NORTH RONALDSAY - 26th February

A lovely, bright, sunny day with a brisk but easing SW breeze; the main feature of the day was an excellent count of 576 Skylarks – a new island record count and the first figure of 500+ since the mid 1990’s, there were several flocks of 100+ roaming the island with smaller flocks in virtually every field although there was no obvious visible migration taking place.   Other landbirds included 3 Stonechats – with males at the Obs, the School and Cauldhaim, a Merlin, 8 Meadow Pipits, 2 Song Thrushes, the 5 Chaffinches, 60 Twite, 2 Common Redpolls and 45+ Snow Buntings.

                Also of note were 4 Mute Swans, the Eurasian White-fronted Goose still, 4 Pink-footed Geese (the usual three plus a single which flew out south), 3 Shelduck, 8 Gadwall, the drake Green-winged Teal still on Gretchen, 10 Pintail, 20 Shoveler (the highest count of the year so far), 32 Bar-tailed Godwits and 30 Black-headed Gulls – more and more each day now.

Stonechat

Merlin

Fulmar

NORTH RONALDSAY - 25th February

A damp, grey day with very light winds developing into rain by mid-afternoon; birds seen during walks round the north and south ends of the island including another 2 Stonechats (a male at Purtabreck and a female at Senness), single Hen Harrier and Merlin, 75+ Skylarks, a Pied Wagtail, a Robin, a Song Thrush, 9 Hooded Crows and the 5 Chaffinches.   Other totals comprised 3 Herons, 13 Gadwall, the drake Green-winged Teal still on Gretchen, 10 Pintail, 8 Goldeneye and 4 Red-breasted Mergansers.

Wren

Starling

NORTH RONALDSAY - 24th February

A lovely, bright and sunny day with light southerly winds; there were a few new birds found across the land as would have been hoped for in the fine conditions which included a female Stonechat at Brides and an increase to 216 Skylarks and 7 Meadow Pipits.   Other landbirds of note comprised 2 Peregrines – an adult female and a 2cy male seemingly hunting together over Trolla, a Hen Harrier, 20 Rock Pipits, a Pied Wagtail, the 5 Chaffinches still (I thought I saw six at one stage but couldn’t confirm!), 60 Twite, 3 Common Redpolls, 52 Snow Buntings and 7 Reed Buntings.

                There were a few increases noted amongst the wildfowl and waders as well with a few species posting their highest counts of the year during some good coverage across high tide including 284 Teal, 123 Mallard, 61 Coot, 390 Lapwing, 171 Snipe, 107 Curlew, 168 Redshank and 25 Black-headed Gulls.

                Other birds of note comprised 10 Red-throated Divers, the Black-throated Diver again in Nouster, 5 Great-northern Divers, 5 Herons, 4 Mute Swans, the Eurasian White-fronted Goose and 3 Pink-footed Geese with the Greylags, 3 Shelduck, 295 Wigeon, 14 Gadwall, the drake Green-winged Teal still on Gretchen, 18 Long-tailed Ducks, the flock of 47 Black-tailed Godwits again on Brides (last seen flying high south, out to sea), 22 Bar-tailed Godwits, 295 Purple Sandpipers and 228 Turnstone.

Stonechat

Raven

Bar-tailed Godwits

Seals

NORTH RONALDSAY - 22nd February

An overcast day with a brisk southerly wind; there were few new arrivals noted around the Obs and Brides as totals included 17 Red-throated Divers, 5 Great-northern Divers, 2 new Mute Swans at Brides, the 3 Pink-footed Geese, the drake Green-winged Teal still on Gretchen, 4 Pintail, 8 Shoveler, 12 Long-tailed Ducks, a Merlin, 56 Skylarks, 8 Rock Pipits, the 5 Chaffinches, 60 Twite, 3 Common Redpolls, 35 Snow Buntings and 6 Reed Buntings.

North Ronaldsay Sheep almost getting caught out by the incoming tide after foraging out on the rocks

Pintail

NORTH RONALDSAY - 21st February

A good birding day with light S / SE winds and overcast conditions; it was the first day of the year that there seemed to be some decent landbird migration over the island, highlights included the first Pied Wagtail of the year at the pier, the first 2 Linnets of the year in off the sea from the south, the first Sparrowhawk of the year at Holland, 2 Peregrines (2cy male and 2cy female) causing havoc amongst the waders and a good total of 173 Skylarks seemingly moving in all direction with c50 trickling south through the day, a flock of 38 which left to the north from the lighthouse and a big flock of 65 in East Loch Park.

                Other totals from some good coverage included 10 Red-throated Divers, the Eurasian White-fronted Goose still, a single Pink-footed Goose, 15 Gadwall (highest count of the year so far), the drake Green-winged Teal on Gretchen, 38 Tufted Ducks (highest count of the year so far), a Merlin, 84 Ringed Plover, 550+ Golden Plover, 80 Sanderling, 162 Snipe (highest count of the year so far), 90 Curlew, 124 Redshank, 20 Black-headed Gulls and 461 Common Gulls (both the highest counts of the year so far), the 5 Chaffinches, 40 Twite, the 3 Common Redpolls and 56+ Snow Buntings.

Fulmars

Peregrine

NORTH RONALDSAY - 20th February

A wet morning and a grey afternoon; the first Lesser Black-backed Gull of the year – an adult on Garso, was the only new bird seen during limited coverage through the day.   Other birds of note included 6 Red-throated Divers, a single Pink-footed Goose, 4 Shelduck, 5 Gadwall, 10Pintail, 10 Shoveler, 24 Tufted Duck, 6 Red-breasted Mergansers, a Merlin round the Obs, 40 Twite and 15 Snow Buntings.

Black Guillemot