NORTH RONALDSAY - 7th October

A very windy start giving way to an apocalyptic few hours, late morning when the wind picked up and brought heavy, driving rain confining everyone back in the Obs but it brightened up in the afternoon and the still very strong wind moved from the SE into the south.   Most of the day’s sightings came in the afternoon and included the Hornemann’s Arctic Redpoll again up by Nether Linney and the Great Grey Shrike sheltering in Holland.   The nice range of other birds comprised 6 Herons, 6 Jack Snipe, a Black-tailed Godwit, a Woodpigeon, 4 Short-eared Owls, 16 Rock Pipits, 5 Grey Wagtails, a Dunnock, 30 Robins, a Redstart, 3 Wheatears, 2 Ring Ouzels, 13 Fieldfare, 60 Song Thrush, 277 Redwing, a Lesser Whitethroat, a Blackcap, 4 Chiffchaffs, 15 Goldcrest, 2 Chaffinches, 4 Brambling, 2 Common Redpoll, 2 Lapland Buntings and 25 Snow Buntings.

Yellow-browed Warbler

Short-eared Owl

Song Thrush

Redwing

Siberian Lesser Whitethroat (probably)