25th August

With the wind dropping and rain due from lunchtime there were high expectations and though there was no major rarity, many species were recorded in high numbers during this particularly prolific period for the isle. Two species dominated, with the counts of 103 Willow Warblers and 31 Garden Warblers both the highest day totals for a decade. Once the rain arrived there seemed to be birds dropping in everywhere with tallies of 8 Kestrels (possibly more!), a Wryneck (trapped and ringed at Holland gardens), 6 Redstarts, 26 Whinchats, 83 Wheatears, 4 Fieldfares, 5 Sedge Warblers, 7 Reed Warblers, 4 Icterine Warblers (Westness, Holland, Obs, Antabreck), 2 Barred Warblers (Holland, Kirbest), 3 Lesser Whitethroats, 5 Whitethroats, a Blackcap (first of autumn), Wood Warbler (Greenwall), a juvenile Red backed Shrike (also at Greenwall), 4 Spotted Flycatchers and 6 Pied Flycatchers. The 2 juvenile Marsh Harriers continued to flush all the waders, but among the most notable of that group counted were 85 Ruff, 72 Black-tailed Godwits, the 3 Wood Sandpipers and 2 Green Sandpipers. A juvenile Garganey on the Loch at Bridesness was a surprise and Teal numbers have grown to 72. Not quite so many Butterfly's as yesterday but a Minke Whale sighted from the ferry boat between the isle and Papa Westray was the first of the year.

Wryneck (photo Gavin Woodbridge) 

Sedge Warbler (photo George Gay)