NORTH RONALDSAY - 30th March

The strong easterly wind persisted through the morning but began easing down gradually in the afternoon with fewer showers; walked the Hooking census route in the morning but it was quieter on the exposed side of the island with just a sprinkling of Thrushes, Robins etc.   Birds of note included the Kumlien’s Gull again feeding in the surf behind Hooking (last seen on the 20^th) with a big flock of 150 Black-headed and 170 Common Gulls, 3 Woodcock, the 4 Ruff which flew across the road at Holland and a male Stonechat along the road down to the Obs.

Kumlien's Gull in amongst big numbers of Common and Black-headed Gulls

NORTH RONALDSAY - 29th March

A very rough morning with a blazing force 8 easterly and driving rain and hail showers but it was clear that there was a decent arrival of birds with the highlight being a RED KITE which was seen over Loch Park mid-morning from where it flew north towards the Kirk – a North Ron tick for me and only the fourth for the island!

Walked the sheltered coast of the Obs census route in the morning and the rest of the west coast up to Westness in the afternoon (when it was brighter with less showers) where totals for both bits included the first 2 Grey Wagtails of the year, the first 2 Goldcrests of the year, 5 Rock Pipits including a bright looking littoralis bird, 16+ Woodcock, 215+ Blackbirds (including flocks coming in off the sea from high up), 100+ Redwings, 170+ Fieldfares, 3 Mistle Thrushes, 9 Robins, 12 Song Thrushes, 5 Pied Wagtails, 4 Chaffinches, 3 Snow Buntings and 3 Reed Buntings.

Woodcock

Snow Bunting

27th and 28th March

Had an afternoon and a morning in Kirkwall but it was pretty awful weather with heavy rain and a strong easterly wind; several looks at the Peedie Sea produced an adult Iceland Gull, 13 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, a first winter drake Scaup, c60 Long-tailed Ducks rising to 91+ the following morning (all yodelling loudly!), 12 Goldeneye and 3 Red-breasted Merganser.   There was a flyover Grey Wagtail in town.

NORTH RONALDSAY - 26th March

A mixed day with lighter winds, slowly swinging round into the NE by the afternoon but regular spells of drizzly rain whispering across the island; again, there was little new in as birds in the Brides census area included 14 Snow Buntings, 10 Linnets, 3 Twite, 3 Pied Wagtails, the Black Redstart again by Howar, 85 Fieldfares (a slight increase) and 80 Skylarks while on the sea there were 5 Great-northern and 5 Red-throated Divers.

Posing Black Guillemots!

NORTH RONALDSAY - 24th March

A nice day with plenty of sunshine and a moderate SW breeze; walked around the Obs census route where birds included a Hen Harrier, a big young female Peregrine, a Dunnock, 4 Robins, 5 Song Thrushes, 2 Pied Wagtails, 3 Woodpigeons, 70+ Skylarks and 6 Linnets (very slow to arrive this year with 65 present this time last year).   The Green-winged Teal was again on Gretchen after a few days absence.

Pied Wagtail

Collared Dove

Peregrine

Frogs

NORTH RONALDSAY - 22nd March

A misty, murky morning cleared up by lunchtime; a drive round the lochs in the morning produced totals of 12 Gadwall, 12 Pintail, 4 Shoveler, 8 Goldeneye, 32 Tufted Duck, the Smew and the Whooper Swan with the highlight being the first Slavonian Grebe on the sea off Brides.  A walk round the Obs census route then produced 3 Dunnocks, 5 Mistle Thrushes, 5 Song Thrushes, a Rook, a Pied Wagtail, 2 Robins, 2 Woodpigeons and 40 Skylarks with the Black-throated Diver and 9 Long-tailed Ducks in Nouster, a single Knot on Gretchen and a Ruff in the wet field by Holland.

Snow Bunting

NORTH RONALDSAY - 21st March

A dreadful day with a strong SW wind and plenty of rain, it did brighten up by mid-afternoon allowing me to get out round the Obs census route where birds included 3 Black-tailed Godwits on Gretchen, at least 112 Skylarks scattered around, 4 Mistle Thrushes, 21 Fieldfares, 3 Song Thrushes, a Pied Wagtail, a Linnet and 15 Snow Buntings.

Song Thrush

Rook

Black-tailed Godwits

Had to really look at this twice but its just a Great-northern Diver

NORTH RONALDSAY - 18th March

A glorious day with high pressure sitting over us, the wind was very light but still cold and from the SE and there was pretty much wall to wall sunshine; it was pretty quiet though with a Chaffinch and a Dunnock at Holland first thing before birds in the Brides census route included the Kumlien’s Gull, a Woodcock, 9 Pintail, 28 Long-tailed Ducks and 40+ Black-headed Gulls.

Kumlien's Gull

Lapwing