NORTH RONALDSAY - DNA results from 2019 (Part Two)

These are more interesting (if you like that sort of thing!).   It proved to be an unprecedented autumn for 'Eastern Lesser Whitethroats' with an estimated 17 individuals recorded between 23rd September and 18th October.   A total of eight birds were caught in this period, all of which were analysed, the results of which appear below;

NUMBER 1 - 25th September

This, confiding, dumpy looking bird was thought to be maybe not a Siberian Lesser Whitethroat (the commonest race of 'Eastern Lesser Whitethroat' but its shape was altered by it missing half its tail, with the crucial T5 missing, clouding in the field and hand ID.   It was confirmed by mtDNA as S. c. blythi or Siberian Lesser Whitethroat.

NUMBER 2 - 26th September

This bird was caught at dusk so the pictures were a bit ropey but it was confirmed as a S. c. blythi

NUMBER 3 - 28th September

Also confirmed as S. c. blythi

NUMBER 4 - 3rd October

Another fine S. c. blythi

NUMBER 5 - 4th October

Also a S. c. blythi but the only one with a big white wedge on T5 and very bright, white T6

NUMBER 6 - also 4th October

Another S. c. blythi

NUMBER 7 - 17th October

This one was a bit of a surprise, when caught I thought it was 'just' another S. c. blythi but photos do suggest a bluer head, slightly less browny back and longer winged (wing length was slightly longer than the other blythi trapped).   Photos though, can be misleading, often accentuating the dark mask and especially in strong light, changing the mantle tones so, despite my thoughts in the hand at the time, this bird came back as a late, nominate S. c. curruca.

NUMBER 8 - 18th October

Similar to the previous bird in that when I caught it I was leaning towards it being Eastern (I was perhaps swayed by the date) but in photos, with the blue head, grey/blue mantle it looks an obvious S. c. curruca which is exactly what it came back as - it wasn't that obvious in the hand with your naked eye though!

NORTH RONALDSAY - DNA results from 2019 (Part One)

In recent years the face of bird identification for many species / races has been helped and accentuated by mtDNA analysis of feathers / faecal samples obtained through various methods; this year on North Ronaldsay produced a whole cast of birds caught and ringed where feathers were sent off for kind analysis by Martin Collinson and Thom Shannon at the University of Aberdeen.   The majority of results are now in and although most of them confirmed what we thought in the field / hand at the time it was great to get confirmation with a couple of slightly unexpected results at the end.

SAVI'S WARBLER - 11th May 2019

This surprise, cracking first for Orkney was confirmed as Savi's (even though there wasn't really any need to!)

COLLARED FLYCATCHER - 12th May 2019

This female was confirmed as a Collared Flycatcher

EASTERN SUBALPINE WARBLER - 17th May 2019

This cracking male Eastern Subalpine Warbler was confirmed as Eastern after being caught in the bar having flown in through an open door!

WESTERN SUBALPINE WARBLER - 24th August 2019

This one we needed help with!   It was caught at Upper Linney in heavy wing and tail moult (presumably not freshly arrived) so the in hand / field ID features were not clear at all, although Western was our best guess!

10th November

After another night in Kirkwall we went down at dawn to a quarry on the south side of Lamb Holm, just south of Mainland for a Blue Rock Thrush that had been found on the 8th; there was no sign first thing and with the very cold easterly wind we headed off for breakfast after less than two hours.   We popped back down late morning for another look, it still hadn’t been seen by anyone standing around in the quarry so we went to try and find it and just as we went round the south facing shore next to the quarry we almost immediately flushed the lovely first-winter male BLUE ROCK THRUSH off the low cliffs from where it flew along the coast; it posed nicely on several spots before bombing back over into the quarry.   It reappeared after ten minutes or so it reappeared and showed brilliantly well feeding in the quarry, even calling loudly as it flitted about; two Merlins and several Snow Bunting flocks went over.   Got back to North Ronaldsay early afternoon where two Merlins caught a passerine over The Obs before I opened the nets at Holland and caught a huge (81mm wing), very white Common Redpoll which was very close to being an Arctic – it may have actually been one while a Long-eared Owl floated over the garden at dusk. 

Blue Rock Thrush

Redpoll sp.

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 - 3rd December

Dry with a brisk NW wind, I walked round the coast from the Obs to Brides with the highlight being a very distinctive big Gull which flew past me in Nouster which showed many characteristics of a second winter American Herring Gull (we’ll see what becomes of it anyway!).   Other birds included 14 Snow Buntings, 210+ Common Gulls feeding in the surf, 3 Pintail, 12 Shoveler, 15 Tufted Duck, 7 Gadwall, 5 Meadow Pipits, 2 Robins and 7 Redwings.

                A little walk round the coast by the Obs in the afternoon then produced 32 Snow Buntings, the one remaining Common Redpoll in the sheep pund still, 320+ Golden Plover, just one Great-northern Diver and the adult female Hen Harrier drifting across Loch Park.

Possible American Herring Gull

Common Redpoll

Pink-footed Goose

NORTH RONALDSAY - 25th November

Strong westerly winds again but it was OK I guess between the wintery showers, it was just that the showers came very frequently!   The highlight was re-finding the dark juvenile Kumlien’s Gull which showed better on the grass around the Lighthouse; other birds included a juvenile Iceland Gull which flew past Brides and a distinctive adult female Hen Harrier with a very hooded appearance also at Brides where there were also 4 Meadow Pipits, 6 Fieldfares, 16 Redwings, a Chaffinch and 2 Snow Buntings.

                Also of note was a Woodcock at Hooking and wildfowl totals of 525 Wigeon, 23 Gadwall, 23 Tufted Duck, 10 Long-tailed Ducks and 4 Goldeneye.

Kumlien's Gull

Hen Harrier