RSPB Bird Reports

ORKNEY BIRD RECORDS
AUGUST 2004

The details of the disastrous seabird breeding season continued to unfold with no young Kittiwakes at all fledged from the 773 nests monitored by JNCC and Guillemot breeding productivity reduced from its normal 70% down to 30%. Fulmars also suffered badly with monitoring plots showing a 26% reduction in productivity compared to 2003. Even Bonxies, the species that some would like to blame for the problem, really felt the pinch – of 45 territories in a Hoy study plot, 35 had failed by late July! In summary, anything that depended on sand-eels or plankton had a hard time although there was one puzzling anomaly: Red-throated Divers, another sandeel feeder, had a good season producing an average of 0.9 chicks per site compared to 0.6 last year. Seabirds that aren’t dependant on sandeels seemed to perform normally so that, for example, the new Gannet colony on Westray’s Noup Cliffs currently has 11 chicks while Tysties on Auskerry seemed to have a good season.

Away from the sea, our Hen Harriers continued their better run of success compared to the disastrous years of the late ‘90s. 65 breeding attempts were detected and 80 chicks were reared. Merlins did not fare so well, seeming less able to deal with the poor weather of late June. Corncrakes could only struggle to reach half of the numbers recorded in 2003, only 15 calling males being found; perhaps the poor spring weather dissuaded them from pushing this far north as good numbers were recorded in their more southerly resorts. Common Gulls seemed to do much better this year; being earthworm feeders, they perhaps found the damper ground compared to 2003 more to their liking. One species that everyone is commenting on this summer is the Swallow; they seem to be everywhere and producing lots of chicks despite the, at times, less than optimal weather.

Two Great Northern Divers calling loudly on the sea off Stembister, Toab on 22nd were most unusual on such a date. Sooty Shearwaters were in very short supply with only two on two dates off North Ronaldsay. Generally small numbers of Storm Petrels were reported from the latter island but 86 were ringed on the night of 12th/13th while 20 were in the Pentland Firth on 16th. Single Leach’s Petrels were seen in each of those localities on the same dates. The usual early autumn influx of Grey Herons began and brought six to Shapinsay’s Mill Dam on 9th and seven to the Finstown Ouse on 20th.

Two Canada Geese visited the Mill Dam on 28th and the same site held two broods of Ruddy Ducks on 13th. The largest Teal flock was one of 75 at Voy on 11th and of Red-breasted Mergansers, 17 at Widewall on 3rd. Single Goldeneyes were on the Harray and Stenness Lochs on 5th and 16th respectively while early-returning Scaup involved four in Holm on 28th and 13 on the Skaill Loch next day. The largest gathering of Eiders was of 300, mainly moulting drakes, at the Quanterness Skerry on 14th. There were few raptor reports of note although Marsh Harriers were reported from Holm on 21st and Westray on 30th while wandering Buzzards were in North Walls on 15th, Orphir on 18th and the Costa/Evie area on 29th and 31st.

Migrant waders are usually an August feature and this August was no exception. Golden Plovers peaked at 500 on North Ronaldsay and 450 at Loch of Banks while there were several reports of up to 250 elsewhere. The largest concentration of Ringed Plovers involved 100 at The Ouse, Shapinsay on 9th. Small numbers of Knot passed through, 20 at Burwick on 13th being the largest number. Sanderling were conspicuous with a peak of 188 on North Ronaldsay on 1st and an unusually large count of 51 at the Ayre of Cara on 9th. Two Little Stints were on South Ronaldsay on 21st with two at Brodgar on 30th. Their fellow traveller, the Curlew Sandpiper, was noted only on North Ronaldsay where there were three on 28th. Ruff were noted throughout the month with peaks of eight at Rango on 7th and seven on North Ronaldsay on 9th while up to four were seen in six other localities. 19 Black-tailed Godwits visited North Ronaldsay on 5th/6th but the only others reported were three in Sandwick on 26th. 230 Bar-tailed Godwits were counted on Cata Sand, Sanday, their favourite Orkney resort, on 22nd while 10 were at Widewall the same day. Light Whimbrel passage continued all month with a peak of eight over Wyre on 8th. The Stenness Redshank flock built up to a peak of 120 on 13th and, on 25th, included a very striking, almost albino bird; the only Spotted Redshank of the month was one on North Ronaldsay on 6th. Small numbers of Greenshanks were recorded with one – two in six localities while there was a good passage of Green Sandpipers in similar numbers; single Wood Sandpipers were on North Ronaldsay from 6th and on Westray on 16th.

A lone immature Kittiwake flew south over Stenness in windy conditions on 9th, an unusual site away from the coast. Most Arctic Terns and Common Terns had disappeared by mid-month although odd birds continued to be seen on sea-watches. Sandwich Terns, however, continued to be reported in good numbers especially from the Pickaquoy cricket pitch!

Single Cuckoos were reported from North Ronaldsay on six dates with others on Westray on 17th, in Orphir on 23rd and in Birsay on 25th. 12 Swifts were over North Ronaldsay on 1st with two on 10th while another was at Lamb Holm next day. It was a good month for seeing that oddest of the woodpecker tribe, the Wryneck: one was found, unfortunately dead, on Sanday on 13th, no fewer than nine were on North Ronaldsay on 22nd and singles were at Herston and in Firth on 26th. Sand Martins were proved to have bred in Birsay and at Honeysgeo, South Ronaldsay while Swallows, noted earlier as having had a terrific season, included a leucistic bird in Evie on 24th. A Yellow Wagtail was on North Ronaldsay on 22nd but much more unusual was the Dipper which visited Tormiston on 1st.

The bouts of south-easterly winds during the month brought in the expected migrant chats, warblers and flycatchers in better numbers than we have seen in August for a number of years. Small numbers of Redstarts and Whinchats were seen while Fieldfares were noted on North Ronaldsay (up to five from 8th) and Papay on 21st. Eight Reed Warblers were trapped in the Graemeshall reed-bed between 11th and 25th while one-two were reported from North Ronaldsay on several dates and another on Auskerry on 15th. One-two Icterine Warblers were reported from North Ronaldsay on six dates while one was trapped and ringed in Rendall on 14th. Single Barred Warblers were found on North Ronaldsay on three dates with others on Sanday on 22nd and one found dead at Windwick on 30th. Whitethroats were proven to have bred in Rendall but, otherwise, the only sightings were of singles on four dates on North Ronaldsay, similar numbers of Lesser Whitethroats being reported from there and from Herston. Orkney’s north-easterly outpost held the monopoly on Garden Warblers with a maximum of six there on 11th and also recorded the month’s only Blackcap on 25th. North Ronaldsay’s grip was broken on 15th when a real rarity, an Arctic Warbler, was found on Auskerry but the former island hit back on 20th when an equally rare migrant, a Greenish Warbler found near the lighthouse. One-two Wood Warblers were found at Windwick and on North Ronaldsay from 12th-14th with another at St.Margaret’s Hope from 26th. The only Chiffchaff was on North Ronaldsay on 5th and although a good scatter of Willow Warblers occurred throughout the islands it was the same island that reported the highest numbers with 27 on 9th and 26 on 22nd. The only Spotted Flycatchers were seen on North Ronaldsay from 7th and on Sanday on 22nd but Pied Flycatchers put in agood appearance with up to 14 on North Ronaldsay (Peak on 9th) and up to three at five other localities.

Three Red-backed Shrikes were reported, from North Ronaldsay on 8th and 14th and Windwick from 11th; unusually two of these were adult males. Undoubtedly the migrant of the month, however, was the Lesser Grey Shrike found near Windwick on 20th. Only the 4th record for Orkney and the first since 1967, this obliging bird stayed for several days and afforded many admirers with excellent views as it maintained its larder of bees on the barbed wire fences on which it resided.

Finch and bunting numbers began to build up in the crops planted specifically for the purpose of providing food for these species through the winter. 50 Greenfinches were in Orphir on 18th while Linnet numbers built up to 128 on North Ronaldsay and 80 at Furrowend, Shapinsay and Reed Buntings peaked at 25 in Costa on 27th. More unusual finches included a Goldfinch at the Sands of Wright on 26th, a Crossbill in Herston on 13th and a Siskin that was resident in Rendall all month.

Eric Meek

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