NORTH RONALDSAY - 23rd September

Slightly clearer than yesterday first thing, almost becoming clear by late morning (still no planes though!) before the fog came back with a vengeance early afternoon all driven in by the consistently brisk force 6-7 south-easterly wind – it felt good!   There were plenty of new birds to find with the scarcities comprising 2 Red-breasted Flycatchers – yesterday’s Holland bird and a new one at Lurand, 5 Yellow-browed Warblers (three at the north end, one at the School and one at Peckhole) and the Barred Warbler still.   A good range of migrants also made their autumnal debut including 253+ Barnacle Geese, a Long-eared Owl in off the sea at Trinley, 4 Robins, 31 Song Thrush and 12 Redwing while other birds of note consisted of 4 Herons, 30 Pink-footed Geese, 2 Hen Harriers, a Sparrowhawk, 3 Kestrels, 150+ Snipe, 8 Lesser Black-backed Gulls (all adults and all dark intermedius-types, unusual at this time of year), a Short-eared Owl, 260 Meadow Pipits, a Whinchat, 42 Wheatears, a Fieldfare, a Reed Warbler, a Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Blackcaps, 3 Willow Warblers, 3 Goldcrest and a Pied Flycatcher.

Short-eared Owl

Redstart

Chiffchaff