5th - 8th August

The weather has been pretty miserable over the past few days, dominated mostly by waves of drizzly showers and fog. With the North Ronaldsay Sheep Festival also now underway, the obs has been very busy, limiting coverage of the island on some days. But there has still been some good birding to be done, especially with Golden Plover numbers picking up, which will hopefully draw in something more interesting soon.

The 5th saw the return of the 2 Red-necked Phalaropes to Ancum, presumably the same birds that have been seen on previous occasions as they undergo their moult. In the afternoon however, they were joined by a juvenile that didn't stay until the next day, unlike the adults which are now present into their 4th day. There was a also a ringtail Hen Harrier seen flying over Brides.

The 6th and 7th were fairly quiet birding wise, the only birds of note being a Grey Plover and Greenshank, both seen opposite the airfield on the 7th.

On the 8th, a Green Sandpiper was seen flying North over Holland, before being picked up again when it was flushed from Ancum towards the Links.

It looks like the next few days are set to follow the same suit weather wise, but as wader and gull flocks slowly start to build in the fields, and more migrants are turning up further south in the country, excitement for Autumn has well and truly begun.

Red-necked Phalarope - MH

Green Sandpiper - MH