RSPB Bird Reports

ORKNEY BIRD RECORDS
August 2007

A Black-throated Diver was in Echnaloch Bay on 12th with three off No.3 Barrier on 19th.  One-two Great Northern Divers were recorded off North Ronaldsay on three dates after 11th and two were off No.1 Barrier on 23rd.

Sea-watching proved productive, especially in the latter part of the month.  Sooty Shearwaters were on the move in considerable numbers with a peak of 304 off North Ronaldsay on 28th; up to 32 per hour were also passing Whitaloo Point, Birsay on 25th while three were off Egilsay on 12th.  Manx Shearwaters were also conspicuous with 34 off Egilsay on 12th, up to 21 per hour off Whitaloo Point on 25th/26th and a peak of 35 off North Ronaldsay on 28th.  Rarer species included single Cory’s Shearwaters off North Ronaldsday on 25th, 27th and 28th.  35 Great Shearwaters were noted off North Ronaldsay between 23rd and 30th with a peak of 19 on 28th; off Whitaloo Point there were five on 26th and two on 28th.  A single Balearic Shearwater was off Whitaloo Point on 26th while a Little Shearwater reported from North Ronaldsay on 19th would be the first Orkney record if confirmed.  Storm Petrels were on the move too with peaks of 203 off North Ronaldsay on 18th and 175 on 28th; up to five per day were seen off Birsay and Egilsay.  Three Leach’s Petrels were off North Ronaldsay on 18th and one off Whitaloo Point on 25th.

Teal flock during August, the largest concentration being of 270 at Shapinsay’s Mill Dam on 20th. A single Pochard was at the Loch of Tankerness on 18th and seven Goldeneyes there on 18th.  Three Velvet Scoters were in Echnaloch Bay on 22nd and one off Cava on 30th while up to thee drake Ruddy Ducks were at the Mill Dam during the month. 

A female Marsh Harrier was at The Loons, Birsay on 10th and a juvenile at Loch of Banks on 28th.  An Osprey fished the Harray Loch on 14th while the only Buzzard away from the Hoy breeding sites was one at Westness, Rousay on 11th.  The  most unusual raptor of the month, however, was a Hobby on North Ronaldsay on 8th/9th.

Golden Plover flocks built up during the month, the largest being 800 at Twatt, Birsay and 550 at Tosts Ness, Sanday.  North Ronaldsay reported the largest Knot numbers with 63 on 16th although 53 were at Mill Sand, Tankerness on 14th and 30 at Mull Head, Deerness on 15th.  210 Sanderlings at Scuthvie, Sanday on 8th was the biggest concentration but North Ronaldsay reported 98 on 12th and 19 at the Bay of Skaill was a large number for the Mainland. Purple Sandpipers peaked at 21 on North Ronaldsay on 17th, the only other being two on Sanday on 8th.  Dunlin were also on the move with up to 65 on North Ronaldsay (peak on 6th), 54 at Mill Sand on 14th and 50 at West Ayre Loch, Sanday on 5th.  July’s Buff-breasted Sandpiper on North Ronaldsay remained until 2nd while another North American vagrant, a White-rumped Sandpiper, was at Mill Sand, Tankerness from 14th-19th.  Up to 14 Ruff frequented Shapinsay’s Mill Dam with one – five reported from five other localities.  An unfledged Snipe chick was found on Greeny Hill, Birsay on 19th, an indication of just how late this particular species sometimes nests.  The largest Bar-tailed Godwit gathering was 140 on Sanday on 24th.  Sanday also reported the biggest Black-tailed Godwit party with 15 at Tofts Ness on 17th; elsewhere three-eight were seen at five other sites.  Whimbrel passage peaked on 3rd on North Ronaldsay when 12 were recorded although nine were seen as late as 22nd; up to five were reported from elsewhere.  Curlew flocks built during the month with, for example, 460 at Marwick on 14th.  Greenshanks were conspicuous with eight at Tofts Ness, Sanday on 17th and numerous other reports of up to four.  The Mill Dam, Shapinsay proved especially attractive to waders, its lowered water level providing lots of open mud; a Spotted Redshank was there from 19th-27th and three Wood Sandpipers on 17th.  A Green Sandpiper was also there on 17th, other being reported from Birsay, Evie, Rendall (two) and Sandwick between 10th-20th.  A migrant Common Sandpiper was on North Ronaldsay on 20th/21st.

Single Pomarine Skuas were off North Ronaldsay on 27th and 29th with two on 30th while another was off Whitaloo Point on 26th.  Single Sabine’s Gulls were seen from North Ronaldsay on 23rd and from Whitaloo Point on 30th.  The summering Glaucous Gull remained in South Ronaldsay all month.  A Black Tern off Egilsay on 7th was a rare visitor.

A Stock Dove on North Ronaldsay on 24th was on an unusual date.  The only Cuckoo was a juvenile at Graemston, South Ronaldsay on 25th.  Records of Swifts were concentrated between 8th-15th with one-two on North Ronaldsay, Sanday, Birsay and Deerness.  Sand Martins were few and far between with only one-two on North Ronaldsay, and in Stenness and Burray.  The usual August concentrations of Pied Wagtails contained five White Wagtails at the Peedie Sea on 28th and four at Stenness on 31st. 

A Whinchat reached North Ronaldsay on 21st, a dispersing Stonechat having been recorded there on 7th.  A Grasshopper Warbler was heard reeling near Kirkwall Airport on several dates up to 15th but much rarer (and only the 2nd Orkney record if confirmed) was an Aquatic Warbler seen at Dale, Costa on 7th.  Single Barred Warblers were seen on North Ronaldsay on 21st and 24th  while one-two Garden Warblers were seen there on the same dates.  North Ronaldsay reported the only Chiffchaffs with singles on 10th and 18th/19th.  Willow Warblers were a little more widespread with one on North Ronaldsay on 4th and up to four between 21st-27th and others in Stenness Village and Russadale, Stenness (two) on 10th.  The brood of Spotted Flycatchers in an Orphir hanging basket fledged successfully and details came to light of other nesting attempts in Finstown and Evie.

Two Carrion Crows were at Loch of Banks on 12th and one at Birsay Bay on 14th.  The largest Twite flock was 65 at Barswick, South Ronaldsay on 19th.  A Crossbill was in Rendall on 10th and single Scarlet Rosefinches on North Ronaldsay on four dates after 19th.

Eric Meek

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