RSPB Bird Reports

ORKNEY BIRD RECORDS
DECEMBER 2004

17 Red-throated Divers was a good count in Widewall Bay on 8th while a single Black-throated Diver was there on 2nd and 9th. The largest counts of Little Grebes were three on Liddel Loch, South Ronaldsay on 12th and on the Stenness Loch on 16th.

By far the largest count of Whooper Swans involved 80 on Shapinsay’s Vasa Loch on 24th . The only report of Greenland White-fronted Geese was of 16 at Dale, Costa on 11th while small flocks of Barnacle Geese were found at Loch of Lythe, South Ronaldsay (24) and the Hundland Loch (16) on 11th/12th. Returning Shelducks were reported from three localities with 11 at Widewall on 4th, one at the Clumly Loch on 16th and two on Shapinsay on 28th. Amongst dabbling ducks, there were four Gadwall in Stenness on 19th and a Pintail and 18 Shoveler at Liddel Loch on 12th. The Stenness Loch Scaup flock numbered 230 on 16th while two Common Scoter were there on the same date and another in Widewall Bay on 11th. A drake Goosander was an unusual find in Newark Bay, South Ronaldsay on 12th.

Buzzards were reported from Widewall Bay on 11th and from Rendall between 18th-30th. An unusual record was involved a Water Rail spending the whole month in a Toab garden! The only large Golden Plover flock was of 1000 at Newark Bay, South Ronaldsay on 12th while single Grey Plovers were reported from the Oyce of Quindry on 11th and Birsay Bay on 30th. Widewall Bay produced some good wader counts on 11th with 160 Dunlin, 55 Bar-tailed Godwits, 837 Curlews and 134 Redshanks while there were also two Knot at the Oyce of Quindry. Single Woodcock were at Herston from 2nd – 6th and in Rendall on 17th and 25th but by far the most unusual wader was a Curlew Sandpiper at the Bay of Skaill on the very late date of 2nd.

A second-winter Iceland Gull was at Furrowend, Shapinsay on 28th and an exhausted first-winter bird at Birsay on 30th. The largest Rock Dove flock numbered 700 at Roeberry, South Roanldsay on 11th although 300 were at Dale, Costa all month. The only Long-eared Owls were two in Rendall on 2nd and 19th and the only Pied Wagtails reported were up to three near Stromness. Most of the Waxwings involved in the big irruption earlier in the autumn moved on and the only December records involved six in Kirkwall on 5th and one in Stromness on 22nd.

110 Fieldfares were at Whitemire, Costa on 16th and 780 at nearby Dale on 25th while the largest Redwing flock was of 140 at Graemeston, South Ronaldsay on 3rd. Blackcaps were reported from Kirkwall on 6th and at Dale, Costa (2) from 1st – 3rd with one remaining all month. A Chiffchaff was at Herston on 5th and another was found dead in the snow in Kirkwall on 27th having apparently tried to overwinter. 48 Hooded Crows at Dale, Costa on 1st was a sizeable gathering.

The only reports of Bramblings involved singles at Herston on 3rd and Finstown on 30th while the bird-crops at Dale, Costa attracted maxima of 600 Twite on 25th and 50 Greenfinches on 27th. Northern Bullfinches lingered from the autumn irruption with one at Herston until 10th; up to four in Stromness until 16th; five in Rendall on 2nd with two until 17th and one until 26th; and three Dale, Costa until 19th one remaining until 30th. Reed Bunting flocks were attracted to bird-crops at Dale with 90 on 25th and at Finstown School with 60 on 31st. Snow Buntings remained conspicuous with flocks of 100 at Aikerness, Evie on 9th and at Luxton, Shapinsay on 19th, 80 at Dale on 6th, 63 at Clestrain, Orphir on 21st and 50 at Herston on 10th.

Eric Meek

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