NORTH RONALDSAY - 24th - 26th June

Again, mixed weather but the general airflow was a chilly NW with the odd shower but also a few sunny spells allowing us to get out and do some breeding bird monitoring; it was predictably quiet for migrants although more and more returning waders are starting to appear now and included an influx of 77 Golden Plover along with increased totals of 105 Lapwing and 60 Redshank in their traditional late-summer fields around Hooking.   Other birds included a Red-throated Diver, 2 Great-northern Divers, the two Barnacle Geese still, the first flock of returning Wigeon with seven drakes at Hooking on the 26th, 5 Black-tailed Godwits, two Red-necked Phalaropes which appeared on Gretchen on the 26th, further increases in non-breeding Arctic Terns with 175 1st summer birds counted on the 26th and 2 Chiffchaffs, a Robin and a Blackcap in Holland also on the 26th.

Red-necked Phalaropes

Arctic Terns seeing off a Great Black-back

1st summer Arctic Tern