NORTH RONALDSAY - 23rd April

The wind had dropped off first thing but there were long periods of light rain; I had a two hour seawatch at first light where the highlights were my first 2 Manx Shearwaters of the year, my first 5 Arctic Skuas of the year (four dark and one light phase), 10 Bonxies and 615 Fulmars including a pretty dark Blue Fulmar.   We then climbed the Beacon to ring the three Raven chicks.

                Birds around the northern census route then included a juvenile Iceland Gull on Trolla, an increased total of 32 Wheatears, another flyover dark phase Arctic Skua, a Whimbrel and 4 Redwings before heavier rain moved in and the winds picked up again and pretty much ended the day.

Iceland Gull

Whimbrel

From six eggs to three ugly chicks!

NORTH RONALDSAY - 22nd April

Bright conditions but we kept the very strong, cold westerly winds so the middle census route was unsurprisingly pretty quiet as birds of note included 5 Redwing, 8 Wheatears, 2 smart summer plumaged Black-tailed Godwits, 3 Bar-tailed Godwits and the usual selection of waders at Westness including Purple Sandpipers, Turnstone and Ringed Plover.

Bar-tailed Godwit

NORTH RONALDSAY - 21st April

Strong westerlies still but plenty of sunshine (with a few showers of course); the west coast census route was again a waste of time in the rough conditions with two pairs of Bonxies on territory, 12 Wheatears and 68 Turnstone seen.

Black Guillemot

Oystercatcher

Bonxie

Pink-footed Goose

NORTH RONALDSAY - 20th April

A miserable morning with a strong westerly bringing in low cloud and drizzle which drifted in and out through the course of the day; the Hooking census route was very quiet with 320 Black-headed Gulls counted on the Loch, a few waders on The Links including 70 Turnstone, 30 Sanderling and 10 Dunlin and 13 Wheatears.

Twite

NORTH RONALDSAY - 19th April

A lovely day, warm and calm; the nets at Holland first thing produced single Willow Warbler, Robin and Redwing before the Bridesness census route highlights included the first Whimbrel of the year and a single Pale-bellied Brent Goose on the shore near Brides Loch.   Other birds included 23 Pink-footed Geese, 3 Great-northern Divers, a Chiffchaff, 4 Woodpigeons, 2 Bramblings, 9 Wheatears, 7 Redwings and some increased wader counts with a few migrant flocks of Redshank and Turnstone.

                I caught another Siberian Chiffchaff in the Heligoland traps late afternoon before the evening nets only produced re-trap Linnets.

Siberian Chiffchaff

Lapwing nest

NORTH RONALDSAY - 18th April

An awesome, flat calm, clear morning was perfect for a whole island Tystie count which, when all the totals were in produced a brilliant figure of 841 birds – easily the highest total ever!   The calm seas also produced counts of 41 Great-northern Divers (my survey area in the north plus the Obs census route), 8 Long-tailed Ducks, 8 Red-breasted Mergansers and 4 Red-throated Divers while the Siberian Chiffchaff was still on the coast opposite Rue and 2 Snow Buntings and a female Lapland Bunting were near the Lighthouse.

                Walked the Obs census route later in the day which produced my first Swallow of the year over the Obs, a spring high count of 579 Golden Plover, the 2 male Lapland Buntings on the track to the Obs, Collared Dove and Chiffchaff in Holland, 7 Wheatears and 3 Redwings.

                Opened the nets at Holland in the evening and managed to catch my first Willow Warbler of the year, a smart male Brambling, the Collared Dove, a Goldcrest and a bunch of Linnets while a big female Sparrowhawk bounced out of a net at dusk.

Twite

Tystie with one of last year's data loggers on, we just have to catch him again now!

More Tysties

Brambling

NORTH RONALDSAY - 17th April

Heavy snow showers persisted right through until late morning driven across the island by a brisk, very cold northerly wind; brightened up in the afternoon to glorious, unbroken sunshine so I walked round the north census route then!   The two highlights were a non-breeding plumaged WHITE-BILLED DIVER which flew north past the seawatch hide at 11:45 and a smart looking Siberian Chiffchaff on the coast near Scottigar.

                Other birds in the cold conditions included a Merlin, 9 Redwings, 8 Wheatears, 2 Whooper Swans and more noteworthy, a dead Bonxie by the foghorn with a Norwegian ring.

Siberian Chiffchaff

Now they have chicks, the Ravens are super aggressive - this one did not appreciate this Heron!

or me!

Ringed Plover