RSPB Bird Reports
ORKNEY BIRD RECORDS
September 2006
ORKNEY BIRD RECORDS
AUGUST 2003
The only Great Northern Divers were three in Widewall and a sick bird picked up in Toab on 6th and one in Papay Sound on 18th. At sea, Manx Shearwaters were more numerous than usual with movements of up to 103 per hour off the Brough of Birsay and up to 99 in a day off North Ronaldsay in mid-month. In contrast, Sooty Shearwaters were scarce with up to four off the Brough of Birsay and in the Pentland Firth and up to six off North Ronaldsay again mainly in mid-month. A 'blue' Fulmar passed the Brough on 20th. Storm Petrels were attracted to tapes with a maximum of 104 trapped on North Ronaldsay on 8th and a total of 570 trapped on the Birsay cliffs during the month with the bonus of a single Leach's Petrel there on 20th.
Herons were widely reported and the largest count was of 23 at the Finstown Ouse on 30th. The Birsay Loons produced the only duck counts of any note with 180 Wigeon and 14 Gadwall there on 16th; a single Goldeneye had returned to Papay by 3rd.
Golden Plover numbers built up during the month, the largest flocks being of 594 on North Ronaldsay on 27th and 500 at Hatston on 30th. Up to 49 Knot were reported from North Ronaldsay but the only records from elsewhere involved 14 on Sanday on 4th and one at Herston on 25th. Sanderling showed a similar pattern with up to 158 on North Ronaldsay and only single figures elsewhere while North Ronaldsay had a total monopoly on Purple Sandpipers with a maximum of 61 on 15th. Ruff were more widespread but very few and far between with one - two in Birsay, Stenness and North Ronaldsay but four in Holm on 8th. A peak of 32 Black-tailed Godwits was recorded on North Ronaldsay on 6th, the only other report being of seven in Birsay on 22nd. The largest Bar-tailed Godwit flock was 36 at Widewall Bay on 11th. Very few Whimbrel were noted with up to eight on Papay on 2nd/3rd and up to three on North Ronaldsay on several dates. An interesting observation on 18th was of a tight flock of 37 Redshanks low over the Westray Firth and which overtook the Earl Sigurd as they migrated south-east. Up to seven Greenshanks were reported from North Ronaldsay early in the month and there were reports of one-two from five other localities. Similarly, one-two Green Sandpipers were seen at five sites but the only Wood Sandpiper was one on Papay on 2nd/3rd.
A Long-tailed Skua passed over Firth on 21st while the juvenile Mediterranean
Gull (known from a colour ring to be Belgian in origin) remained
on North Ronaldsay until 8th. Single Little Gulls were
reported from the latter island and from Burray and Birsay.
Up to six Swifts were noted in four localities between 1st and 4th
while the only Cuckoo of the month was one at Widewall on 12th
and the only Sand Martins were six on North Ronaldsay on 4th. Swallows appear
to have had a very good breeding season and this was reflected in the large
size of the communal roost in the Graemeshall (Holm) reedbed - a peak of
3000 was recorded on 22nd. Another roost of note was one involving Pied
Wagtails, up to 80 gathering by the Finstown Ouse on 24th. The only Grey
Wagtail of the month was one on the Mill Burn, Hoy on 23rd.
A small arrival of Continental passerines took place in mid-month with
a Black Redstart, a Whinchat, a Melodious Warbler (only
the 15th Orkney record), a Barred Warbler, one-two Garden Warblers,
a Greenish Warbler (16th Orkney record), a Pied Flycatcher,
a Red-backed Shrike, up to four Redpolls and an Ortolan
Bunting all on North Ronaldsay. The Mainland contributed records of
a Reed Warbler in Holm on 15th and an Icterine Warbler in
Deerness on 18th while Hoy provided a Pied Flycatcher on 17th.
A Carrion Crow was in Harray on 17th. The minor irruption of Crossbills was
still evident early in the month with one-five in seven localities but
petered out after 12th except for up to four at Herston after 23rd. A Scarlet
Rosefinch on North Ronaldsay on 29th was joined by another on 31st
completing an interesting month that had begun in a fine way on that same
island when a superb male Black-headed Bunting remained there from
2nd-8th.
E.R.Meek
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