NORTH RONALDSAY - 16th October

A fantastic day with birds everywhere, massive flocks of Thrushes moving across the island throughout the day; the huge rolling flocks of Redwings filling every field, coming in off the sea and dropping vertically out of the sky was something else!   No real rarities were unearthed but it didn’t matter one jot with everyone just revelling in the spectacle unfolding in front of them; totals (largely underestimates) comprised 11 Herons, 3 Hen Harriers, 2 Merlin, 3 Jack Snipe, 283 Snipe, 13 Woodcock, 5 Short-eared Owls, 320 Robins, 2 Black Redstarts, 3 Redstarts, a Wheatear, 11 Ring Ouzels, 315 Blackbirds, 257 Fieldfare, 1,197 Song Thrush, 10,977 Redwing, 2 Mistle Thrushes, single late Reed Warbler, Whitethroat and Willow Warbler, 43 Blackcap, 38 Chiffchaff, 39 Goldcrest, 133 Brambling, 17 Siskin, 7 Common Redpoll, the Hornemann’s Arctic Redpoll popping back up at Nether Linney, a Hawfinch flying around and eventually caught in Holland, 14 Snow Buntings and 8 Reed Buntings.    It was a brilliant day for the ringers as a total of 381 birds were processed through the day – an excellent total for the island.

Hawfinch

Ring Ouzel

Common Redpoll