NORTH RONALDSAY - 26th May

A stunning day, calm, warm and sunny; it started off excellently with a pod of 3 ORCAS feeding in Nouster Bay, by the time I got down there they had moved off in the firth halfway to Sanday but any Orca sighting is a good sighting!   The Hooking census route was then quiet in the fine conditions with still good numbers of waders on The Links including 80 Ringed Plover and 120 Sanderling but the only other migrants were a Blackcap at Scotsha and a Spotted Flycatcher at Holland.

                The quality all came in the afternoon as we raced up to Westness to look for a Honey Buzzard which had been lost to view behind the rocks on the point; it was all quiet when we got to the point but some Common Gulls started mobbing something hidden in the rocks and when we got out there the Honey Buzzard flew out from our feet and showed amazingly well as it flew and landed out on Trinley.   The day’s other highlight were 2 Little Terns in Nouster mid-afternoon – a North Ronaldsay and Scottish tick for me!

Honey!