NORTH RONALDSAY - 24th May

Persistent rain lingered from overnight through until mid-morning but it brightened up significantly in the afternoon with sunny spells and a light westerly breeze; the obvious highlight was a lovely female RED-FLANKED BLUETAIL found in the afternoon at Holland House, it showed brilliantly well to all before helpfully finding its way into a mist net.

                There were a few more migrants around than the past couple of days but that might just have been a factor of the improving weather with birds emerging into the open; totals included 2 Manx Shearwaters and a Blue Fulmar off the north end, the Whooper Swan again, 4 Garganey, a Golden Plover, 4 Whimbrel, 11 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, a Collared Dove, a House Martin, a Rock Pipit, 7 Lesser Whitethroat, 4 Blackcap, 3 Chiffchaffs, 3 Willow Warblers, a Pied Flycatcher, 2 Carrion Crows, 2 Tree Sparrows and an influx of a few hundred Diamond Back Moths.

Red-flanked Bluetail

Lesser Whitethroat