NORTH RONALDSAY - 1st September

We pretty much wrote off the 31st with hard, driving rain pretty much throughout the day but the 1st was much nicer, consisting of light / moderate SW winds, a bit of sunshine becoming calmer by the evening.   A decent spread of migrants across the island included 4 Sooty and 1 Manx Shearwater off the Lighthouse, 8 Herons, 112 Teal, 7 Pintail, 10 Shoveler, single Hen Harrier and Peregrine, a Grey Plover, 78 Ringed Plover, 88 Knot, 4 Ruff, the Shorelark again on Torness, 22 Sand Martins, 285+ Meadow Pipits, a Whinchat, 202+ Wheatears, the Barred Warbler re-trapped in Holland (first caught on 25th August), 4 Willow Warblers and the first 2 Lapland Buntings of the autumn.

Had to look twice at this Wheatear to rule out Isabelline but rule it out we did!