25th September

Today's highlight was undoubtedly a 1st winter male RED-FLANKED BLUETAIL seen in Holland gardens early afternoon and trapped shortly afterwards, this represents the 1st record for Orkney. A pectoral sandpiper reported on Gretchen Loch yesterday was confirmed there today in the company of a curlew sandpiper, and other notable waders included a grey plover, a common sandpiper and 2 little stints. The bluethroat and flava wagtail were still at Westness, just 3 yellow-browed warblers remain but a common rosefinch at Nether Linnay was new. Other migrants were still in low numbers with 28 redwing, 5 song thrush, 19 wheatear, 4 blackcap, 3 goldcrest, 2 robin and singles of garden warbler, spotted flycatcher and pied flycatcher. Both the collared dove and turtle dove were seen again and 3 crossbill were at Holland late afternoon. Numbers of wildfowl on the island include 44 pink-footed geese, 59 greylag geese, 62 mallard, 156 teal, 2 tufted duck and 4 pintail.