Tuesday, 23 October 2018

NORTH RONALDSAY - 18th October


A good day with a lightish SW wind and the occasional spell of drizzle which created and excellent day for some visible migration; the main feature of the day was a fantastic, rolling southerly movement of Redwings, piling through in flocks of 3-400 birds, landing in fields and feeding for a few minutes while the wave behind them moves over before flying low across the fields, I was out for five hours in the afternoon in the middle census route and 1,030+ moved through.   Other birds moving included constant flocks of Geese coming in from the north with 700+ Greylags, 56 Pink-footed Geese and 11 Barnacle Geese, a total of 48 Whooper Swans in many flocks, a Merlin which went through high up and 3 Rooks – the first of the autumn.

                Other birds in the middle census area included 2 Hen Harriers, 2 Kestrel, 2 Shelduck seen over The Links (an unusual autumn record and the first since July), 2 Snow Buntings, 6 Reed Buntings, 15 Song Thrush, 2 Yellowhammers by South Gravity, 6 Robins and 3 Blackcap.    The evening ringing was very productive as we caught many, many Redwings at both Ancum and Holland along with a Long-eared Owl at Holland and the Great Grey Shrike again at Ancum.


Whooper Swans





Golden Plover




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