11th - 16th July
The week has mainly been dominated by tern colony surveys and Tystie ringing, so there has been little in the way of birding going on. Re-sightings of previous days birds has made up most of the Whatsapp messages, but the odd new bird has kept the week interesting.
A Grey Plover on 11th was the first we've had for a while, and the Pacific Golden Plover was seen once again at Sandar, showing well despite the rain. A moulting adult male Ruff was seen flying south toward Gretchen, joining a Common Tern there. An extremely early juvenile Black Redstart was a surprise to see feeding in the Lighthouse courtyard. A juvenile Cuckoo sat by T4 late afternoon made for the end of a very wet day
12th started with the Cuckoo being re-sighted by T4, before another, or potentially the same bird, was seen at Breck. The Black Redstart remained at the Lighthouse, the male Ruff relocated to Ancum, and the Red-backed Shrike seen sporadically in previous days turned up again at Ancum Willows.
13th and 14th were filled with Black Guillemot chick ringing, with 70+ being ringed across the two days, so little else was reported in the way of birds. Sea watching was squeezed in in the evening of 13th and 14th, producing a very unseasonal summer plumaged Little Auk passing Dennishead just after 9pm on 13th, and 40+ Storm Petrel and 3 Manx Shearwater on 14th. The Cuckoo was seen again at Burray.
15th saw a Curlew Sandpiper turn up on Gretchen, and the Red-backed Shrike and Snow Goose remained at North Manse and Garso respectively. An evening sea watch saw one Sooty Shearwater, five Manx Shearwater and a Red-throated Diver go north past Dennishead. The Cuckoo was seen once again, this time at Ancum Willows.
A tern colony count in the morning of 16th produced our first fledged birds of the year. The male Ruff was seen again on Ancum along with the Cuckoo between Antabreck and Ancum Willows.
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| Pacific Golden Plover (MEH) |
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