NORTH RONALDSAY - 27th and 28th May

Now in the grip of some seriously cold NW winds, strong and cutting, bringing some short, sharp hail and rain showers, especially on the 28^th; there was, unsurprisingly very little in the way of landbird migration although waders were still obvious and looking spectacular in their breeding finery.   The highlight was a long-dead but none the less, still impressive Sperm Whale which washed up on the rocks near Westness on the 28^th, we all managed to twitch it in time just before the incoming tide was about to re-float it – wonder where it will be tomorrow, the last one left to the south and pitched up on Sanday but with these NW winds pushing it onshore, it’ll probably still be with us tomorrow, a mixed blessing!

                Bird highlights over the past two days included the Whooper Swan still, a Sparrowhawk, 3 Black-tailed Godwits amongst the passage waders, an impressive count of 79 active looking Sand Martin burrows in our relatively new colony on The Links (39 were counted last year), a Redwing, single Lesser Whitethroat, Garden Warbler, Blackcap and Chiffchaff, the 2 Tree Sparrows at the Obs still and a few Siskins coming through with one at Holland on the 27^th and four at the Obs on the 28^th.

Sperm Whale

Black-headed Gull

Swallow