RSPB Bird Reports
ORKNEY BIRD REPORTS
FEBRUARY 2004
February is traditionally one of the quietest months of the year with
usually very little movement in the bird world. So it proved this year
but nevertheless there were some records of note.
A Red-throated Diver had returned to the Hundland Loch by 20th. Whooper
Swan flocks were generally small the largest reported being 19 by the
Boardhouse Loch on 29th and 18 at Burwick on 16th. A very large flock of
1200 Pink-footed Geese was in Deerness on 18th with a scatter of
ones and twos elsewhere. The Loons White-fronted Goose flock numbered
77 on 29th but, unusually, there were a number of records from outside
that area with up to 12 in Rendall, five on North Ronaldsay and one on
Papay, all in the second half of the month. The unusually high numbers
of Barnacle Geese on South Walls were maintained with a count of
1600 there on 19th the only others to be reported being 15 in Rendall on
13th. Shelducks began to return in force, the largest count being
35 in Widewall Bay on 9th. North Ronaldsay had a monopoly on the peak counts
of the scarcer dabbling ducks with 14 Gadwall, eight Pintail and
31 Shoveler all occurring between 15th and 19th while, amongst the
diving ducks, a count of some 200 Scaup on the Harray Loch was
the most notable.
Single Buzzards in Orphir, Firth, Rendall and two localities in
Hoy provided the only raptor records of note. A single Water Rail continued
to inhabit atypical habitat in Rendall, being seen on 1st and 8th. Oystercatchers became
much more conspicuous inland from about 20th onwards as birds returned
from their Welsh and Devonian wintering haunts. Amongst notable wader counts
there were 260 Golden Plover on North Ronaldsay on 19th and 220 Dunlin at
Widewall Bay on 16th. 60 Bar-tailed Godwits were also at the latter
locality when four Black-tailed Godwits were found on North Ronaldsay.
South Ronaldsay provided some sizeable Curlew counts with 720 at
Widewall, 850 at Water Sound and 680 at Liddel, all also on 16th. The only Knot reported
were four on North Ronaldsay on 2nd and two at Oyce of Quindry on 16th.
Single Woodcock were reported from one East Mainland and three West
Mainland localities while a Jack Snipe was found near Dounby on
17th.
Glaucous Gulls were found in South Ronaldsay on 6th and on Papay
on 29th with Iceland Gulls in South Ronaldsay on 9th and in Stromness
on 24th. Considerable numbers of Guillemots (with a few Razorbills)
were ashore on Papay's Fowl Craig on 29th though doubtless there will be
many comings and goings before they finally settle for the breeding season.
The largest Rock Dove flock was 280 in Costa on 15th while Collared
Doves were carrying nesting material in Stromness on 19th. 40 Skylarks in
Costa on 28th was the largest gathering while there were only two reports
of Pied Wagtails (on North Ronaldsay on 16th and 19th and in Stromness
on 25th) and one of Grey Wagtail (at Redland, Firth on 5th). A Dunnock was
in full song in Stenness on 20th and a Stonechat, also in Stenness
on 18th; another interesting Stonechat record was of one on North
Ronaldsay on 20th. Wintering Scandinavian thrushes were few and far between,
the peak count of Fieldfares being 35 in Stenness on 19th and of Redwings,
14 on North Ronaldsay on 20th.
A count of 43 Jackdaws at Flaws, South Ronaldsay was noteworthy
for this declining species in the islands. Ravens have the reputation
of being very early breeders and a nest in Stenness was half built by 18th
and more or less complete by 29th. Up to 40 Bramblings were in the
Kirkwall/St.Ola area and up to 25 in Rendall while the largest Greenfinch flock
involved up to 20 at Herston and that of Linnets, 90 at Crantit. Twite continued
to be concentrated on crops especially grown to improve their overwinter
survival with 380 in Costa, 280 in Toab, 150 on Hoy, 70 in Stenness and,
most unusually these days, 52 on North Ronaldsay. Snow Buntings were
found only in small and scattered groups the largest gathering being only
20 on South Ronaldsay's Ward Hill on 6th. Typically, the largest Reed
Bunting concentration was at Dale in Costa where there were up to
100 while a single Yellowhammer continued to visit a site in Rendall
intermittently throughout the month.
E.R.Meek.
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