NORTH RONALDSAY - 26th September

Most of the day was horrible!   Driving rain and a blazing strong ESE wind but around 4pm it almost miraculously brightened up with the wind dropping off dramatically, even allowing some nets to be opened at Holland in the evening; a couple of brave souls were out most of the day though, naturally concentrating on the sheltered west coast, racking up some good totals with plenty of new birds unearthed.   Scarcities today comprised a Red-backed Shrike at Doo Geo, 4 Yellow-browed Warblers (three up the west coast and one caught in Holland in the evening) and the Holland Red-breasted Flycatcher finally getting its ring.   The rest of the totals included 7 Herons, 9 Barnacle Geese, 2 Hen Harriers, 2 Sparrowhawks, 2 Kestrels, a Merlin, a Jack Snipe, 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, a Woodpigeon, a Short-eared Owl, 12 Swallows, 2 Tree Pipits, 8 Rock Pipits, 28 Robins, 14 Redstarts, a Whinchat, 53 Wheatears, a Fieldfare, 76 Song Thrush, 35 Redwing, 3 Lesser Whitethroats (including another, very different eastern-type caught in Holland), a Garden Warbler, 14 Chiffchaffs, 4 Willow Warblers, 5 Goldcrest, 2 Spotted Flycatchers (the long overdue first for the autumn!), a Pied Flycatcher, 12 Chaffinches, the first Brambling of the autumn and 8 Lapland Buntings.

Red-breasted Flycatcher

Yellow-browed Warbler

Redstart