NORTH RONALDSAY - 25th September

Same again, with the strong and blustery ESE wind bringing spells of drizzle and low cloud across the island but today (compared to yesterday) was slightly clearer, slightly drier and slightly windier.   Most species experienced increases with today’s scarcities including 3 Red-breasted Flycatchers (the Holland bird, the Westness bird and a new bird at Doo Geo) and 5 Yellow-browed Warblers – mainly up the west coast.   The excellent spread of common migrants included 4 Herons, 75 Barnacle Geese, 2 Hen Harriers, 2 Sparrowhawks, 4 Kestrels, a Grey Plover, a Little Stint on Westbeach, the first Jack Snipe of the autumn, 115 Snipe, 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls (including a Baltic-looking juvenile), a late Swift over the Obs, 11 Swallows, 40 Skylarks, 190 Meadow Pipits, 3 Rock Pipits, 6 Robins, an excellent 21 Redstarts, 3 Whinchats, 40 Wheatears, 2 Fieldfares, 133 Song Thrushes, 47 Redwing, 3 Lesser Whitethroats (all probably eastern in origin), 2 Blackcap, 10 Chiffchaff, a Willow Warbler, 7 Goldcrest, a Chaffinch, 4 Lapland Buntings and a Snow Bunting.

Yellow-browed Warbler

Very slim, small, dark, pointed 1cy Lesser Black-backed Gull looking good for fuscus but....

Interesting Lesser Whitethroat, obviously an eastern bird but the tail pattern, dumpiness and very short P2 suggested something a bit better than blythi....we'll see when the DNA comes back

NORTH RONALDSAY - 1st June

A damp, overcast day with light easterly winds and the Hooking census route produced very little with much reduced wader numbers on The Links including a Bar-tailed Godwit and 60 Sanderling.   An early evening ringing session just produced a new Robin (with a brood patch) and a re-trap Garden Warbler before a very smart looking, small, dark backed Lesser Black-backed Gull was on the bare field south of Holland which showed many features of a near-adult Baltic Gull.

Probable Baltic Gull, although because of overlap with intermedius birds it can never be proved without a darvic ring from their breeding grounds!

Territorial Shelduck