NORTH RONALDSAY - 23rd January

A fine day with plenty of sunshine albeit pretty chilly with a frost, some light icing and a couple of wintery showers in the afternoon; a walk round the coast from the Obs to The Links over high tide was very pleasant with some big flocks of birds in the surf and on the beaches including 205 Wigeon, 136 Teal, 184 Eider, 19 Long-tailed Ducks, 3 Goldeneye, 230 Lapwing, 425 Sanderling, 145 Purple Sandpipers, 50 Snipe, 103 Redshank, 134 Turnstone, 296 Common Gulls and 127 Herring Gulls.

                Other bits and pieces included a 3cy Iceland Gull at Stromness Point, the over-wintering group of 5 Ruff hiding with the Lapwings at Hooking, 2 Pink-footed Geese, 4 Herons, a Hen Harrier, a Water Rail, a good total of 31 Skylarks, 29 Rock Pipits, 2 Fieldfares, 16 Redwing, a Chaffinch, 81+ Twite, 63 Snow Buntings and 7 Reed Buntings.

Iceland Gull (although some people think this is a Glaucous Gull)

Purple Sandpipers

Eiders

The Sanderling flocks had a few colour ringed birds in amongst them

20th January

Drove up from the Highlands to Orkney with a few stops on the way; highlights included the long-staying drake American Wigeon at Tain where there was also a drake Green-winged Teal and a few small flocks of Crossbills which flew north up the coast and a 2cy Iceland Gull on the river in Wick with other Gulls.

American Wigeon

Green-winged Teal

Iceland Gull

NORTH RONALDSAY - 19th April

A moderate southerly wind first thing quickly dropped off to virtually still by lunchtime; birds in the Obs census area included a Ring Ouzel, a Woodcock, 6 Dunnocks, a Collared Dove, one of the Tree Pipits still, 60 Meadow Pipits, 6 Wheatears, 5 Chiffchaffs, a Goldcrest, a Chaffinch, 5 Bramblings, a flyover Lapland Bunting and a lingering Snow Bunting.   The flat calm seas produced a Black-throated Diver in Nouster with 5 Great-northern Divers, 3 Red-breasted Mergansers and 4 Long-tailed Ducks while a 3cy Iceland Gull was lingering off The Lurn and 12 Black-tailed Godwits were on Gretchen.

                Three Swallows were lingering around the Obs in the afternoon.

Iceland Gull

Swallow

NORTH RONALDSAY - 23rd February

A very similar day as it was still dry and bright with a strong, cold southerly wind; had a look round the north end where there was a 2^nd winter Glaucous Gull out on Seal Skerry and an adult Iceland Gull which, unfortunately was freshly dead near the seawatch hide.   There was little else up there although a flock of 7 Skylarks came in low across the sea, 5 Great-northern Divers and 3 Red-throated Divers offshore and the single Whooper Swan on Ancum.

                A little look at Brides produced the usual ducks and the Kumlien’s Gull again, this time roosting on the loch.

Iceland Gull

7th - 8th February

One the way back up to North Ronaldsay; had a couple of days birding in Caithness, mainly in the Thurso / Scrabster area, it was pretty decent weather with the highlight being at least 5 Iceland Gulls scattered between the rocks beneath Thurso and Scrabster Harbour (including four together in the harbour on the 7^th).   Other birds included adult male Hen Harrier and adult male Peregrine up on Holborn Head along with a flyover Snow Bunting and 30+ Twite while on the sea were at least 3 Great-northern Divers and a few Long-tailed Ducks, Tysties, Guillemots and Razorbills.

Iceland Gulls

Hooded Crows dropping shellfish onto a shingle beach

Cormorant and Shag comparisons

NORTH RONALDSAY - 9th December

Still very windy with huge waves and long, heavy snow and hail showers; spent a few hours at the top end where the highlights were 3 Glaucous Gulls (two juveniles and a different adult) and a juvenile Iceland Gull (which may have had some kumlieni in there somewhere).   Other birds included 32 Snow Buntings, an increased 7 Goldeneye, 10 Pintail, 22 Bar-tailed Godwits and 21 Curlew.

Juvenile Glaucous Gull

Adult Glaucous Gull

Great Black-backed Gull in the waves

Iceland Gull