NORTH RONALDSAY - 22nd June

Overcast but calm first thing but it brightened to become a glorious, warm, sunny afternoon; nets at Holland first thing produced a Mealy Redpoll and a control Willow Warbler (I recognised the ring number and a quick text revealed it to have been ringed on Fair Isle on 16^th June) with the Black-throated Diver again in Nouster.   Birds along the northern census route later then included a House Martin, 46 Knot, at least 70 1^st summer Arctic Terns around Bewan and in the colonies (seemingly many more than usual), a Whimbrel and a Great-northern Diver offshore.

                We then counted the Arctic Tern nests from Bewan round to the foghorn and along Iris Taing where they were at a range of stages from eggs to medium sized chicks plus four Ringed Plover nests.

Mealy Redpoll

Wheatear fledgling

Redshank

Arctic Tern nest and chicks

Ringed Plover nest