NORTH RONALDSAY - 27th and 28th June

A quiet few days with again a complete mix of weathers, especially on the 28^th with a nice, calm, sunny start reverting into a chilly, foggy, damp middle of the day before going back to a lovely, sunny evening.   Birds of note included a Great-northern Diver, 2 Herons, the Whooper Swan and 2 Barnacle Geese, a fresh, flying juvenile Garganey on Hooking – for the second year in a row, confirming successful breeding, up to 38 Golden Plover and 5 Black-tailed Godwits, the 2 Little Terns still, 2 over-summering Chiffchaffs, a new Willow Warbler at the Obs and a Lesser Redpoll (with a brood patch) trapped at Ancum Willows – only the second of the year.   Also to mention was the island’s first Poplar Hawkmoth trapped overnight on the 28th – its been a resident on the Mainland and southern isles for several years now but this is the first record for the outer isles.

Poplar Hawkmoth

Lesser Redpoll