NORTH RONALDSAY - 7th July

Still bright and sunny with a moderate SW wind; a Marsh Harrier flew south over Gretchen and out to sea first thing (I only saw it as it was over the sea, halfway to Sanday) before a walk round the Hooking census route produced 67 Redshank, a fledgling Shoveler on the loch, 15 Bar-tailed Godwits and a further increase to at least 185 fledgling Black-headed Gulls dotted around.   There wasn’t much else through the day although a brief look at Bewan late afternoon produced a fine male Ruff and the Common Tern again.

Ruff

Black-headed Gull fledglings practising

NORTH RONALDSAY - 6th July

Bright and sunny again with a decreasing SW wind; a few waders at Westness included 39+ Purple Sandpipers, 14 Turnstone and 37 Redshank before a look around the top end produced the first Common Tern of the year on Bewan with an increasing number of Arctic Terns, 270+ Kittiwakes and 8 Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

Common Tern with the Arctics

and yet more Arctic Terns

NORTH RONALDSAY - 5th July

Bright and sunny with a brisk westerly breeze; a Spotted Flycatcher in Holland was an unusual July record before a look around Brides produced a female Garganey on the loch (no sign of any chicks though) and a Sandwich Tern with the small group of Arctic Terns roosting on the point.   A smart male Ruff on Gretchen in the afternoon was the first returning bird.

Garden Tiger - probably the second for North Ron!

Spectacle

Beautiful Golden Y

Antler

and some arty Arctic Terns

NORTH RONALDSAY - 4th July

Light easterlies with thick fog drifting in during the morning; a big flock of 62 Redshank were around Hooking along with plenty of fledgling Black-headed Gulls (142 counted a few days ago) while 12 Bar-tailed Godwits and 10 Golden Plover on The Links were seen in the fog and the first Fulmar chicks had hatched by Hooking.   A seawatch in the afternoon then produced the first Sooty Shearwater of the year, 7 Manx Shearwaters, a Storm Petrel and 475 Puffins.

Ghost Moth

NORTH RONALDSAY - 3rd July

Another fine day, warm and sunny; a decent flock of 45 Purple Sandpipers at Trinley represented the first returning birds while the Heron was still on Ancum along with 30 Redshank, a Black-tailed Godwit and a drake Wigeon.

Purple Sandpipers

Great Black-backed Gulls

NORTH RONALDSAY - 2nd July

Light westerly winds and plenty of sunshine produced a faded breeding plumaged adult Grey Plover in fields near Torness with a Golden Plover and one of the Gue Park Fieldfares still present, having a bath with a flock of Starlings and looking extremely worn and tatty.   We then ringed some decent sized Arctic Tern chicks on Torness and some medium sized Black Guillemot chicks along the coast there.

Arctic Skua seeing off the Raven pair

Meadow Pipit having a fluff and preen

NORTH RONALDSAY - 26th June - 1st July

A settled spell with generally light winds, often from the east and sometimes bringing the inevitable fog, it was, as expected quiet for migrants but the odd thing turned up here and there.   One Red-necked Phalarope remained on Gretchen on the 26^th while promising numbers of Arctic Tern chicks were ringed in the year’s biggest colony at Sangar.   My first 5 Swifts of the year were over The Links on the 27^th (after a woeful spring for this species) along with 2 Whimbrel, a Heron, a Sandwich Tern and c50 Sand Martins (we ringed four at the colony) while the single Red-necked Phalarope was still on Gretchen and a Rock Pipit was at Trolla – the first one since 14^th May.

                Two more Swifts were over Brides on the 28^th while waders continued to trickle back through including 130 Golden Plover, 38 Knot, 50+ Redshank (with a growing flock at Hooking), 120 Oystercatchers and 30 Bar-tailed Godwits.   Up to three Collared Doves lingered around Holland along with several Chiffchaffs but there were no signs of any breeding attempts.

Black-headed Gull fledglings

Eiders