NORTH RONALDSAY - 21st May

Super calm through the day again but the merest hint of a breeze now came from the NW which should have meant the fog disappeared but it was so light that it was still lingering nearby, sometimes encroaching on the island; there were limited new birds through the day with the highlights all being long-staying birds including the Eastern Subalpine Warbler still at the Obs and yesterday’s bright red, male Common Rosefinch trapped at Holland in the evening.

                Other totals included 20 Great-northern Divers, a drake Garganey, a Sparrowhawk, further increases in wader numbers, most notably 172 Oystercatchers, 323 Ringed Plovers, 88 Knot, 271 Sanderling, 89 Dunlin and 501 Turnstone, 8 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, a Woodpigeon, 2 Collared Doves, a Robin, a Redstart, 4 Whinchat, 16 Sedge Warblers, 5 Lesser Whitethroats, 2 Garden Warblers, 6 Blackcap, 4 Chiffchaff, 2 Willow Warblers, 4 Spotted Flycatchers, a Pied Flycatcher, 2 Tree Sparrows and a Common Redpoll.

Common Rosefinch

NORTH RONALDSAY - 20th May

Another nice, calm day with a light easterly breeze but the low cloud and fog was always lingering, occasionally drifting in and out; a few scarcities were unearthed through the day with an Icterine Warbler trapped at the Obs first thing and a Wood Warbler in Ancum Willows while the Eastern Subalpine Warbler was still around the Obs – when it was re-trapped it had put on 1.3g from when it was originally in the bar, not bad for a bird that only weighs 10g to start with!

                Other totals included a Heron, a Whimbrel, a Collared Dove, a Short-eared Owl, 3 House Martins, 2 Robins, 5 Redstarts, a Whinchat, 7 Sedge Warblers, 8 Lesser Whitethroats, a Whitethroat, 4 Garden Warblers, 4 Chiffchaffs, 3 Willow Warblers, 2 Spotted Flycatchers, 2 Tree Sparrows and single Chaffinch and Brambling.

Icterine Warbler

Whitethroat

Kittiwake

NORTH RONALDSAY - 19th May

Wet, low cloud and drizzle welcomed the new day , it brightened up into the afternoon but the fog was always lingering there or thereabouts, drifting in and out through the day; we kept most of yesterday’s birds with a nice arrival of common migrants thrown in to the mix, the highlights comprised the Eastern Subalpine Warbler still around the Obs, the 5 Dotterel still at Burray, a new Bluethroats trapped at the Obs in the evening and an adult summer White-billed Diver which flew close inshore past The Lurn.

                Other totals of note consisted of a pair of Garganey, a Sparrowhawk, a Whimbrel, a Common Sandpiper, a Collared Dove, a House Martin, a Tree Pipit, 4 Robins, 10 Redstarts, 6 Whinchat, 31 Wheatears, 10 Sedge Warblers, 10 Lesser Whitethroats, a Whitethroat, 5 Garden Warbler, 2 Blackcaps, 6 Chiffchaffs, 7 Willow Warblers, 2 Spotted Flycatchers, 4 Pied Flycatchers, a Tree Sparrow and a Brambling still.

Bluethroat

NORTH RONALDSAY - 18th May

Calm and overcast first thing with light rain moving in at lunchtime which persisted through until late afternoon; it felt really promising, that you could bump into anything out in the field, the pick of the new birds were (in keeping with the rest of east coast today), a male Bluethroat near Rue while the Eastern Subalpine Warbler was still around the Obs and the 5 Dotterel were still at Burray.

                Other migrant totals included a Sparrowhawk, 4 Golden Plover, 5 Whimbrel, a Rock Pipit, 3 Robins, 6 Sedge Warblers, 3 Lesser Whitethroats, 4 Garden Warblers, 3 Blackcaps, 4 Chiffchaff, 5 Willow Warblers, 2 Spotted Flycatchers, a Pied Flycatcher, the 3 Tree Sparrows still, 2 Bramblings including a pristine, full black-headed male and a Common Redpoll.

Bluethroat

Lesser Whitethroat

NORTH RONALDSAY - 17th May

Yet another gorgeous day, very calm with just a hint of an easterly breeze and wall to wall sunshine; the random, unexpected highlight of the day came at dinner time, when a cracking male EASTERN SUBALPINE WARBLER flew into the bar through an open door and was easily caught against the window!   There were plenty of other good birds around as well to create an excellent day in the field with an Osprey which circled the Obs before heading south and a great trip of 5 Dotterel in fields behind Burray.

                Other migrant totals included a drake Pintail on Gretchen (the first one for two weeks), 2 Garganey, single Sparrowhawk and Kestrel, 2 Golden Plover, 2 Black-tailed Godwits, 3 Whimbrel, a Greenshank, a Collared Dove, a Tree Pipit, a Rock Pipit (the first one since 25^th April), a Whinchat, 10 Sedge Warblers (including seven singing males), 3 Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Whitethroats, 3 Chiffchaff, 4 Willow Warblers and the three Tree Sparrows still at the Obs.

Eastern Subalpine Warbler

Osprey

Bar-tailed Godwits

Black-tailed Godwit

NORTH RONALDSAY - 16th May

Hazy sunshine throughout with the occasional cloud coming and going on the brisk and chilly SE wind; a fine adult, full-spooned Pomarine Skua which cruised past the Beacon late afternoon was the day’s highlight along with 2 Dotterel at Sangar (different individuals to yesterday’s Lighthouse birds) and the first Garden Warbler of the year in Ancum Willows.

                Other totals across the island included an increase to 290+ Ringed Plover, single Grey Plover, Greenshank and Whimbrel, 2 Common Sandpipers, 67 Knot, 3 Black-tailed Godwits, big numbers of Arctic Terns feeding offshore with 945+ estimated, a Whinchat at the Obs, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, a Whitethroat and the 3 Tree Sparrows still at the Obs.

Ravens

NORTH RONALDSAY - 15th May

Nice again, bright and sunny but with a bit of a chilly SE breeze; 2 Dotterel at The Lighthouse including a lovely looking, bright female were the highlight of the day.   Other birds included 3 Garganey, single Sparrowhawk and Kestrel, Greenshank and Wood Sandpiper together on Ancum, 2 House Martins, a Tree Pipit, a Robin, a male Whinchat at The Mill (the second of the spring), 8 Sedge Warblers, a Whitethroat, 3 Chiffchaff, 2 Willow Warblers, a Jackdaw, 3 Carrion Crows, 10 Hooded Crows, 3 Tree Sparrows at the Obs (also the second record of the spring), a Goldfinch at Holland and a very bright male Common Redpoll at the Obs.

Dotterel

NORTH RONALDSAY - 14th May

An outrageous day, flat calm, wall to wall sunshine and very warm – more akin to July / August than mid-May!   The day’s highlight was a female Marsh Harrier which flew north over Ancum in the morning and was intriguingly joined by a second, similar sized raptor in the distance by the Lighthouse but it couldn’t be pinned down.

                The spread of notable birds across the island today included a drake Garganey, a Sparrowhawk, a Black-tailed Godwit, 70 Bar-tailed Godwits, the Wood Sandpiper still on Ancum, 4 Woodpigeons, a Tree Pipit at Ancum, single Whitethroat, Blackcap, Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff, 3 Carrion Crows, a Brambling still and one each of Goldfinch and Common Redpoll.

Sedge Warbler

Curlew nest

NORTH RONALDSAY - 13th May

Nice and calm again with a light SSW breeze but a touch of cloud first thing and again at the end of the day; a couple of new additions to the year list comprised a nice synchronous arrival of at least 5 Sedge Warblers including birds back singing on territory at Brides, Claypows and Ancum and a Wood Sandpiper on Ancum in the afternoon.

                Today’s scattering of migrants included a summer plumaged Black-throated Diver in Nouster, 3 Sparrowhawks, 211 Ringed Plover, 37 Knot, 269 Sanderling, 70 Purple Sandpipers, 73 Dunlin, 3 Black-tailed Godwits, 675 Turnstone, 4 Woodpigeon, a Collared Dove, 55 Swallows, a House Martin, 2 White Wagtails, 2 Robins, 49 Wheatears, a Song Thrush, 2 Blackcap, a Chiffchaff, 5 Carrion Crow and single Chaffinch, Brambling and Greenfinch in Holland.

Knot

Turnstone

NORTH RONALDSAY - 12th May

Lovely, calm and sunny again first thing with a little westerly breeze springing up mid-morning which eventually swung round into the south and died away again by the afternoon; another cracking bird made up the day’s highlight with a blurry image of a female Pied Flycatcher-type on the back of a guests camera sending me scrambling to re-find it and luckily catching it almost immediately in a Heligoland trap from where it became a young female COLLARED FLYCATCHER – the third island record but we still await our first male.

                Given the fine conditions there was just a light scattering of other migrants apart from wader numbers which continue to rise toward their usual mid-May peak; birds included 3 Garganey in the Hooking area, a male Peregrine south down the west coast (the first one since mid-April), 10 Golden Plover, 17 Knot, 2 Black-tailed Godwits, 72 Bar-tailed Godwits, 468 Turnstone, a Common Sandpiper, a 3cy Glaucous Gull at The Lurn, a good influx of 900+ Arctic Terns, 2 Woodpigeons, yesterday’s Long-eared Owl caught in Holland, a Short-eared Owl leaving high to the north off the top end, a House Martin, 3 Robins, 50 Wheatears, a Lesser Whitethroat, a Whitethroat, a Blackcap, a Chiffchaff, 3 Willow Warblers, a Carrion Crow, a Chaffinch, 2 Brambling and 2 Common Redpolls.

Collared Flycatcher

as it tried to get into the trap

Glaucous Gull

Peregrine

NORTH RONALDSAY - 11th May

Super calm and wall to wall sunshine again although a couple of short, sharp showers overnight and in the morning probably helped drop a few migrants into the island; the obvious stand-out highlight was a brilliant SAVI’S WARBLER plucked out of a mist-net at Holland House in the morning – a first island and Orkney record!

                Other birds across the island included a drake Garganey, 5 Black-tailed Godwits, single Whimbrel and Common Sandpiper, a Long-eared Owl in Holland, 3 Robins, a Lesser Whitethroat, a Whitethroat, 2 Blackcap, 3 Chiffchaff, 2 Willow Warblers, 3 Carrion Crows, a Brambling, 8 Common Redpolls and a Lesser Redpoll (the first of the year).

Savi's Warbler

Long-eared Owl

Common Redpoll sunbathing

Common Sandpiper