NORTH RONALDSAY - 20th May

An awful morning with a strong, cold NE wind and sometimes heavy, persistent rain, it got slightly better later on (the rain got lighter) so I walked around randomly in the afternoon with my highlights being the first Curlew Sandpiper of the year with the big wader flocks on the beach at Westness, now 3 Garganey on Hooking with a first-year drake joining the long staying pair and a Black Redstart at Nouster.

                Other birds included good numbers of hirundines including 90+ Swallows, 6 Sand Martins and 2 House Martins, single Spotted and Pied Flycatchers, 3 Sedge Warblers including one I caught in T2, at least 6 Mealy Redpolls around Holland, a Chaffinch at the school and 3 Herons.

Arctic Skua

NORTH RONALDSAY - 19th May

A different day, overcast with a chilly NE wind; it was disappointingly quiet around the Brides census route as birds included a Grey Wagtail on the beach at Brides, the 1^st year Black-throated Diver in Nouster along with 3 Red-throated Diver and 6 Great-northern Divers (including one which flew along the coast calling very loudly!), a flock of 19 Bar-tailed Godwits also on the beach at Brides, 2 singing Sedge Warblers and 3 Sand Martins while there were 3 Mealy Redpolls round the Obs.

Mealy Redpolls

Teal

NORTH RONALDSAY - 18th May

A cracking day, warm and sunny with very light winds but this didn’t really equate to lots of migrants; I caught a nice young male Pied Flycatcher at the Obs where there was also a Chiffchaff and a big, sandy coloured 1^st winter female Peregrine but apart from 5 Great-northern Divers and 3 Red-throated Divers on the calm seas that was about it!

                We ringed a few Lapwing chicks during a drive round in the afternoon where there were at least 4 singing Sedge Warblers in funny places nets in the evening just produced a handful of Linnets.

Pied Flycatcher

Oystercatcher nest

Curlew nest

Eider nest

Teal nest

This awesome cloud rolled in across the island

NORTH RONALDSAY - 17th May

Wall to wall sunshine with a decreasing southerly wind; it was fairly quiet along the northern census route with the highlight being 2 Marsh Harriers – the first flew north along the coast and high out towards Fair Isle with the second in fields by Senness before also flying north.

                Other birds included single Spotted Flycatcher, Willow Warbler and Sedge Warbler, 2 Song Thrushes, 3 Mealy Redpolls, plenty of waders, a big influx of 700+ Arctic Terns and a Sand Martin.

The Raven fledglings were out exploring

Until another dick Oystercatcher knocked him off the wall!

Arctic Tern

Kittiwake

NORTH RONALDSAY - 16th May

A nice start with plenty of sunshine and a moderate SW wind; nets at Holland first thing produced single Garden Warbler (my first of the year), Spotted Flycatcher, Lesser Whitethroat, Chiffchaff and Sparrowhawk with 2 Mealy Redpolls, 2 Siskins and a Blackcap also around.

                Walked the middle census route in the afternoon which produced the first Cuckoo of the year behind the surgery, 3 Sparrowhawks, a Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Mealy Redpolls, a Sedge Warbler, 4 Willow Warblers, 2 Chiffchaffs, a Whinchat and still good numbers of waders at Westness including 20 Knot, 10 Bar-tailed Godwits, 140 Turnstone, 40 Dunlin and 20 Sanderling.

Turnstone and Dunlin

Don't lead your goslings through there, the neighbours are dicks!

Whinchat

NORTH RONALDSAY - 15th May

A nice start with a brisk easterly wind still; the west coast census route was perhaps, a little disappointing given the wind but birds did include the first Swift of the year and surprisingly, the drake Green-winged Teal back on Gretchen (absent since 26^th April!).   Other birds included a Spotted Flycatcher, a Pied Flycatcher, a Lesser Whitethroat, a Short-eared Owl at Trebb, 3 Chiffchaffs, 3 Sparrowhawks and a Blackcap while a smart male Whinchat was at the Obs and the first Fulmar egg of the year was noted up near Nether Linney.

Swift

Swallows

Skylark

NORTH RONALDSAY - 14th May

Overcast with a light easterly wind which gradually swung round to the SW bringing a long spell of light drizzle; nets at Holland first thing were productive as we managed to catch 2 Spotted Flycatchers (4 were around), 5 Blackcaps, a Mealy Redpoll, a Willow Warbler and 2 Siskins while 2 Tree Pipits, a Sparrowhawk and 2 Bramblings were around.

                My first Pied Flycatcher of the year was along the Obs track and I caught a Redstart on my way out to the Hooking census route where there were a few passerines including single Sedge Warbler (my first of the year), Whinchat, Lesser Whitethroat, Willow Warbler and Whitethroat, 2 House Martins and 5 Chiffchaffs; other birds of note comprised plenty of waders on The Links with 232 Ringed Plover, 290 Turnstone, 80 Sanderling, 2 Knot and 40 Dunlin, the drake Garganey on Hooking and 2 Great-northern Divers.

                The wind dropped off and the sun came out in the afternoon with the highlight round Holland in the evening being a cracking male Bluethroat at the Kirk (which we later trapped) along with a few more Spotted Flycatchers, a Kestrel and a Sparrowhawk.

Stunning!

Lapwing chick

Soggy Pied Flycatcher