31st may

At last a bit of excitement today when two Cranes decided to tour around the island from late morning to early afternoon. Apart from a fly through Marsh Harrier on the 29th there has been very little to report lately.

19th to the 22nd May

On the 19th there were three Great -northern Divers, and singles of Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Mealy Redpoll. The following day saw an increase in warbler numbers to four Blackcaps and singles of Whitethroat, Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler along with a good count of 216 Ringed Plover. The 21st saw a Sparrowhawk and a Greenshank, 61 Swallows, 7 Sedge Warblers and two Jackdaws. The 22nd brought our first Spotted Flycatcher of the year and best of all a fine male red-spotted Bluethroat.

I couldn't get a photo of the Bluethroat so here's one of the north ronaldsay Bluethroat twitch!

18th MAY

Not much to report today the best being single Whimbrel, Carrion Crow and Blackcap along with four Collared Dove. So you will have to make do with a slightly elevated view of Holland House gardens which is our mist netting site where we catch most of our migrants. Thats if we ever get any!

17th MAY

Not much to report today; three Blackcaps and a Willow Warbler were seen, a ring-tailed Hen Harrier flew south and the Snow Bunting was still lingering around the lighthouse.

16th MAY

At last a few migrants arrived. The nets this morning produced 3 Blackcaps, a Lesser Whitethroat, a Chiffchaff, a Mealy Redpoll and a Sedge Warbler that was wearing a belgian ring. Away from the nets there were 2 Whimbrel, a Sparrowhawk, another Chiffchaff and our first Tree Pipit of the year.

14th MAY

Still very little on the migration front. Today a first summer Glaucous Gull was an unexpected find and is the first record on the island since the 26th of May last year! There was also a Long-eared Owl in holland gardens along with two Blackcaps, 6 Sand Martins were hawking insects over hooking loch and a late Snow Bunting was near the lighthouse.