RSPB Bird Reports
ORKNEY BIRD RECORDS
FEBRUARY 2003
Traditionally a very quiet month, February 2003 was not without interest.
Peak Red-throated Divers occurred mid-month with 15 off Ness Point,
Shapinsay and five in Widewall Bay while a Black-throated Diver was
seen again in the Shapinsay area on 5th and 26th. The Stenness Loch held
up to six Little Grebes and by far the largest concentration of Slavonian
Grebes was 14 in Echnaloch Bay on 16th. Heron numbers seem
to have declined but North Ronaldsay and Widewall Bay, South Ronaldsay
both reported up to five.
The main Whooper Swan flocks were at the Sabiston Loch (up to 67)
and on Shapinsay (up to 64) while 21 were in Rendall on 14th and 29 were
in Toab on 20th . The two elusive Tundra Bean Geese were seen on
North Ronaldsay only on 28th while other interesting goose records involved
250 Pink-footed Geese in Harray on 24th and 205 in Deerness on
12th, 32 Greenland White-fronted Geese at the Birsay Loons on 5th
and one in Firth on 16th , a bird of the European race being at Howe, Stromness
on 3rd; two White-fronts were also seen on North Ronaldsay.
The South Walls Barnacle Goose flock numbered 1195 on 14th, the
only other Barnacle being one at Howe on 3rd; a Canada Goose was
in Firth on 16th. Shelducks peaked at 48 in Widewall Bay on 20th
while the largest concentration of Gadwall was of seven on the
Stenness Loch on 15th. 140 Mallard were on a bird crop at Costa
on 4th while 150 were counted at Vasa Loch, Shapinsay on 15th. The only Pintails reported
were two in Rendall on 14th, a single on North Ronaldsay on 15th and a
pair coming to Quindry, South Ronaldsay all month. 18 Shoveler were
on North Ronaldsay on 16th while three had returned to Brodgar by 22nd,
increasing to eight by 26th. The Stenness Loch Scaup count reached
309 on 15th but the Wasdale Loch was an unusual locality for one on 12th. Long-tailed
Duck concentrations included 200 in Eynhallow Sound on 5th and 242
in Echnaloch Bay on 16th. A Velvet Scoter was an unusual sight
on the Stenness Loch on 15th while Goosanders were reported from
the Wasdale Loch on 12th and a roadside pool in Costa on 26th.
The wandering White-tailed Eagle was seen again in Deerness on
22nd/23rd and a very early female Marsh Harrier passed through
Harray on 16th. Two Buzzards were reported from Hoy on 17th but
much more unusual was a sighting of a Rough-legged Buzzard there
on 27th. There were several reports of Sparrowhawks while one
observer reported a distinct influx of Merlins from 21st - 24th
with eight individuals seen in lowland areas during that period.
A Water Rail in Rendall on 5th-7th and again 15th-17th was watched
eating peanuts! Oystercatchers poured back into the islands from
mid-month but Golden Plovers remained scarce, the only substantial
flocks being 341 on North Ronaldsay on 9th and 160 in Birsay on 28th. 180 Knot in
Tankerness on 18th was a good count as was 93 Dunlins at the Ayre
Mills, Kirkwall on 15th; four Sanderling were at Scapa on 23rd.
The wintering Jack Snipe was seen again in Stenness on 1st and
23rd the only other sighting being in Costa on 4th. Up to three Woodcock
were at Queenamidda, Rendall while others were seen in Herston and Stenness
and remains were found at Scapa on 14th. Up to 100 Bar-tailed Godwits were
present in Widewall Bay during the month the next largest count being 29
on North Ronaldsay. A large flock of 700 Curlew was on the shore
at Coldomo, Stenness on 15th but thereafter birds began to move inland
in enormous numbers.
The long-staying Ring-billed Gull and Mediterranean Gull remained
in Stromness and Finstown respectively while Stromness held the only Iceland
Gull and Shapinsay the only Glaucous Gull. The first returning Lesser
Black-backed Gull was in Kirkwall on 11th with five there by 24th.
A very early Sandwich Tern was in Echnaloch Bay on 16th. Considerable
numbers of Guillemots and Razorbills began to be found
dead mid-month especially on the beaches in the north-eastern sector of
Scapa Flow while 12 Puffin and three Little Auk corpse were
also found on Scapa Beach on 14th. This appears to be part of a widespread
'wreck' taking place throughout much of the North Sea probably as a result
of food shortages.
340 Rock Doves in Costa was the largest flock reported as was 60 Wood
Pigeons at Berstane. A Long-eared Owl remained in Herston until
5th while roosts of up to ten and five were found in Rendall and Birsay
respectively. Short-eared Owls became rather more conspicuous with
reports of one-two from several Mainland sites. The peak Skylark count
on North Ronaldsay was 28 on 25th while there were reports of 20-27 from
three Sandwick/Stenness sites. Meadow Pipit sightings remained
very few but there were some interesting inland sightings of the normally
highly coastal Rock Pipit - around the Stenness Loch on 4th and
15th and in the middle of the Birsay Moors on 22nd. The only Pied Wagtails reported
were in Firth on 1st and in Kirkwall on 24th, a Grey Wagtail being
seen at Stromness Academy on 9th.
Blackbird song was reported from 20th and Song Thrush from
21st. Stonechats were very scarce, the only Mainland report being
of one in Russadale, Stenness on 15th. North Ronaldsay held up to 23 Fieldfares while
a bird crop supported up to 15 in Stenness. A Mistle Thrush in
Toab on 22nd was a scarce migrant. The only warbler of the month was the
cock Blackcap that remained in Finstown until at least 16th. Carrion
Crows, now regarded a full species distinct from our Hooded Crows,
are decidedly uncommon in Orkney so that one-two in Lyness and one at Scapa
were of note. By far the largest Chaffinch flock was one of 300
in Lyness on 16th; single Bramblings were seen in Rendall on four dates.
420 Twite were in Costa on 24th with gatherings of 210 in Stenness
on 15th and 200 near Stromness on 24th; 100 Linnets were at Brodgar
on 22nd and two Siskins in Rendall on 24th. A Crossbill was watched
in a Rackwick garden on 23rd with another in Rendall on 25th/26th, unusual
dates for this irruptive species. Snow Buntings remained scarce,
36 in Costa on 13th being by far the largest flock while Costa also hosted
the largest Reed Bunting gathering with 100 on 4th.
E.R.Meek
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