Tuesday, 18 April 2017

NORTH RONALDSAY - 18th April


An awesome, flat calm, clear morning was perfect for a whole island Tystie count which, when all the totals were in produced a brilliant figure of 841 birds – easily the highest total ever!   The calm seas also produced counts of 41 Great-northern Divers (my survey area in the north plus the Obs census route), 8 Long-tailed Ducks, 8 Red-breasted Mergansers and 4 Red-throated Divers while the Siberian Chiffchaff was still on the coast opposite Rue and 2 Snow Buntings and a female Lapland Bunting were near the Lighthouse.

                Walked the Obs census route later in the day which produced my first Swallow of the year over the Obs, a spring high count of 579 Golden Plover, the 2 male Lapland Buntings on the track to the Obs, Collared Dove and Chiffchaff in Holland, 7 Wheatears and 3 Redwings.

                Opened the nets at Holland in the evening and managed to catch my first Willow Warbler of the year, a smart male Brambling, the Collared Dove, a Goldcrest and a bunch of Linnets while a big female Sparrowhawk bounced out of a net at dusk.


Twite

Tystie with one of last year's data loggers on, we just have to catch him again now!



More Tysties


Brambling

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