-toed Lark, reappearing after 6 days, was the best passerine. A Common Redpoll was seen and counts of thrushes came to 29 Fieldfares and 355 Redwings.

As nobody has taken any usable bird photos in the last few days, I finally get chance to use this picture of an impressive cluster of Goose Barnacles taken back in September. In the autumn, these creatures finish their amazing transformation into Barnacle Geese, lose their protective shells, detach themselves from their driftwood anchor and take flight, ready to spend the winter grazing with other types of geese. The Barnacle Geese seen on the island today must be among the first to have completed their metamorphosis this year, but, by the looks of this picture, we can expect many more in the coming weeks.

Reference: Cambrensis, Giraldus. Of barnacles, which grow from fir timber, and their nature (1188).

9th October

2011-10-10T09:30:00.000+01:00

A big arrival of thrushes involved 95 Fieldfares, 12 Song Thrushes and more than 2000 Redwings, most of which were concentrated around the south-western part of the island. The crop field at Kirbest held 100 Skylarks and among them, the bird of the day, a Woodlark. There were few other passerine migrants, although 8 Bramblings and a Siskin were seen and the Snow Bunting count reached 332 birds.

A Grey Phalarope at Westness was an addition to the year-list, and either it or a second bird was seen lingering off the west coast later in the afternoon. The first Woodcock of the autumn was near Twingness, while 17 Jack Snipe was a clear increase on previous days. Sea passage was much slower than the day before, with just 1 Little Auk and only a small number of Fulmars and Shearwaters passing by, and the only notable wildfowl movement was 21 Whooper Swans and 122 Pink-footed Geese.

8th October

2011-10-09T10:04:00.000+01:00

The wind finally dropped; the rain abated; the mist nets were opened with high hopes of trapping all the Catharus thrushes that had spent the week sheltering unseen under the fuchsia bushes; but the most interesting passerine of the day, winning by a clear head, was a single Dunnock.

Sea passage was a bit more interesting. The species composition had a distinctly late-autumn feel, with 25 Little Auks, a juvenile Glaucous Gull and 3 Long-tailed Ducks indicating that winter is not that far away, and a total count of 2759 Fulmars including 28 northern 'blue' birds among them. Other counts from 5 and a half hours in the hide included 135 Sooty Shearwaters, 17 Manx Shearwaters, 583 Gannets, a Common Scoter, 9 Great Skuas, 194 Kittiwakes and 350 or so mixed Razorbills and Guillemots.

7th October

2011-10-07T22:27:00.000+01:00

It was another quiet day, although 4 White-fronted Geese and a Pomarine Skua flying past were noteworthy sightings. A Common Redpoll was probably new, while other passerines included a Barred Warbler, a Common Rosefinch, a Whinchat and a Robin.

Plenty of the common waders have been around recently, including Purple Sandpipers in several rocky areas of coastline.

The Whinchat has been resident around the observatory traps for most of the week, somehow evading capture so far.

6th October

2011-10-07T11:13:00.001+01:00

In a monkey's wedding day of sunshine, heavy showers, wind, rainbows and hailstorms admixed, avian diversity couldn't quite match that of the weather. There were hardly any geese on the move, but at least 16 Whooper Swans were on the island. A Barred Warbler near Ancum Loch could well have been the bird from the previous week. A Short-eared Owl at the north of the island might also have been the bird from earlier in the week, and 3 Grey Plovers were probably all long-stayers. There did seem to have been a considerable increase in the number of Snow Buntings, with about 200 dotted around the island.

Short-eared Owl

5th October

2011-10-06T10:12:00.000+01:00

By far the year's biggest movement of geese began early in the morning and continued throughout the day, skein after skein passing south overhead. Of over 3000 birds counted, around half of them were Pink-footed Geese; the other half were Greylags. Other passage wildfowl included the first 2 Goosanders of the year and 3 Whooper Swans, while the Greenland White-fronted Goose was still at Bewan.

The autumn's first Fieldfare, making its appearance a bit later than expected, was probably the most notable passerine. A Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Yellow-browed Warblers, 3 Chaffnches and a Brambling were also seen.

4th October

2011-10-05T11:52:00.000+01:00

Less windy, although not by much, the day's birding did reveal a few noteworthy species, although most passerines were presumably long-stayers. The best new birds were a juvenile Little Gull in Linklet Bay and a Short-eared Owl at the north of the island; the best of the non-movers were the Short-toed Lark, a Common Rosefinch, a Yellow-browed Warbler, 2 Curlew Sandpipers and the Greenland White-fronted Goose.

Other odds and ends included 3 Bramblings, 2 Chaffinches, 7 Blackcaps, a Whinchat, a Swallow, a Common Tern and 3 Arctic Terns.

Short-eared Owl

3rd October

2011-10-04T18:25:00.000+01:00

Finding birds seemed an almost impossible task in very strong south-westerly wind. Almost nothing new was logged, and the best lingering birds that were seen were a single Yellow-browed Warbler, a Curlew Sandpiper and a Hen Harrier. At least 157 Redwings and 2 Song Thrushes were still present, a late Swallow was making little headway into the wind and 2 Common Terns were in Linklet Bay.

A couple of Jack Snipe were flushed from marshy areas during the day. This, at least, is one species that is no easier or harder to find in difficult weather conditions than on fine days.

2nd October

2011-10-02T22:19:00.002+01:00

Slightly disappointingly, Robin Day on North Ronaldsay didn't live up its lofty reputation this year, failing to produce much in the way of new birds at all, never mind the almost-expected mega-rare chat. A Barred Warbler on the west coast topped a short list of fresh arrivals that also featured a Pied Flycatcher and 5 Whooper Swans. Lingering scarcities provided a bit more interest, with the Greenland White-fronted Goose, 2 Curlew Sandpipers, the Short-toed Lark, 2 Yellow-browed Warblers, the Hawfinch and a Common Rosefinch all still present.

Common migrants remaining on the island included 418 Redwings, 2 Lesser Whitethroats, 15 Blackcaps, 6 Willow Warblers, 5 Chiffchaffs, 4 Goldcrests and 9 Bramblings.

Although we had a few European White-fronts in the spring, this pathetically confiding juvenile specimen is the first bird of the Greenland race we have had this year.

Short-toed Lark

1st October

2011-10-01T22:47:00.001+01:00

October started off with perfect calm and overcast conditiions - an ideal opportunity for a day of mist-netting at Holland House. Plenty of Redwings and Blackcaps were ringed, but the clear highlight of the day was North Ronaldsay's third Pechora Pipit found hanging in one of the nets.

A lighthouse attraction during the night had drawn a good number of Redwings to the island, and a day-total of 872 included 300 in the fields next to the beacon. Single Common Rosefinches were at Bewan and Gravity, the Hawfinch was ringed in the gardens and other finch sightings included 5 Redpolls, 4 Chaffinches and 7 Bramblings. Blackcaps remained much the most numerous warbler, with 46 logged around the island, while other species included 7 Yellow-browed Warblers, 1 Barred Warbler, 2 Lesser Whitethroats, 1 Garden Warbler, 1 Sedge Warbler and 5 Goldcrests. A Yellow Wagtail was the first for a few weeks, and 2 House Martins, a Tree Pipit, 3 Robins, 4 Whinchats, 17 Song Thrushes and the long-staying Short-toed Lark made up the rest of the noteworthy passerines.

A White-fronted Goose was a new species for the autumn; 2 Curlew Sandpipers, a Grey Plover and a Whimbrel were the best of the waders; and a Sparrowhawk and a Kestrel were the only raptors.

30th September

2011-09-30T21:45:00.001+01:00

A sunny morning of visible migration produced good numbers of passerines streaming south off Twingness and Stromness Point. Counts of the most numerous species came to 690 Redwings, 278 Meadow Pipits and 114 Skylarks, most of which continued straight on towards Sanday and the other Orkney Islands. The year's first 2 Richard's Pipits also passed overhead, along with 6 Crossbills, a Sand Martin, 15 Swallows, a House Martin and 10 Woodpigeons.

The rarest bird of the day was a Red-throated Pipit that was flushed from the crop field at Lurand, promptly vanishing never to be seen again. Another new species for the year was a Hawfinch at Holland House, while a new Buff-breasted Sandpiper on Tor Ness was (at least) the third one of the autumn.

Other migrants included a Stonechat, the first 4 Bramblings of the autumn, 10 Chaffinches and 3 Siskins. Counts of other landbirds came to 5 Yellow-browed Warblers, 11 Blackcaps, 3 Chiffchaffs, 1 Willow Warbler, 1 Spotted Flycatcher, 1 Tree Pipit, 3 Robins, 1 Whinchat, 6 Song Thrushes and 14 Lapland Buntings.

Lapland Bunting

27th September

2011-09-27T20:10:00.000+01:00

Again, the highlights consisted mostly of rarities that had been present for a few days: the Pallid Harrier was still hunting around the middle of the island, the Buff-breasted Sandpiper had moved to the golf course, the Pectoral Sandpiper was at Kirbest Mire and the Short-toed Lark was at Bewan. There was little change in passerine numbers, but a Barred Warbler, 3 Yellow-browed Warblers, a Pied Flycatcher, a Chaffinch, a Siskin and a Redpoll were all seen, and the first 2 House Martins for a while roosted at the observatory.

Buff-breasted Sandpiper

26th September

2011-09-26T22:52:00.000+01:00

Although fresh migrants were few, a nice line-up of lingering rarities comprised the Pallid Harrier, a Buff-bellied Pipit, a Citrine Wagtail, the Short-toed Lark, the Buff-breasted Sandpiper and the Pectoral Sandpiper. Other long-staying birds included a Curlew Sandpiper, a Barred Warbler and 2 Yellow-browed Warblers.

The best of the new arrivals were a Collared Dove, a Spotted Flycatcher, a Pied Flycatcher and a Siskin.

25th September

2011-09-25T20:37:00.001+01:00

It seemed to be a long time in coming, but the influx of Pallid Harriers into Britain finally reached North Ronaldsay, with an eagerly awaited juvenile bird quartering the east side of the island all day. This is a new species for the island, and species number 202 on the year-list - a list that now includes an impressive 13 different raptors!

Such was the excitement of the harrier, and the ensuing high speed pursuit all over the island, that we never really got round to checking if any of the long-staying rarities were still around. A Pectoral Sandpiper deep in the morasses of Hooking Loch was perhaps the bird from 6 days previously, although it has not been seen in the interim. The Curlew Sandpiper and a Grey Plover were still around, while the day's common raptors were 2 Hen Harriers, a Merlin and a Kestrel.

There were few new passerines, although an unringed Yellow-browed Warbler was seen in Holland garden. A Barred Warbler was also still in the gardens, and counts of other songbirds came to 5 Whinchats, 2 Robins, 1 Song Thrush, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 13 Blackcaps, a ringed Yellow-browed Warbler, 3 Willow Warblers, 1 Chiffchaff, 5 Goldcrests, 19 Lapland Buntings and a Redpoll.

24th September

2011-09-24T23:51:00.000+01:00

After a brief hiatus, the daily rarities resumed. A brace of new Nearctic waders were the day's highlights - not an entirely unexpected event after recent weather systems across the Atlantic. Firstly, our second Buff-breasted Sandpiper of the year dropped into the current rarity hotspot at Bewan Loch in the morning, spending a while in the company of its compatriot BUFF-BELLIED PIPIT and a Citrine Wagtail before relocating to the west coast of the island. A short time later, a juvenile American Golden Plover - a new species for the rapidly advancing year-list - joined one of the large flocks of its European counterparts near Gretchen Loch.

American Golden Plover

The other Citrine Wagtail was also still present in the southern half of the island, and the other BUFF-BELLIED PIPIT had opted for a change of scenery at Bridesness Point. A new Barred Warbler was ringed at Holland House, where 3 Yellow-browed Warblers all bore rings from earlier in the week. At least 1 Common Rosefinch was seen, and other passerines included the first Chaffinch of the autumn, 3 Robins, 5 Whinchats, 4 Song Thrushes, a Lesser Whitethroat, a Garden Warbler, 14 Blackcaps, 34 Lapland Buntings and 60 Snow Buntings.

The Curlew Sandpiper and a Grey Plover were still around, and the day's selection of raptors comprised 2 Hen Harriers, 2 Merlins, 2 Peregrines and a Kestrel.

A Merlin was a surprise highlight of the evening's mist-netting session. Given the numbers of transatlantic vagrants currently appearing on European coasts, it is prudent to check any Merlins for the American subspecies. The bird featured on this blog on the 13th of September showed some interesting features, but appears to be just a dark European Merlin, possibly of the Icelandic form. Today's bird is a straightforward European one, with too many pale tail bars to arouse hopes of a Nearctic vagrant; but it was nice to study it up close all the same.

23rd September

2011-09-24T22:46:00.000+01:00

With such a run of good birds in the preceding week, it felt slightly disappointing to go an entire day without finding a single new rarity; but we could hardly complain when we still had 2 BUFF-BELLIED PIPITS, 2 Citrine Wagtails and a Short-toed Lark to enjoy. There were still plenty of the more routine migrants around too, including a Barred Warbler, 3 Yellow-browed Warblers, a Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Garden Warblers, 16 Blackcaps, 2 Chiffchaffs, 3 Willow Warblers, 4 Goldcrests, 3 Robins, 2 Whinchats, 3 Song Thrushes, a Redpoll and 30 Lapland Buntings.

A Curlew Sandpiper and 2 Grey Plovers were the only noteworthy waders. A movement of wildfowl involved a couple of Whooper Swans and 418 Pink-footed Geese.

The Kirbest Citrine Wagtail

22nd September

2011-09-22T22:24:00.000+01:00

There was no sign of the Lesser Kestrel, but our little purple patch of good birds continued to provide its daily dose of excitement. The birding tour group staying at the observatory, having already enjoyed an amazing run of rarities, managed to go one better than their Short-toed Lark when they found a superb BUFF-BELLIED PIPIT in exactly the same place. Incredibly, while we were watching the pipit, a second bird walked into view alongside the original one!

The 2 Buff-bellied Pipits were quite different in appearance, the original bird (lower picture) having distinctly warmer plumage tones. The only previous record of this American vagrant on North Ronaldsay was in October 2008.

Both Citrine Wagtails, though overshadowed by mega rarities for the last few days, were still present and continuing to show well at times. A Barred Warbler, 3 Yellow-browed Warblers and a Common Rosefinch provided the supporting cast of scarce passerines, while common migrants included a Common Redstart, 5 Whinchats, 3 Song Thrushes, a Reed Warbler, a Lesser Whitethroat, a Garden Warbler, 9 Blackcaps, a Chiffchaff, 4 Willow Warblers, a Goldcrest and 17 Lapland Buntings. A movement of Pink-footed Geese included overhead flocks of 74 and 8 birds and at least 3 Grey Plovers, 3 (Common!) Kestrels and 3 Merlins were on the island.

21st September

2011-09-22T08:39:00.000+01:00

The LESSER KESTREL was located at Holland House, where it remained for most of the day, sheltering from the strong wind on the leeward walls of the building. The best new bird was a flighty Short-toed Lark near Bewan Loch, while the previous week's Ortolan Bunting reappeared on the north coast. At least 2 Common Rosefinches, a Barred Warbler and 2 Yellow-browed Warblers were still present, and counts of other passerines included 8 Willow Warblers, 3 Goldcrests, 7 Blackcaps, 1 Garden Warbler, 1 Pied Flycatcher, 1 Robin, 2 Whinchats, 2 Song Thrushes and 12 Lapland Buntings. A Curlew Sandpiper on the golf course was new, and the Slavonian Grebe and Hen Harrier remained from earlier days.

Lesser Kestrel

Short-toed Lark

20th September

2011-09-20T20:07:00.003+01:00

The main story of a memorable day began with a sighting of an unusual kestrel flying down the main road. It had a bright blue head; its underparts looked pale and quite plain; it ate insects on the wing: the alarm bells were ringing and demanding further investigation. Further flight views were puzzling and inconclusive, but it was eventually found obligingly posed in full view on a wall at Kirbest, its white toenails glinting in the evening sunlight: identification confirmed - we were watching Orkney's first LESSER KESTREL!

The long-staying Citrine Wagtail spent the day in its usual haunts at Kirbest and Bridesness, and another, at least our third of the autumn, was found near Bewan. This wagtail was a lot less flighty than the previous birds and gave excellent views in the morning.

A juvenile Red-backed Shrike at Quoy Banks was another good bird, while other passerine migrants included a Barred Warbler, a Yellow-browed Warbler, 17 Blackcaps, 2 Garden Warblers, 2 Lesser Whitethroats, 6 Willow Warblers, a Chiffchaff, a Goldcrest, a Spotted Flycatcher, a Common Redpoll, 19 Lapland Buntings, 3 Whinchats and 3 Robins. The Hen Harrier, 2 Common Kestrels, a Merlin and a Grey Plover were all still present; an arrival of Grey Herons brought the log count to 14; and the Slavonian Grebe remained on Ancum Loch.