NORTH RONALDSAY - 26th April

Back to our default settings of late with a brisk SE wind and plenty of bright sunshine; there were generally fewer birds around than yesterday although coverage was down.   There were still migrants around though as totals from the south of the island and up the west coast included 2 Kestrels, a Merlin, a Grey Plover, 3 Woodpigeons, a Dunnock, 20 Robins, 50 Wheatears, 3 Ring Ouzels, 8 Song Thrush, a Redwing, 3 Lesser Whitethroats, 2 Blackcaps, 15 Chiffchaffs, 11 Willow Warblers, the unseasonal Yellow-browed Warbler that was found yesterday still at Upper Linney (the first spring record for the island), a Rook and 17 Bramblings.

Lesser Whitethroat

Ring Ouzel

Kestrel

Brambling

Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs

Blackcap

Yellow-browed Warbler record shot

Merlin

NORTH RONALDSAY - 25th April

The ESE winds continued but slightly lighter than yesterday, it was a very different morning with low cloud, mist and murk, degenerating into a spell of rain mid-morning, it then brightened up to become a bright, sunny afternoon; year-ticks kept coming as befits the time of year and conditions with a Pied Flycatcher at The Lurn and 2 Grasshopper Warblers at the north end – Lighthouse Punds and Vincoin.

                Other totals across the island included a Hen Harrier, 3 Sparrowhawks, up to 5 Kestrels, 4 Woodpigeons, 22 Swallows, 3 Dunnocks, 26 Robins, 60 Wheatears, a Ring Ouzel (my first of the year) at Holland, 2 Fieldfare, 9 Song Thrush, 4 Redwing, 8 Lesser Whitethroats, 6 Blackcaps, 46 Chiffchaff, 15 Willow Warblers, a Goldcrest, a Carrion Crow, a Chaffinch, 11 Brambling and another increase to 320+ Linnets roosting at Holland in the evening.  

Grasshopper Warbler

Ringed Plover distraction display

Bathing Purple Sandpiper

Brambling

NORTH RONALDSAY - 24th April

Another similar day with hazy sunshine, although it clouded over during the afternoon with the blasting SE or ESE wind making it a battle out in the field; there was a good spread of new arrivals though to make the battle worthwhile, especially on the sheltered west coast, new for the year was a male Whinchat at Lenswick and a Lesser Whitethroat by the Obs.

                Other totals comprised 2 Sparrowhawks, 2 Kestrels, a Merlin, 3 Black-tailed Godwits, a Collared Dove, a Long-eared Owl on the coast by the airstrip, 57 Sand Martins, 11 Swallows, a White Wagtail, 2 Dunnocks, 24 Robins, 69 Wheatears, a little influx of Thrushes with 5 Fieldfares, 12 Song Thrush and a Redwing, 26 Chiffchaff, 7 Willow Warblers, 2 Blackcap, a Goldcrest, a Chaffinch, 7 Brambling and a Snow Bunting. 

Whinchat

Merlin

Brambling

Lesser Whitethroat

NORTH RONALDSAY - 23rd April

Hazy sunshine throughout but the blazing strong SE wind blasting across the island made things difficult in the field; so far we’re not up there with our near-neighbours to the north but we battled away in the wind to produce 2 Sparrowhawks, single Woodpigeon and Collared Dove, a Short-eared Owl, 38+ Sand Martins, 6 Swallows, 2 Dunnocks, 8 Robins, 37 Wheatears, single Song Thrush and Redwing, 2 Blackcaps, 13 Chiffchaff, a Willow Warbler and a Brambling.   Also lingering were the drake Goldeneye on Brides and a Snow Bunting at the pier.

Drake Shovelers harassing a female

Willow Warbler

Blackbird struggling to see where she's going with so much nesting material

Another colour ringed Shag

NORTH RONALDSAY - 22nd April

Wall to wall sunshine and a brisk SE wind; there wasn’t too much around but there were a few year ticks with a Tree Pipit behind T4, an Arctic Skua back on Torness (a pale phase bird, possibly one of the breeding birds), a Short-eared Owl at Nether Linney – long overdue and three Common Scoters past the Lighthouse in the afternoon.   Migrant totals from the Obs and up the west coast included a Sparrowhawk, 6 Sandwich Terns, 3 Woodpigeons, 12+ Swallows, 21 Robins, the female Stonechat still at Trebb, an increased 80+ Wheatears, a Fieldfare, a Song Thrush, 2 Redwing, a Blackcap, 7 Chiffchaff, 3 Willow Warblers, a Rook, 5 Carrion Crows, a Chaffinch, 3 Brambling and a Goldfinch.

                A little drive round in the afternoon produced a brilliant total of 65 Sand Martins (40 on Brides and 25 on Hooking) – only just short of the island record count, a Whimbrel by the Lighthouse and an increased 450+ Black-headed Gulls back on Hooking.

Short-eared Owl

Woodpigeon in off

Arctic Skua

Wheatear

Fulmars

Shags

NORTH RONALDSAY - 21st April

Amazingly flat calm first thing with the overnight light rain slowly petering out by mid-morning leaving some misty, murky, low cloud lingering until lunchtime when the wind, now back in the SE picked up to around force 3-4 by the evening.   There were a few new arrivals across the island, no new species but most things increased in numbers as totals included 2 Sparrowhawks, a Merlin, 6 Sandwich Terns, 2 Woodpigeons, a Collared Dove, 20 Sand Martins, 10 Swallows, a White Wagtail, 24 Robins, a Stonechat, 75 Wheatears, 2 Song Thrush, 2 Redwing, 2 Blackcap, 15 Chiffchaffs, 6 Willow Warblers, 3 Rooks, 2 Chaffinches, a good flock of 26 Bramblings at Holland, 2 Goldfinches and 2 Common Redpolls.

                Lingering birds included 2 Pintail, a single Long-tailed Duck, 14 Red-breasted Mergansers and 2 Snow Buntings still by the pier.

Brambling

Goldfinch

Rook