28th - 30th August

Once again with some gentle easterlies at play, plenty more migrants have been pushing through. With some expected autumnal ticks and a nice nets session at Ancum producing a real rarity, there is more anticipation as to what the rest of the autumn will bring.

The 28th became a bit of a sea watching day, with a Great Shearwater passing early morning and an afternoon stint producing 1 juvenile Little Gull, a whopping 451 Sooty Shearwater, 179 Manx Shearwater and some Risso's Dolphins. Away from the sea, there was a Buzzard at Cott and a Garden Warbler at Ancum Willows.

A morning sea watch on the 29th produced a Great Shearwater, presumably the same bird of the previous day, and a Long-tailed Skua. There was a year tick of Rosefinch round the obs, a Pied Flycatcher at the Surgery and a Goldcrest in Holland. In the evening, a nets session at Ancum managed to catch a Paddyfield Warbler, a fifth record for the island and an eleventh record for Orkney. The bird was released at Holland but was not seen again the next morning.

On the 30th, a Great Shearwater was once again seen flying north past Dennishead, along with good numbers of Manx and Sooty Shearwaters. The Buzzard remained in the Cott area, there was a Lesser Whitethroat at South Ness, and the Rosefinch returned back to the obs area. The American Golden Plover was once again seen in the field by Cott, after having not been seen for a few days. The bird seems to have become more rangy though, having been seen also at Westness in the days prior to its vanishing act.

Paddyfield Warbler - MH

Sooty Shearwater - GG