NORTH RONALDSAY - 31st August

Nice and calm first thing but nets at Holland first thing were empty with just a Hen Harrier over and a Black Redstart in the Kirkyard of note, the wind soon picked up to become a very strong southerly which stayed the rest of the day.   Birds around the middle census route in the afternoon included a Merlin, a Kestrel, a Hen Harrier, a Gadwall, 13 Wigeon and 13 Teal on Ancum, a good influx of 98+ Snipe with little flocks all over the place including coming in off the sea, 3 Herons, 19 Knot and 6 Wheatears.

Knot

Turnstone

NORTH RONALDSAY - 30th August

A nice day, sunny with a light westerly breeze started well as I caught a smart young female Kestrel in the crow trap (it went in after Starlings!) and an equally smart Barred Warbler was trapped in T1.   Birds up the west coast then included a little influx of 30 Wheatears, a Whimbrel, a Willow Warbler, 15 Knot and the two Fieldfares in Gue Park still.

Barred Warbler

Kestrel

Fieldfare

NORTH RONALDSAY - 29th August

Bright and sunny again but the very strong southerly wind made things hard work out in the field, there was nothing at Holland first thing before a walk round the Hooking census route produced an influx of ducks on the loch including 60 Mallard and 105+ Teal, a Hen Harrier, a Kestrel, 12 Black-tailed Godwits in little flocks and 47 Ringed Plover on The Links.   An hours seawatch late afternoon just produced a single Manx Shearwater but good numbers of Passerines came in with 100+ Meadow Pipits and 20+ alba Wagtails in off.

Bonxie

NORTH RONALDSAY - 28th August

Dry and bright with a brisk and increasing southerly breeze; the nets at Holland first thing didn’t produce anything although one of the Hen Harriers was chasing Sparrows around the Flax!   The highlight of the Brides census route was definitely good but brief views of an adult Black Tern which zoomed past me at Brides as it flew over the loch and towards the point (it had been seen half an hour earlier on Bewan!) – a Scottish tick for me!   Other birds on a quiet census route included a Whimbrel with a flock of 17 Curlews which headed south and out and 50+ Snipe.

                A two-hour seawatch in the afternoon then produced 18 Sooty Shearwaters, 26 Manx Shearwaters, a Red-throated Diver and 3 Bonxies.

Black-tailed Godwit

NORTH RONALDSAY - 27th August

A damp start, soon brightened up but the short spell of SE winds had disappeared to be replaced by a brisk north-westerly, a brief look around Ancum as the weather cleared produced the great sight of 2 Short-eared Owls, 2 Kestrels and a Hen Harrier all in the same field of view!   The Black Redstart was still around Holland and a Hen Harrier was around East Loch Park (which possibly came in off the sea).

                A little look around Garso and Senness in the afternoon produced just one bird – a very flighty Barred Warbler first at Sandback and then at Senness.

Barred Warbler record shots

NORTH RONALDSAY - 26th August

A decent day with the brisk wind eventually swinging round into the SE; had a couple of seawatching sessions from the top end (10:10 – 11:40 and 15:00 – 17:00) where my totals included a smart subadult Pomarine Skua (with some decent spoons), 50 Sooty Shearwaters, 81 Manx Shearwaters, a Red-throated Diver, 20+ Puffins and 5+ Risso’s Dolphins off the beacon.   Other birds around the north end included 2 Kestrels, a Hen Harrier, 5 Black-tailed Godwits, 41 Purple Sandpipers, 6 Knot, 20 Bar-tailed Godwits and 200 Golden Plover.

Risso's Dolphins

Dunlin

NORTH RONALDSAY - 25th August

A rough morning with a strong NW wind bringing frequent, heavy showers; went out to do a bit of the middle census route in the afternoon when the weather was slightly better but it was still quiet as birds included a Hen Harrier, a Kestrel, 4 Herons, 2 Black-tailed Godwits, 23 Knot, 7 Teal and a Water Rail.   I then had an hour’s seawatch which produced 6 Sooty Shearwaters, 2 Manx Shearwaters and a Great-northern Diver.

Coot remains

Sanderling feeding tracks in the sand

NORTH RONALDSAY - 24th August

A brisk NW wind throughout the day with plenty of sunshine but frequent showers kept blowing through so it was no surprise that the west coast census route was pretty quiet with a female Merlin seen heading south out to sea off The Lurn and 29 Purple Sandpipers up the coast the only bits of note before I walked back down the road where there were 3 Herons and 4 Black-tailed Godwits by Ancum.

Knot

Bonxie

NORTH RONALDSAY - 23rd August

Bright and sunny again with the brisk westerly breeze persisting, birds in the Hooking census area included a Hen Harrier, a Merlin, a Kestrel and a further influx of 48+ Teal while in with the usual wader flock around the loch were 7 Black-tailed Godwits, 14 Bar-tailed Godwits and 3 Ruff.

Bar-tailed Godwit

NORTH RONALDSAY - 22nd August

A moderate westerly wind with some good sunshine replaced the blazing easterly and a walk round the Brides census route produced good views of a Spotted Redshank which I flushed off Kirbest and then again off Brides later on, a distant Peregrine, the juvenile Hen Harrier and 4 Black-tailed Godwits but still no Passerine migrants anywhere.   A two-hour seawatch in the afternoon then just produced 6 Manx Shearwaters and 2 Sooty Shearwaters.

Spotted Redshank

Arctic Skua

New colour ringed Shag

NORTH RONALDSAY - 21st August

A nice, flat calm start to the day but the now SE wind rapidly picked up to force 7 by the afternoon with mist and murk slowly increasing as well; opened the nets first thing but there were no new migrants in the garden with the re-trapped Nightingale again the highlight.   A flock of 6 Wigeon and a Shoveler came in, 4 Ruff were in the fields and a young male Merlin shot over; the rest of the Obs census route was unremarkable despite the good feeling, autumnal conditions with a Red-throated Diver close in off The Lurn and the Hen Harrier drifting close past the Gretchen hide.

Hen Harrier

Great Black-backed Gull

Red-throated Diver