RSPB Bird Reports

ORKNEY BIRD RECORDS
FEBRUARY 2007

Notable concentrations of Great Northern Divers occurred off Papay (22 on 18th) and Rerwick Head (30 on 25th).  Slavonian Grebes were also conspicuous, the largest gatherings being 11 on the Stenness Loch on 18th and 10 in Kirkwall Bay on 25th.  A Red-necked Grebe was in the usual locality in the Bay of Sandoyne, Holm on 14th and another was in Weddle Sound on 18th.   A party of 12 Herons was at Head of Work on 16th.

Shapinsay remained the headquarters of our wintering Whooper Swans with 77 there on 8th; elsewhere 28 were at Sanday’s Bea Loch on 18th and 21 at the Sabiston Loch on 20th while there were five other reports of 10-17.  Greylag Geese remained in the islands in very large numbers.  Amongst them were also found a good scatter of Pink-footed Geese (including a count of 725 in Tankerness on 10th);  small numbers of Barnacle Geese (max. 17 at the Loch of Skaill on 21st); up to 101 Greenland White-fronted Geese at The Loons; single Snow Geese in Tankerness on 5th and 16th and in Birsay on 16th and 25th;  and a single Light-bellied Brent Goose on Papay on 18th.

The largest Shelduck count was of 40 at their favourite Widewall Bay site on 9th.  Teal were recorded in good numbers with 225 at the Loch of Banks on 10th, 189 on North Ronaldsay on 18th and 152 at the Sabiston Loch on 20th.  Shovelers were also noticeable with up to 30 at Loch of Banks and 26 on North Ronaldsay.  The two latter localities also recorded the peak numbers of Pintails with 11 and 16 respectively.  The Stenness Loch Scaup flock numbered 224 on 18th.  Small numbers of Velvet Scoters were noted in their usual localities but the only Common Scoter was one off Yinstay on 25th.  Two Goosanders were on the Harray Loch on 13th at least one remaining to 25th while others were noted at Marwick on 18th and the Boardhouse Loch on 20th.  The drake Ruddy Duck remained at the Quoyloo Brewery pool.

Two Buzzards were watched on Rousay on 17th while up to three have been in the Firth-Rendall-Evie area during the month. 

An Avocet was a remarkable find at Mill Sand, Tankerness on 25th; only the seventh Orkney record, this was the earliest ever by five weeks!  Oystercatchers began to return in substantial numbers, the largest gathering being 260 at the Wasdale Loch on 21st.  Golden Plovers continued to be seen in considerable numbers, the largest flocks being 2500 in the Banks/Twatt area on 22nd and 1200 on Sanday on 13th.  One-two Grey Plovers were noted on North Ronaldsay, Papay and at both Birsay and Skaill Bays.  The only Knot were singles on North Ronaldsay on 18th, at the Boardhouse Loch on 20th and in Toab on 25th.  A remarkable flock of at least 900 Dunlin was counted at Rummie, Sanday on 13th.  Papay had the most Purple Sandpipers with 420 on 18th while there were 124 on North Ronaldsay on 1st and 75 at Mid Howe, Rousay on 17th.  A Ruff was found at Kirbuster Farm, Birsay on 10th then three-four were at Loch of Banks after 17th.  The largest Bar-tailed Godwit count was of 280 on Sanday on 8th , although there were 130 in Tankerness on 10th.  One-two Woodcocks were recorded at nine localities during the month but there were only four reports of Jack Snipe, at Durkadale on 4th, Frotoft, Rousay on 17th, Egilsay on 19th and North Ronaldsay on 27th.  There were Curlew flocks numbering 590 at Water Sound on 13th and 550 at Coldomo, Stenness on 3rd.  A concentration of 280 Redshanks at Kirbuster Farm, Birsay was also of note.

An adult Mediterranean Gull was seen on North Ronaldsay on three dates while an immature bird was at the Peedie Sea during the latter part of the month.  The albino Black-headed Gull was in Sandwick again on 10th while the Stromness Ring-billed Gull was seen on at least two occasions during the month.  The first returning Lesser Black-backed Gull were at the Peedie Sea and the Sabiston Loch on 20th while up to three were at the Peedie Sea after 22nd.  One-two Glaucous Gulls were on North Ronaldsay on four dates while singles were also reported from Papay, Hoy, Switha Sound and three Mainland localities.  Iceland Gulls were well reported with up to four at the Peedie Sea, at least three in Stromness Harbour and singles at the Loch of Clumly, Finstown, Lyness and on Papay.  Single Little Auks were in Clestrain Sound on 13th and off Cava on 24th.

Two Wood Pigeons appeared on North Ronaldsay on 24th/25th and one at Herston on 27th, all likely to be migrants.  A Collared Dove was also on North Ronaldsay on 28th.  There were only four reported sightings of Short-eared Owls and none of Long-eared Owls during the month. 

The only Pied Wagtails noted were one-two in Stromness all month and singles in Stenness on 16th , on North Ronaldsay on 17th , on Flotta on 24th and in Holm on 25th.  Grey Wagtails were noted at The Willows, Kirkwall all month, at Scapa on 13th , Heddle on 18th and over Orkney College (two) on 23rd.  Another record of a Rock Pipit wintering inland came from near Vinden, Firth on 18th.  Wintering flocks of Skylarks included 30 at Tafts Ness, Sanday on 13th and 20 at Dale, Costa on 27th.  Migration of this species was noted on North Ronaldsay as numbers built up to 40 on 26th and to 71 the following day.  Singing Skylarks were noted on Sanday on 13th and on South Ronaldsay on 16th. 

Stonechats are early migrants in small numbers but two on North Ronaldsay on 25th were well ahead of schedule!  There was a hint of Blackbird passage, also on North Ronaldsay, with 17 there on 24th/25th.  40 Redwings in Finstown on 23rd was the most recorded while the largest Fieldfare flock was of 45 at Caldale, St.Ola on 8th and there were 40 at Burwick on 13th and up to 30 in Orphir and North Ronaldsay after mid-month.  North Ronaldsay also had a run of Mistle Thrush records with one-two noted between 17th and 27th.  Two Goldcrests on North Ronaldsay on 26th were very early migrants while two Carrion Crows were also there on 4th with other singles at Brodgar, Skaill and Boardhouse on 10th.  The Newark Bay, South Ronaldsay Jackdaw flock numbered 66 on 16th.  Ravens were watched nest-building in Firth on 25th.  Amongst the large numbers of Starlings in a pre-roost gathering at Skaill, Sandwick on 13th were two leucistic birds. 

A party of five Goldfinches remained in Finstown almost all month and a flock of 80 Chaffinches was found on Flotta on 24th.   80 Twite were at Herston on 21st while flocks of 50 were noted at Dale, Costa and Merkister, Harray.  Eight Siskins were at Feold, Firth on 17th, one having been seen displaying there on 14th; another was at Swannay from 21st-24th.  From 24th, an interesting influx of Redpolls occurred with 10 in Evie, up to seven on North Ronaldsay and one-three on Sanday, and at Kirkwall, Toab and Herston; at least the North Ronaldsay birds were identified as being Mealy Redpolls.    A flock of 55 Snow Buntings were near Dale, Costa on 8th with 40 on Shapinsay mid-month, 36 in the Birsay village area on 24th and 30 on Burgar Hill on 21st.  The only Reed Bunting flock of note was of 50 at Dale, Costa on 12th. 

E.R.Meek

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