NORTH RONALDSAY - 17th February

Largely overcast with a strong southerly wind throughout; with summer migrants amazingly turning up on Shetland today, there was a smidgeon of anticipation out in the field but there was little new to mention as totals from around the island consisted of long-staying or regularly commuting birds.   Numbers included 4 Herons, the 2 Whooper Swans which didn’t leave after all, the Eurasian White-fronted Goose still, 4 Shelduck, the drake Green-winged Teal still on Gretchen, 97 Mallard, 10 Pintail, 10 Shoveler, a further increase to 36 Tufted Duck, the drake Smew once again on Bewan (last seen here on the 5^th and present on North Loch, Sanday yesterday), 4 Red-breasted Mergansers, 47 Coot, 50 Black-tailed Godwits still on Brides, 12 Fieldfare, 5 Chaffinches and 15 Snow Buntings.

Wigeon