NORTH RONALDSAY - 25th August

A super, stunning flat calm start to the day with the easterly breeze slowly picking up and bringing in a spell of fog for a few hours from lunchtime but it cleared by late afternoon to leave a lovely evening with a light SE wind; the day started well with a Barred Warbler trapped at Holland House first thing – our overdue first of the year before picking up late morning when I found a MELODIOUS WARBLER around the Heligoland traps at the Obs, it gave me the run about for a while before eventually making its way into a trap to confirm its ID (only the seventh record for the island and the first since 2003).   A good supporting cast included an influx of duck with 70 Mallard, 4 Pintail and 9 Wigeon on Hooking, the young female Peregrine still, the first Hen Harrier of the autumn, single Black-tailed Godwit and Whimbrel, 4 Ruff, a Short-eared Owl at Hooking, a Swift, the Grey-headed Wagtail again, an early Fieldfare, a Willow Warbler and a juvenile Common Crossbill at the Obs.

Melodious Warbler

Barred Warbler

Short-eared Owl