NORTH RONALDSAY - 6th May

A foggy start with a brisk NE wind meant that Holland was quiet first thing with only three new birds caught; the fog cleared by 10:00 leaving a glorious sunny day but my morning was predictably spent ferrying plane and boat loads of twitchers up to Garso where the Red-winged Blackbird showed amazingly well as it totally changed its behaviour by now flycatching from the wires and walls, often landing within a few metres of us standing on the road!

                I walked the Obs census route in the afternoon where birds included my first Ring Ouzel of the year – a fine male in a field by Lurand, 2 Whitethroats, a Blackcap, a Brambling, a Great-northern Diver, 29 Sanderling, 3 Dunlin (including one displaying over Loch Park), yesterday’s Redpoll sp. by the Obs and a selection of Phyloscs.

Better pictures of the Red-winged Blackbird

Dunlin having a bit of a sing

NORTH RONALDSAY - 5th May

Fairly nice with a bit of cloud coming and going and a chilly easterly breeze; nets were quiet at Holland first thing with 4 Chiffchaffs, 2 Willow Warblers and a Robin caught while a Whitethroat and 2 Redwings were around.  

I then took yet more people up to Garso where the Red-winged Blackbird showed well on the wires and gas bottles before I carried on a walked round the northern census route where birds included 160+ Arctic Terns at Bewan, a pair of Pintail (my first ones for ages), a Whimbrel, a Woodpigeon, 13 Dunlin, a Willow Warbler, 5 Chiffchaff and 7 Lesser Black-backed Gulls while a big 1^st winter female Sparrowhawk caused chaos by landing on the beacon, right underneath the Raven nest – they did not like that!   

There were then 2 Goldfinches at Holland in the evening where I caught a Tree Pipit and some kind of Redpoll sp.

I don't often put them down as Redpoll sp. but this one was very confusing!

Tree Pipit

Sparrowhawk

NORTH RONALDSAY - 4th May

Another amazing day with not a cloud in the sky and very light winds; the nets at Holland first thing were disappointing though, apart from an angry young female Sparrowhawk caught first thing while other birds seen included a Merlin, a Tree Pipit and a Redwing; I then had to go up to Garso again to show more people the Red-winged Blackbird which showed well on the wires to all concerned.

                I walked the middle census route in the afternoon where there was still a good mix of birds including my first Wood Sandpiper of the year on Ancum, 3 Whitethroats, a Lesser Whitethroat, 15 Willow Warblers, 4 Chiffchaff, a Dunnock, 2 Fieldfares, a Merlin, a Peregrine, a Whimbrel and a big influx of 200+ Arctic Terns roosting out on Seal Skerry while the Hoopoe was again on the big stubble field by Nether Linney.

                There were a few more birds at Holland in the evening with 2 Willow Warblers, 3 Chiffchaffs (including a British control) and a Brambling trapped while probably the same Sparrowhawk whizzed around and a Goldfinch came in to roost.

Sparrowhawk

Lesser Whitethroat

Wood Sandpiper

Lapwing chick

NORTH RONALDSAY - 3rd May

A stunning day, light easterly winds and wall to wall sunshine; birds round Holland first thing included single Redwing, Fieldfare and Song Thrush, a Kestrel, 2 Lesser Whitethroats, a Whitethroat, 6 Willow Warblers, 6 Chiffchaffs, 2 Blackcaps and 2 Robins.

                My first Grasshopper Warbler of the year was around the Obs (and later trapped) before I headed up the west coast census route where there was a great mix of species but not yesterday’s numbers in the fine weather which included the Hoopoe still at Nether Linney (although it never really allowed close approach), my first Redstart of the year at Trebb, a Goldfinch south along the coast, a ringtail Hen Harrier which went north, 9 awesome plumaged Snow Buntings, 3 Tree Pipits, 3 Whimbrel, a Blackcap, a Black Redstart, a Lesser Whitethroat, 22 Willow Warblers, a Chiffchaff and 43 Wheatears.

                Popped up with some twitchers to Garso late afternoon where the Red-winged Blackbird showed well on the wires in the evening sun; a big female Sparrowhawk flew through.

Grasshopper Warbler

The Hoopoe never really let me get anywhere near it!

NORTH RONALDSAY - 2nd May

Glorious sunshine and a brisk easterly still so I was up at Holland first thing where birds included my first Whitethroat of the year, single Fieldfare and Redwing, 2 Blackcaps, 6 Willow Warblers, 6 Chiffchaffs, 3 Robins, a Chaffinch, a Lesser Redpoll, a Barnacle Goose, 2 Pink-footed Geese and 4 Swallows.

                It was perhaps too nice-a-day for huge numbers of grounded migrants but it was ace to be out and about with eastern promise in the air; birds around the middle census route included my first Whinchat of the year at Ancum Willows, 21 Willow Warblers, 15 Chiffchaffs, a Lesser Whitethroat, a stunning male Lapland Bunting, my first Common Sandpiper of the spring at Westness, a Robin, a Song Thrush, single Kestrel and Sparrowhawk and 30 Wheatears.

Lesser Whitethroat

Reed Bunting

NORTH RONALDSAY - 1st May

Still great conditions with a strong easterly wind and plenty of sunshine but unfortunately the wind direction meant that the Brides census route was pretty exposed and therefore quiet as birds included single Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff, 8 Swallows, 3 Carrion Crows, a Knot, 25 Sanderling, 4 Arctic Terns and a Great-northern Diver.

                I was dashing around all over the place in the afternoon, showing people the Red-winged Blackbird which was still present and following her favoured routine but I did manage to catch up with a good mix of migrants which were arriving throughout the day with the highlight certainly being an always awesome HOOPOE which was pretty mobile but I caught up with it near Nether Linney (a North Ronaldsay tick!)   Other birds included my first 2 Tree Pipits of the year at Trebb and Garso, my long overdue first Sand Martin of the year at Garso with 15+ Swallows, 3 Fieldfares, a Collared Dove, a few each of Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff, a Kestrel and my first Lesser Whitethroat of the year which I trapped at dusk.

Sanderling

Wheatear

Blackcap on the doorstep

Swallow

Great-northern Diver

and a better flight shot of the Red-winged Blackbird

NORTH RONALDSAY - 30th April

We went straight up to Garso at first light and quickly re-found the Red-winged Blackbird; I then had time for an hour’s walk round the Obs census route where it was fairly quiet in the strong SE wind but birds included 2 Whimbrel, a Fieldfare, 7 Carrion Crows and 6 Wheatears.   I then spent five hours driving plane loads of twitchers to the RWB from the charter planes as they came in and organising the viewing, controlling the crowds and doing the organised flushes – everyone saw it!

                Managed a couple of hours back out in my census route in the afternoon where birds included 3 Swallows, a Blackcap, 2 Willow Warblers, a Goldcrest, a Song Thrush and a Sparrowhawk in Holland.

Barnacle Geese

Snow Buntings

Black Redstart

Wren