21st and 22nd May
A stunning day with wall to wall sunshine and a warm
southerly breeze, it was an excellent day in the field with a succession of
highlights, getting folks chasing around all over the place, running after
birds and cetaceans with varying degrees of success! The highlight for many was an awesome pod of
6 ORCAS which spent a good hour mooching off the north end of
the island; the group, which contained a large bull, two young males and three
smaller animals was last seen heading south off the east coast towards Sanday
and were different to another group seen off Papa Westray shortly afterwards.
The
selection of avian highlights was headed by a brief Little Egret
which flew up the east coast and out towards Fair Isle to the north – an
excellent bird for the island being only the third record! Other good birds included an immature White-tailed Eagle which came in off
the sea at Westbeach and continued north, a Marsh Harrier which came in off the sea at Brides and also went
north, a 1st summer Little
Gull on Gretchen and a Quail flushed
from Waterhouse.
White-tailed Eagle, photo Simon Davies
The Curlew Sandpiper was again at Westness
with a good selection of other waders including 120 Ringed Plover, 105 Knot,
156 Sanderling, 68 Dunlin, 6 Whimbrel, 562 Turnstone and a rapidly reducing 13
Purple Sandpipers. Landbirds were also
well represented as totals comprised 3 Sparrowhawks, a Woodpigeon, a little
influx of hirundines with 8 Sand Martins, 12 House Martins and 90 Swallows, a
Black Redstart, 11 Sedge Warblers (with good numbers setting up territories), a
Garden Warbler, 3 Blackcaps, 7 Chiffchaff, 3 Willow Warblers, 2 Spotted
Flycatchers, 2 Pied Flycatchers, 2 Jackdaws south over Holland, a Chaffinch and
3 Mealy Redpolls.
The
22nd felt really good with an increasing south-easterly breeze and
building cloud after a sunny morning with a female type Common Rosefinch near the lighthouse the start but also
unfortunately the end of the day’s highlights; a Garden Warbler trapped at the
Obs and a Whimbrel on the coast are the only other things I can think to
mention!
Little Gull, photo Simon Davies
Swallow, photo Simon Davies
House Martin, photo Larissa Simulik
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