Wednesday, 22 November 2017

NORTH RONALDSAY - 16th October


The wind had mercifully and wonderfully died down to almost nothing overnight leaving a great day (until mid-afternoon when the easterly wind shot up to force 8 with rain, thunder and lightning!); the main features of the Brides census route was a great total of 83 Whooper Swans on the loch until they flew off south (an island record count of 267 was put down in the log for the day!) and at least 140 Redwing scattered around the fields.   Most of the other birds comprised lingering migrants from the last few weeks including the Barred Warbler still in Haskie Thistles, a Whinchat, 3 Willow Warblers, a Blackcap, a Lesser Whitethroat, 4 Wheatears and a Kestrel.

                Other birds included the first 3 Goldeneye of the autumn on Brides with 75 Tufted Ducks, a Pintail, a Merlin, 8 Rock Pipits, 8 Red-throated Divers, 5 Red-breasted Mergansers and a steady trickle of Greylags heading south at sea.





Whooper Swans

Barnacle Geese




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