Thursday, 8 June 2017

NORTH RONALDSAY - 8th June


A much better day with warm sunshine and lighter winds after an overcast start; I tried a seawatch first thing but had only sat down for a couple of minutes before I had to drive back down to Parkhouse where I had good views of a fine male Ortolan Bunting on the side of the road and in a recently ploughed crop strip.  

Inspired by this I then opened the nets at Holland and as I was opening I heard a singing Common Rosefinch, tracked it down and it was a corking, full red, adult male which showed very well for the rest of the morning; the first bird I then caught was (presumably) one of yesterday’s female Red-backed Shrikes followed by 2 Lesser Whitethroats and a Sedge Warbler.

The west coast census route was then quiet in the middle of the day with single Whimbrel and Golden Plover the highlight along with a big influx of 50+ Red Admirals and a few Painted Ladies and Silver Y’s.   We then walked through the Irises at Hooking catching a few Black-headed Gull chicks and Greylag Goose along with single Mallard and one of the Great Black-backed Gull chicks.


Red-backed Shrike

Common Rosefinch

Red Admiral on a tractor

Great Black-backed Gull chick

Lapwing chick

Oystercatcher chicks just hatched

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