RSPB Bird Reports

ORKNEY BIRD RECORDS
APRIL 2009

Great Northern Divers are often prominent at this time of year but 132 in the North Ronaldsay Firth on 19th was an unprecedented count for that site.  North Ronaldsay also reported four Black-throated Divers on 23rd and, as we have come to expect in recent springs, single White-billed Divers on 6th and 15th.  A Red-necked Grebe was in Holm Sound on 13th and a Manx Shearwater passed North Ronaldsay on 6th.

Parties of 11-16 Whooper Swans were reported on North Ronaldsay, Holm and South Ronaldsay early in the month.  A strong passage of Pink-footed Geese was noted with gatherings of up to 450 in several localities mainly before 18th; a leucistic bird was in a flock of 36 over Windwick on 19th.  Pale-bellied Brent Geese were reported at Graemeshall, Holm (four on 3rd), in Deerness (one on 10th) and at Rennibister, Firth (two on 25th).  Two Barnacle Geese remained in Costa to 8th with one at Widewall on 13th and seven on Westray on 29th.  A single Canada Goose was at Tafts, Sanday on 19th and 23rd.  A Greenland White-fronted Goose was at Graemeshall on 3rd while 20 remained at The Loons on 5th. 

Garganeys are often a feature of April and a drake was at Brodgar on 18th, a pair on Sanday on 22nd and another drake at The Loons on 28th.  Much rarer was a drake Blue-winged Teal, a North American visitor, at Cattie Maggie’s Quarry on 27th.  Also of trans-Atlantic origin, the Ring-necked Duck remained on North Ronaldsay until 6th.  The Scaup flock that winters on the Stenness Loch moves to the Harray Loch at this time of year and 255 were off Brodgar on 19th.  As Long-tailed Ducks gathered prior to departing northwards, there were some astonishing counts: 1100 were in Echnaloch Bay and on the nearby loch on 23rd; 680 were on Lairo Water, Shapinsay on 8th and 16th; 530 were in Inganess Bay on 25th and 500 off Lyness on 24th.  The Velvet Scoter flock off Rerwick peaked at 33 on 20th.  From mid-month they were joined by passage Common Scoters that reached a maximum of 44 on 20th, 22 also being seen off Papay on 26th and up to 10 occurring at four other sites including a freshwater record on the Harray Loch on 27th.  A single drake Surf Scoter was seen often from Rerwick mid-month and it was joined by a second bird on 20th.  The regular spring gathering of Red-breasted Mergansers in The Bush, Stromness/Stenness held 118 birds on 21st while single Goosanders were at Graemeshall Loch until 19th and on North Ronaldsay on 28th.  A drake Ruddy Duck frequented the Mill Dam, Shapinsay all month.

An immature White-tailed Eagle visited North Ronaldsay on 11th/12th before proceeding to Fair Isle and Shetland.  This was a tagged bird from last year’s re-introduction programme in Fife.  An adult bird was then seen at Shell Hill, Hoy on 28th.  This bird was also tagged and had been marked as a wild-bred male chick on Skye in 2004.  A Goshawk that was seen in Rendall and Evie on 18th remained in the area for at least a week.  Common Buzzards were reported from the Firth/Rendall/Orphir area throughout the month with others at Kirkwall Airport and at Flaws, South Ronaldsay.  Much rarer was the Rough-legged Buzzard that was seen in the Orphir Hills on 22nd and then interrupted a Stenness School staff meeting as it was seen to rise from the school playing field!  The first Marsh Harrier of the spring, a female, battled its way through Costa on 30th, mobbed by everything in the vicinity.  A Kestrel’s nest with three eggs in Orphir on 16th was a good two weeks ahead of schedule.

The only Crane of the spring so far was on Papay’s North Hill on 13th.  Avocets are becoming more regular as migrants in Orkney and there were two on North Ronaldsay on 7th and presumably two different birds from 21st to 26th.  A very strong passage of Golden Plovers was noted with three large flocks, the largest being c.1000, over South Ronaldsay on 14th, flocks totalling over 2000 passing over Swannay on 18th, 1000 in Deerness on 22nd   and a number of other reports of up to 500 birds.  The highest count of Knots was 105 at Scuthvie, Sanday on 29th and of Sanderlings, 108 on North Ronaldsay on 11th.  North Ronaldsay recorded a maximum of 203 Purple Sandpipers on 13th,188 still being present on 28th; up to 68 were also noted in Birsay Bay and up to 62 on Papay.  Little Stints are scarce spring migrants so that two at The Ouse, Westray on 23rd were of note.  Reports of one-two Ruff came from Shapinsay, Rango and Egilsay between 16th-25th.  The only Jack Snipe was one by the Harray Loch on 15th and the only live Woodcock was on North Ronaldsay on 3rd/4th although several more were found as raptor kills in the hills.  Early Black-tailed Godwits were noted at Mill Dam, Shapinsay on 6th and on North Ronaldsay on 10th but passage really got under way from 24th-27th when 12 were at Graemeshall, 16 at the Loch of Tankerness, 14 at Marwick and six at Start.  The best Bar-tailed Godwit count was of 45 at The Ouse, Shapinsay on 8th although 18 at Swanbister Bay on 26th were of note.  Whimbrel passage was noted from 8th with up to six reported at or over fifteen localities.  A Common Sandpiper had returned to the Hundland Loch by 25th while the wintering Spotted Redshank remained at The Shunan, Harray all month and a Greenshank was on North Ronaldsay on 25th.  Returning Turnstones gathered on 28th at Scuthvie, Sanday (450) and on North Ronaldsay (424).

Two Arctic Skuas had returned to Papay’s North Hill on 15th with one on North Ronaldsay on the same day; 18 were on Papay by 22nd by which time birds were scattered through other suitable sites.  12 Bonxie territories were occupied on Papay by 12th.  The immature Iceland Gull remained in Stromness Harbour all month while one was at the Peedie Sea on 11th and 27th with others on Westray, North Ronaldsay and in Holm 19th-29th.  The only Glaucous Gulls were singles at the Brough of Birsay on 19th and in Costa on 23rd.  The first Sandwich Terns had returned in late March and reports became more regular throughout April.  An early Common Tern was in the Bay of Firth on 10th but no more were seen until two at the Dead Sand, Stenness on 21st followed by two at Scapa Pier on 25th and one in Burray next day.  An Arctic Tern was on the Loch of Stenness on 23rd followed by three in Stromness on 25th and one on North Ronaldsay on 27th.  The first Puffins were reported back on Westray’s Castle o’ Burrian on 8th and had increased to 300 by 29th. 

Up to four Wood Pigeons passed through North Ronaldsay with a peak on 11th; another was on Papay on 28th/29th.  Stock Doves remain quite a rarity in Orkney so that two on North Ronaldsay on 6th and one in Toab on 10th were of note.  The first Cuckoos were reported from Stromness on 25th and Rendall on 25th/26th.   An adult male Snowy Owl (and therefore a different bird from the immature that occurred early in the year) was seen briefly in Orphir on 27th and then well, and by many observers, in Holm on 28th/29th.  Migrant Long-eared Owls were reported from North Ronaldsay on 4th/5th and 20th and from Sanday on 7th while another called from a possible breeding site during the month.  Single Wrynecks were noted on North Ronaldsay on four dates between 15th and 28th while another was seen at Redland, Firth on 18th. 

North Ronaldsay reported an early Swallow on 2nd, six more appearing at four localities from 10th-12th and then birds becoming more widespread after 19th.  The first Sand Martins were four at the Bay of Skaill on 14th with up to five there and at five other sites thereafter.  The only House Martins were singles at the Hundland Loch on 11th and on North Ronaldsay on 27th.  Grey Wagtails were only noted at potential breeding sites, at The Willows, Mill of Ireland and Woodwick.  White Wagtails were perhaps a little more conspicuous than usual on their return passage to Iceland with up to five at seven sites after 5th. 

Black Redstarts were noted at Burwick from 7th-10th, on North Ronaldsay on 10th and 15th  and at Hestily, South Ronaldsay on 28th.  North Ronaldsay had a migrant Stonechat on 7th but many regular breeding sites on the Mainland, Hoy and Rousay seemed devoid of birds, perhaps as a result of the prolonged hard weather earlier in the year.  North Ronaldsay dominated the passage of Wheatears with four on 1st, increasing to 38 on 4th, 49 on 19th and 113 on 28th; only small numbers were seen elsewhere.  The only Ring Ouzel reported was one at Foveran, St.Ola on 21st.  North Ronaldsay reported peaks of 34 Fieldfares on 1st and 11th, small numbers being noted at a few other sites.  Similarly, the same island recorded 13 Redwings on 4th, only ones and twos being seen elsewhere.

The first Sedge Warbler was singing in Durkadale on 25th when a Grasshopper Warbler was reeling in the same valley.  A Lesser Whitethroat was on North Ronaldsay on 27th.  North Ronaldsay recorded the first Blackcap, on 7th, one-two occurring there and at four other sites thereafter.  Chiffchaffs peaked at six on North Ronaldsay on 13th and 15th and seven on 28th; only singles occurred elsewhere but at seven different sites.  The first Willow Warbler was on North Ronaldsay on 8th with two there and one in Finstown on 11th, birds becoming more widespread after mid-month.  The Coal Tit that has wintered in St.Margaret’s Hope was seen again on 14th. 

Light corvid passage is a feature of spring on North Ronaldsay, up to seven Rooks, three Carrion Crows and two Jackdaws being reported mainly early in the month.  Other Carrion Crows were noted in Costa and at Burwick while a Hybrid Crow was seen near Stromness.  A Rook was also on Papay on 13th.

Bramblings peaked at six on North Ronaldsay on 23rd while up to three were seen in Swannay and singles at the three other sites.  One-two Goldfinches were noted at six Mainland localities and one in South Ronaldsay.  Siskins were conspicuous with up to 12 in Finstown and up to five at a further fifteen sites.  Up to three Common Redpolls were watched in Finstown, two on North Ronaldsay and one in Swannay while a Lesser Redpoll was in St. Margaret’s Hope on 28th.  The only Crossbill was one in the White Glen plantation on 4th but there were seven records of Hawfinches with two different birds in Deerness and others on North Ronaldsay, Costa, Birsay, St.Mary’s and Herston.

By far the largest Snow Bunting flock was one of 50 at Rennibister on 1st; North Ronaldsay’s peak was 11 on 7th while reports of ones and twos came from several sites right up to the month’s end.  The only Lapland Bunting was one at Cross Kirk, Westray on about 23rd while, finally, a Yellowhammer was reported from St. Margaret’s Hope on 16th.

Eric Meek

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