NORTH RONALDSAY - 23rd July

Warm and sunny with light winds swinging round into the SE; waders were again prominent with some impressive numbers now building up, especially around Hooking and in the recently cut fields in the centre of the island as counts comprised 350 Oystercatchers, 521 Golden Plover, 420 Lapwings, 13 Knot, 65 Sanderling, 64 Dunlin, a male Ruff at Hooking, 2 Black-tailed Godwits, 271 Redshank and a Green Sandpiper on Cauldhame flash.   Other birds included 23 Shoveler, 370 Common Gulls, a Woodpigeon, the Shorelark relocated to Westness and 2 Common Crossbills.   Also of note was an Oblique Carpet caught overnight in the moth trap – the first record for the island.

Crossbill

Oblique Carpet

NORTH RONALDSAY - 22nd July

A dry start but light rain moved in, lasting a few hours through the morning leaving an overcast but calm afternoon with a further band of drizzly rain coming in from the south by early evening; new birds through the day with some decent coverage mainly comprised the now regular turnover of waders; birds of note comprised a Heron, an influx of 17 Shoveler, 14 Knot, 90 Sanderling, 75 Purple Sandpipers, 3 Black-tailed Godwits, 2 Whimbrel, a Common Sandpiper, a Collared Dove, the Shorelark still, the Grey-headed Wagtail still, a Sedge Warbler at the Obs (the first dispersing adult away from the breeding areas) and 2 Common Crossbills.

Arctic Tern

Returning colour-ringed Sanderling

NORTH RONALDSAY - 20th July

Rain first thing eased off by mid-morning but was then replaced almost immediately by thick fog which more or less lingered through the rest of the day although the north end of the island completely cleared for a while the south end remained shrouded; the birds were made up of more quality than quantity with the Shorelark again by Bewan and a smart male Grey-headed Wagtail along the track to Sangar the highlights along with a Heron, 320 Golden Plover, 29 Purple Sandpipers, a Whimbrel and a male Crossbill in Ancum Willows.

Shorelark

Grey-headed Wagtail

Crossbill

NORTH RONALDSAY - 19th July

Another lovely, fine day with light winds swinging round into the east through the day; more Tystie chicks were ringed through the day – we’ve already beaten last year’s total!   The main feature of the day’s birding was a further influx of returning waders as totals included 486 Golden Plover, 3 Knot, 59 Sanderling, 30 Purple Sandpipers, 163 Dunlin (including the first juvenile of the autumn), 17 Bar-tailed Godwit, a Whimbrel, 91 Curlew and 166 Turnstone while other birds of note comprised a Little Tern, 1,460+ Arctic Terns, a Swift, 2 Chiffchaffs and 3 Common Crossbills including a juvenile trapped at the Obs.

Crossbill

NORTH RONALDSAY - 18th July

A fine day, light southerly winds and plenty of sunshine; most of our time was spent ringing Swallow chicks and scrabbling around under rocks looking for Black Guillemot chicks but birds seen did include presumably the same female Two-barred Crossbill which I finally caught up with back briefly at Ancum Willows, a flock of 6 Common Crossbills south down the west coast, a Heron, 26 Purple Sandpipers, 70+ Dunlin, a Whimbrel, a Sandwich Tern and a Collared Dove.

Arctic Terns

Fledgling Linnet

NORTH RONALDSAY - 16th and 17th July

Light south-easterlies dominated proceedings and while always appreciated, it meant that the fog drifted in and out over these couple of days – although it was more in than out!   It was quiet for migrants although a clear start to the 16th allowed the Hobby seen on the 15th to head south out to sea off The Lurn followed by a cloud of screaming Terns while a handful of waders including a Whimbrel and 3 Collared Doves also left to the south; not much else to mention really although the very unseasonal Shorelark reappeared at the Lighthouse (first seen on the 12th) and the two ringed Common Crossbills.

Shorelark

Black Guillemots

Fulmar family

NORTH RONALDSAY - 14th and 15th July

An OK day on the 14th,  overcast with a moderate NW wind; quiet on the bird front but the Black Tern reappeared at Bewan and the first returning Common Sandpiper was at Nouster Pier.   A calmer day on the 15th with a decreasing NW wind which swung round into the N and varying cloud cover; it was a good birding day as the highlights included a Hobby which came in off the sea at Nouster and continued north up the island and an almost certain Little Bunting seen briefly near Holland with the observer only hesitating due to the time of year!   The other main feature was increasing numbers of waders and gulls which appear instantly and as if by magic when the silage fields start to get cut as counts included 435 Oystercatchers, 280 Golden Plover, 400 Lapwings, 174 Redshank, 260 Common Gulls and 9 Lesser Black-backed Gulls in amongst which were 3 Bar-tailed Godwits, a Whimbrel and the first returning Ruff of the autumn – a nice male.   Also of note were 2 Woodpigeons, 2 Swifts, a Lesser Redpoll and a Common Crossbill.

Swallow fledglings

Hooded Crow

Arctic Skua

Purple Bar

Magpie Moth

NORTH RONALDSAY - 12th and 13th July

A decent day on the 12th with light westerly winds and plenty of cloud cover but thick fog covered the island on the 13th – slightly unusual on a westerly!   Birds included a Great-northern Diver, singing Quail and Corncrake still, a steady increase to 420 Golden Plover, 17 Sanderling, 2 Black-tailed Godwits, 2 Little Terns still and the 2 ringed Common Crossbills still while 5 Risso’s Dolphins were off the Lighthouse on the 12th.

Snipe

Tysties

Big and small Tystie chicks