1st-31st January

January has been a wild month with North Ronaldsay seeing some stormy weather, winds up to 100mph, rain and wintry showers and lightning. Wintering birds have included a few Whooper Swans (5 on 31^st), a Taiga Bean Goose, 2 Pinkfeet, a White-fronted Goose (flavirostris) and 2 Barnacle Geese along with over 1000 Greylag Geese, and a Brent Goose was seen on 31^st. The male Green-winged Teal was still present and a Common Scoter was seen on 11^th. The long-staying Northern Harrier was last noted on 20^th and other raptors included Hen Harrier and Merlin. A cold spell mid-month brought an unseasonal male Sparrowhawk, 18 Woodcock and a Long-eared Owl in Holland Gardens. A first winter Glaucous Gull fed on a Greylag carcass near the Observatory for a few days from 11^th. Small numbers of Fieldfare and Redwing have been present and a flock of 35 wintering Twite.

Whooper Swan

White-fronted Goose

Brent Goose

Common Scoter

Glaucous Gull

Wall down due to storms