NORTH RONALDSAY - 21st - 23rd June

Mixed weather over these few days but some good extended spells of bright, warm sunshine allowed us to get out and about into some tern colonies to get some accurate counts of nests with massive variability in the success of different sites within the island.   The Gretchen and Sangar colonies seem to be spiralling into failure (the Sangar colony was the most successful last year) – a spell of bad weather hit right when they were hatching but the Foghorn, North Links and Gue Park colonies, perhaps slightly behind, are doing well and maybe attracting some second attempts, adding to the protection of the colony.   Migrants of note included a Great-northern Diver, a Heron, the Whooper Swan still, two new Barnacle Geese at the north end, c50 Knot still around Trolla / Bewan, up to 9 Black-tailed Godwits, 2 Whimbrel, non / post-breeding flocks of Arctic Terns and Kittiwakes starting to build-up on the rocks at Bewan which included an adult Common Tern on the 22nd – the first of the year, up to 3 Woodpigeons and 2 Collared Doves at Holland and a Common Redpoll at the Obs on the 23rd.

Hooded Crow seeing off a Bonxie

Ringed Plover nest

Arctic Tern chick