NORTH RONALDSAY - 6th October

Tough birding conditions unless you stuck to the sheltered west side with the very strong easterly wind pushing birds and birders onto the coast, there were a few showers overnight and a sharp one just at dawn but the day remained dry and bright – just what we wanted.   While there wasn’t a huge arrival of birds, along the west coast it was great birding with migrants all the way up; scarcities included a Great Grey Shrike on Torness and later down at the airstrip, the Shorelark again in Kirbest, the Grey-headed Wagtail at Neven, one of the Red-backed Shrikes still at Hooking and the Hornemann’s Arctic Redpoll again at Nether Linney.   Good totals through the day comprised 8 Herons, 2 Hen Harriers, a Grey Plover, 5 Jack Snipe, 3 Woodcock, 3 Woodpigeons, 2 Short-eared Owls, 22 Rock Pipits, 3 Grey Wagtails (the first of the autumn), a Dunnock, 30 Robins, a Black Redstart (first since July), 2 Redstarts, 2 Whinchats, a Stonechat, 9 Wheatears, the first 3 Ring Ouzels of the autumn, 12 Fieldfare, 70 Song Thrush, 317 Redwing, a Reed Warbler, 3 Lesser Whitethroats, a Whitethroat, 7 Chiffchaff, 45 Goldcrest, 4 Chaffinches, 6 Brambling, 2 Common Redpoll, 2 Lapland Buntings, 20 Snow Bunting and 3 Reed Bunting.

Too many pictures of the Great Grey Shrike