NORTH RONALDSAY - 11th October

A lovely calm day, only marred by a few hefty showers scattered throughout, most species enjoyed notable increases due to a combination of new arrivals, birds coming out of hiding in the calm weather and a rise in observer’s enthusiasm as it felt very promising; the highlights though were the same again with the Hornemann’s Arctic Redpoll still showing well, the Grey-headed Wagtail popping up again and the mobile Great Grey Shrike still whizzing around.   Some good totals for the log included 18 Red-throated Divers, 5 Great-northern Divers, 9 Herons, 5 Pintail, 6 Long-tailed Ducks, 3 Goldeneye, 4 Red-breasted Mergansers, 3 Hen Harriers, a Sparrowhawk (a British control caught at Ancum), a Merlin, 2 Peregrines, 3 Grey Plover, a Ruff, 3 Jack Snipe, 226 Snipe, a Woodcock, the Black-tailed Godwit with 26 Bar-tailed Godwits, a Woodpigeon, a Swallow, 130 Meadow Pipits, 21 Rock Pipits, 2 Grey Wagtails, 2 Dunnocks, 51 Robins, a Black Redstart, a Redstart, a Stonechat, 9 Wheatears, 42 Fieldfare, 53 Song Thrush, 159 Redwing, the Eastern Lesser Whitethroat still, 3 Blackcap, 15 Chiffchaff, 16 Goldcrest, 7 Chaffinches, 9 Brambling, the first Goldfinch of the autumn, a Siskin, 2 Common Redpolls, a Lapland Bunting, a notable influx of 93+ Snow Buntings and 13 Reed Buntings.

Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll