NORTH RONALDSAY - 7th March

Once the rain had moved through, it was generally a bright and sunny day but the blazing force 7-8 northerly wind made conditions tricky in the field; a couple of new bits included 2 Stonechats along the road at Claypows and a Ruff near Hooking – presumably one of the wintering birds popping back up but they were last seen on 10th February.   Other totals included the Eurasian White-fronted Goose still, 15 Shoveler, 11 Red-breasted Mergansers, a Hen Harrier and increased numbers of Gulls feeding in the surf at high tide with 41 Black-headed Gulls, 415 Common Gulls, 65 Herring Gulls and 128 Great Black-backed Gulls.

Stonechats

Black-headed and Common Gulls