NORTH RONALDSAY - 8th October

A great feeling day with very light ENE winds and drizzle drifting in and out, it was however quiet at nets first thing with only a handful of new birds while the Red-breasted Flycatcher still foraged along the southern side of the garden.   It was also quiet around the northern census route where migrants included Little Stint on Trolla, a Redstart, 2 Siskins, a Song Thrush, 2 Snow Buntings, a Willow Warbler, 4 Redwings, 3 Chiffchaffs, a Blackcap, 2 Robins and 11 Wheatears while other counts of note comprised 54 Purple Sandpipers, 67 Curlew, 14 Bar-tailed Godwits and 41 Teal.

                The afternoon was amazing though with two stunning rares found!   First a cracking HORNEMANN’S ARCTIC REDPOLL was found feeding with a little group of other assorted Redpolls at Westness and showed brilliantly well for everyone and then the world went crazy as an absolutely incredible adult male SIBERIAN BLUE ROBIN was hand-caught in Southness croft and brought back to the Obs for me to ring….nothing else left to say!!

WHAT. A. BIRD

Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll