NORTH RONALDSAY - 7th September

A decent morning with a light southerly breeze and birds around the middle census route included a/the Marsh Harrier quartering Ancum, 2 Whinchats, a Willow Warbler, 9 Herons, 62 Teal, 3 Gadwall, 21 Wigeon and 4 Black-tailed Godwits.   Rain moved in by lunchtime and lingered on and off for the rest of the afternoon which brought the day’s highlight as a cracking ARCTIC WARBLER was trapped in T1 early evening – an awesome ringing tick!

Arctic Warbler

and to compare, the Greenish Warbler from last month

NORTH RONALDSAY - 6th September

A miserable morning with the moderate S wind bringing wave after wave of drizzly rain but it brightened up by lunchtime to leave a nice, sunny afternoon; birds up the west coast included a juvenile Curlew Sandpiper on Westbeach, at least 3 Lapland Buntings around the Nether Linney stubble field and c400 Golden Plover on Torness with 5 Knot, 20 Dunlin and 55 Turnstone.   A look on The Links in the afternoon produced another 2 Lapland Buntings, 17 Bar-tailed Godwits and 120 Sanderling.

Curlew Sandpiper

Lapland Bunting

Juvenile Sanderling

and some more colour ringed adults

NORTH RONALDSAY - 5th September

The wind had died away dramatically but switched round to the south leaving a pleasant day; birds around the Hooking census route included a juvenile Marsh Harrier (been present for a few days but this is the first time I’ve caught up with it), a Sparrowhawk, 9 Black-tailed Godwits, 19 Bar-tailed Godwits, a Ruff, 81 Sanderling, 69 Ringed Plover, 8 Wigeon and good numbers of Meadow Pipits and alba Wagtails.   There was a Garden Warbler at the Obs and the first Lesser Whitethroat of the autumn at Holland on my way through.

                After a heavy rainstorm mid-afternoon I walked around the Brides area where migrants comprised a Reed Warbler and a Whinchat around Southness and a flock of 16 Wigeon came in.

NORTH RONALDSAY - 4th September

A dreadful day with a blazing force 7-8 SE wind combined with constant, heavy, driving rain for much of the day, not clearing up until the evening; I went out round the Brides census area in the afternoon when it was still raining where birds included the first Whitethroat of the autumn in Holland, 2 Greenshank on Brides, 9 Black-tailed Godwits, a Ruff, 33 Teal and 6 Shoveler.

Turnstone

Wheatear

NORTH RONALDSAY - 2nd September

Overcast through the morning with a moderate SW wind again so I had a three hour seawatch first thing which produced 122 Sooty Shearwaters, 13 Manx Shearwaters, a Red-throated Diver, 3 Arctic Skuas, 5 Bonxies, 813 Kittiwakes, 5 Arctic Terns, 8 Puffins and 280 Razorbills before a walk round the northern census route produced very little with just a handful of the usual waders.

                Another couple of hours seawatching in the afternoon really paid off as at 15:50 an awesome [presumed] FEA’S PETREL bombed past in big sweeping arcs, it was pretty far out but there was no mistaking the flight action even if limited details on the bird could be picked out!   A steady stream of Sooty and Manx Shearwaters also went through giving day totals of 337 Sooty Shearwaters and 45 Manx Shearwaters.

Adult and juvenile Purple Sandpiper

Another Purple Sandpiper

Ruff

Knot

Black-tailed Godwit

Juvenile Twite

NORTH RONALDSAY - 31st August

The wind had dropped right off and except for a brief shower or two it was a lovely morning; I caught the Barred Warbler at Holland first thing where there were also 6 Willow Warblers and a Sparrowhawk.   I then walked the west coast census route with the highlight being a smart Lapland Bunting along the walls around Nether Linney – the first of the autumn but it was quiet for other birds with 300 Golden Plover, 190 Meadow Pipits, another Sparrowhawk (a male) and 2 Black-tailed Godwits of note.

Barred Warbler

Lapland Bunting

Wheatear

NORTH RONALDSAY - 30th August

Still a brisk SW wind which led to the main feature of the day which was an excellent Meadow Pipit and alba Wagtail passage through the island with small flocks piling through all day, I got to The Links at the exact time that a band of rain was just south of the island causing big numbers to congregate there, waiting for the rain to clear with 300+ Meadow Pipits and 100+ alba Wagtails (mainly Whites) present for a short time.

                Other birds around the Hooking census route included an influx of ducks on the loch including 65 Teal, 5 Gadwall, 8 Wigeon and 4 Shoveler, 4 Black-tailed Godwits, a Ruff and a Whinchat near The Mill.

Bonxies hovering over a Mallard they had just killed

Gadwall

Willow Warbler