NORTH RONALDSAY - 22nd April

A light SE wind through the morning naturally led to thick fog by lunchtime but the wind had switched into the west by the afternoon with the fog clearing almost instantly; with the changing conditions and the SE wind I was expecting a bit more from the west coast census route but it was fairly quiet with yesterday’s Dotterel on Torness, an adult male Merlin, the first Goldfinch of the year south over Gue Park, 2 Dunnocks, a Blackcap and the Bonxie pair back on territory.   Also of note on Gretchen were 6 Ruff (with a few males starting to get some plumage) and 8 Black-tailed Godwits.

Dotterel

NORTH RONALDSAY - 21st April

A gorgeous day with a light southerly wind switching into the SE by the afternoon and plenty of warm sunshine; the nets were quiet first thing with just single Chiffchaff, Goldcrest, Chaffinch and Dunnock caught but the Hooking census route was quite productive with the highlight being two drake Mandarin which flew into to land on the loch very briefly before disappearing – only the sixth record for North Ron!

                Other birds included my first 3 Sand Martins of the year over The Links, a Whimbrel on the beach, 7 Sandwich Terns, 75 Sanderling, the Kumlien’s Gull still and 7 Great-northern Divers.   Later in the day a smart non-breeding plumaged Dotterel was found with the Golden Plovers in Loch Park (just a hint of red coming through on the front) while the Ring Ouzel and Lesser Whitethroat were still around the Obs.

Mandarin record shot

Some Wheatear antics

The Coots were excited to see the Mandarins as well

Kumlien's Gull still

NORTH RONALDSAY - 20th April

Bright and sunny first thing with light southerly winds which gradually increased through the day; there were a few birds at Holland first thing including a Willow Warbler, 2 Chiffchaffs, a Lesser Whitethroat, a Blackcap, 4+ Dunnocks, 3 Goldcrests, a Chaffinch and 3 Siskins.   I then walked the Bridesness census route with the highlights being a trio of year ticks for me with an incredibly early Little Tern seen briefly in Nouster (previous earliest date was 5^th May!), a dark phase Arctic Skua which flew across the mouth of Nouster and 2 Whimbrel which flew over Stennabreck.

                Other birds included 2 Swallows, 39 Fieldfares, 3 Dunnocks, 3 Wheatears, a group of 5 Carrion Crows and a hybrid at Kirbest and a Brambling while a single Ring Ouzel and another Lesser Whitethroat were around the Obs.

Ringed Plover

Collared Dove

Redshank

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 - 18th April

Brisk S / SE winds still but it was dry, bright and very pleasant to be out and about; walked the northern census route in the morning but it was fairly quiet as birds included a Black Redstart, 2 Chiffchaffs, 4 Wheatears, a Brambling, 4 Dunnocks, 2 Sparrowhawks, a Merlin, a Carrion Crow and a Rook I tracked coming in across the sea from very far out while offshore were 8 Puffins, a Bonxie and 2 Great-northern Divers.   There was single Ring Ouzel and Willow Warbler round the Obs.

                Opened the nets in the evening and despite it being a bit windy we managed to catch a cracking adult male Mealy Redpoll (a huge bird with a wing of 79mm and weighing 17g!), a Lesser Whitethroat, a Chiffchaff and a few Robins, Blackbirds and Dunnocks.

Sparrowhawk

Pied Wagtail

Mealy Redpoll - rubbish picture as it was getting dark!

NORTH RONALDSAY - 17th April

Strong S / SE winds blew the fog away but it was raining for most of the morning; the clouds parted at lunchtime leaving a bright and sunny afternoon when birds along the middle census route included my first Lesser Whitethroat of the year at North Gravity, 5 Chiffchaffs, 3 Wheatears, a Ring Ouzel and a Black Redstart while 6 Pintail and 2 Shoveler were on Ancum.   There were a few bits around the Obs as well with 7 Bramblings, a Mistle Thrush and a Snow Bunting of note.

Lesser Whitethroat

Brambling

Lapwing

Oystercatcher

After failing at the Beacon, the Ravens are now rebuilding somewhere on the west coast

NORTH RONALDSAY - 16th April

A very similar day with a brisk easterly wind and thick fog drifting in and out (mainly in though!); walked the west coast again with a very similar array of species as yesterday just in smaller numbers with the exception of my first Swallow of the year hawking backwards and forwards along the wall just north of the Bothy and a flyover Redpoll sp.   Other totals included 6 Ring Ouzels, 20 Dunnocks, 35 Robins, a Grey Wagtail, 3 Blackcaps, 3 Chiffchaffs, 5 Woodcock, 3 Woodpigeons, 6 Wheatears, 2 Chaffinches, 2 Bramblings and still good numbers of Thrushes.

Blackcap

Wheatear