NORTH RONALDSAY - 30th July

After early morning rain had moved through (with plenty overnight) it was a great day with much calmer winds and plenty of bright sunshine; an early morning seawatch was very quiet with two Manx Shearwaters the only birds of note, I then opened the nets at Holland for a couple of hours which produced two fresh juvenile Sedge Warblers as the highlight with another Hummingbird Hawkmoth along the road there also noteworthy.

                I then walked round the northern census route with high numbers of birds seen, although not much could be picked out in amongst them; a Kestrel at Senness was the land migrant highlight while there were notable influxes of waders with 160 Dunlin, 71 Knot (including a Norwegian flagged bird), 23 Purple Sandpipers, 350 Golden Plovers (1,350+ for the whole island), 61 Curlews, 24 Bar-tailed Godwits and 30 Ringed Plovers and big numbers of Arctic Terns with at least 1,700 around the north end – 5,050 for the whole island (just short of the island record count!).

                Other little bits included two more dispersing juvenile Sedge Warblers at Senness along with four fledgling Reed Buntings, three juvenile Shoveler on Garso and my first North Ron Peacock of the year at Vincoin.

Arctic Terns of various ages

Shoveler

Knot, with the Norwegian colour ringed bird

NORTH RONALDSAY - 29th July

Still bright and sunny with an even stronger SE wind in the morning with cloud building from mid-afternoon; a little walk round The Lurn before sheep punding just produced six Swifts which came in off the sea from the west.   I then walked around the middle census route at lunchtime where birds included a juvenile Ruff on Ancum (the first juvenile of the autumn) along with 2 Herons, 10 Teal and good views of a Water Rail, a Black-tailed Godwit and 146 Oystercatchers in the cut fields and a good selection of waders at Westness including 135 Dunlin, 22 Knot, 10 Purple Sandpipers, 60 Turnstone and 5 Sanderling.

Tysties

Swift

Black-tailed Godwit

Bonxie

Juvenile Sand Martin

Heron annoying the Terns

NORTH RONALDSAY - 28th July

Bright and sunny first thing with a strong SE wind but it clouded over in the afternoon with some drops of rain; I walked up the west coast in the morning where the highlight was a Hummingbird Hawkmoth in the small front garden at Burray which was associated with a little influx of 8 Painted Ladies, 13 Red Admirals and quite a few Silver Y’s.

                Other birds included the first Common Sandpiper of the autumn by the airstrip, 11 Purple Sandpipers, 70 Turnstone and a big influx of 2,500+ Arctic Terns on Torness.

Hummingbird Hawkmoth

Juvenile Arctic Skua, the second year in a row that a single chick has fledged from Torness

Nice pale phase adult

and a 2cy bird

NORTH RONALDSAY - 27th July

A funny day weather wise with a strong SE wind bringing mist and murk with a few spots of rain and thunder and lightning out at sea; two Green Sandpipers flew south along the coast at The Lurn first thing (my first on the island this year!).   After chasing sheep round Torness – three Whimbrel flew south, I walked around Brides and Hooking with the definite highlight being two cracking adult Roseate Terns on the rocks at Bridesness Point with c150 Arctics, I was watching one on the rocks just as another swooped in to mob me!

                Other birds included a decent spread of waders including 93 Sanderling, 180 Lapwing, 350 Golden Plover, 90 Dunlin and a tatty looking male Ruff at Hooking, a little influx of 22 Teal, the summer plumaged Great-northern Diver again and a few butterflies including three Painted Lady and my first Small Tortoiseshell of the year.

Roseate Terns

Sanderling

NORTH RONALDSAY - 26th July

Bright and sunny again but with a brisk easterly wind to take the edge off; a walk round The Lurn first thing just produced a Whimbrel, a Knot and 5 Sanderling.   The rest of the morning was spent chasing sheep around the Brides coast where there was a cracking full summer plumaged Great-northern Diver in Nouster, 30+ Sanderling and 27 Curlew at the back of Brides Loch.

3cy (probably) Arctic Skua

Great Skua

Painted Lady

Small Tortoiseshell