NORTH RONALDSAY - 19th July

Strong easterly wind through the day but bright and sunny; a Swift flew south over the Obs and there were still 2 Red-necked Phalaropes on Gretchen before I walked round the Hooking census route where the waders on The Links were the most notable birds with a Grey Plover, 10 Bar-tailed Godwits and an increase to 52 Sanderling the highlights.   Other birds included 20+ Sand Martins, 5 Shoveler, 8 Teal, 73 Lapwings and 40 Redshank.

                A brief whizz round a few sites in the afternoon produced 5 Whimbrel, 684+ Golden Plover, 160+ Dunlin and 12 Knot around Westness and 2,500+ Arctic Terns, 44 Knot and 60 Dunlin at Bewan.

Angry Fulmar chick

Some big Black Guillemot chicks are not far from fledging

Fledgling Wren

NORTH RONALDSAY - 18th July

The wind dropped right off by early morning leaving a lovely, sunny, calm day; started off by mist-netting a few Tysties at The Lurn and then searched Westness for Tystie chicks.   Walked a bit of the Bridesness census route in the afternoon where the highlight was a Spotted Redshank heard and seen distantly over the loch, other birds included 97 Dunlin and 30 Redshank on the good looking muddy centre of Brides Loch, 204 Golden Plover and 4 Collared Doves.

Golden Plover

Redshank

Sedge Warbler

Another colour ringed Shag

NORTH RONALDSAY - 17th July

Still very windy but largely dry with only a couple of drizzly spells; a walk round the Obs census route in the morning produced the Black-throated Diver still in the bay and the 5 Red-necked Phalaropes still on Gretchen with the two juvenile Garganey, 4 Shoveler and 27 Dunlin.   There were then 160 Dunlin, 6 Knot, 16 Ringed Plover, 20 Turnstone and 35 Redshank at Westness before we all went back up to Bewan to get more views of the White-winged Black Tern roosting on the rocks at Bewan with the huge flock 5,000+ Arctic Terns.

                Another look at Gretchen mid-afternoon produced a Swift flying low across the loch with 12 Sand Martins and two nice summer plumaged Knot with the Dunlin flock before the White-winged Black Tern appeared out of nowhere to try and roost with the Arctic Terns but they weren’t impressed and chased it off a few times!   It did rest for 20 minutes before heading off towards Nouster.

White-winged Black Tern at Gretchen

Black Guillemot

NORTH RONALDSAY - 16th July

A windy morning gradually increasing to a very windy afternoon with some really nasty, heavy showers sweeping through; went up to Bewan first thing and finally (after two previous attempts) connected with the stunning adult summer WHITE-WINGED BLACK TERN roosting on the rocks by the Beacon with 4,000+ Arctic Terns - it was seen briefly a week ago and equally briefly last night and was only around for a short period this morning but there are thousands of Arctic Terns all over the place so it’s hard to check every flock!

                The cut fields up the island were also full of birds including 750+ Golden Plover, 459 Oystercatchers, 17 Bar-tailed Godwit and 60+ Curlew.   Didn’t really do much else until late afternoon when Gretchen was very productive as birds of note comprised the 5 Red-necked Phalaropes still, the two juvenile Garganey, an influx of 104 Dunlin and 30 Redshank, 4 Shoveler, 4 Sanderling and single Knot and Bar-tailed Godwit.

White-winged Black Tern on the rocks at Bewan

Arctic Skuas still chasing Tysties

Garganey

Shelduck

Redshank

NORTH RONALDSAY - 15th July

After a late night Storm Petrel ringing, I didn’t really get out until mid-morning but unfortunately this coincided with the persistent rain which lasted the rest of the day but birds around the middle census route included the first Green Sandpiper of the autumn over Gretchen (and only the second of the year) where there were 2 Red-necked Phalaropes (the first time they’ve been seen away from Gretchen this year – there were still three on Gretchen) and some good numbers of waders in the cut fields with 235 Oystercatchers, 600+ Golden Plover, 65 Curlew, 16 Bar-tailed Godwits and 120 Lapwings.

Yesterday's surprise Robin

Common Gull

Colour ringed Sanderling - one from Sanday and one not (probably from Greenland)

NORTH RONALDSAY - 14th July

Another nice day with a freshening westerly wind; Holland was quiet first thing with the exception of a surprise juvenile Robin (no idea where that came from!).   Didn’t really do much else through the day but I caught a couple of re-trap Tysties at The Lurn and 2 Red-necked Phalaropes were still on Gretchen.

Storm Petrel

A slightly blurry picture of a Storm Petrel with a Leach's Petrel

Arctic Tern chick

Black Guillemot chick

A hatching Fulmar

NORTH RONALDSAY - 13th July

The fine weather continued but the light breeze had swung round to the east; the 5 Red-necked Phalaropes were still bobbing around on Gretchen before we went up to Torness to search for some more Tystie chicks.

                Walked the Hooking census route in the afternoon with the highlight being 2 juvenile Garganey flying around Hooking with some Teal and a juvenile Shoveler (very sneaky!) while other birds included a Grey Wagtail and the Black-throated Diver in Nouster, a Swift south over the Obs, 36 Sanderling on The Links and the 3 fledgling Great Black-backed Gulls flying round the loch.   Had a little unsuccessful attempt at mist-netting the Phalaropes on Gretchen in the evening where there were also a group of 5 juvenile Shoveler and the Shelduck brood now flying around.

Garganey

Fledgling Arctic Tern

Juvenile Common Gull