RSPB Bird Reports
ORKNEY BIRD RECORDS
FEBRUARY 2008
Traditionally the quietest month of the year, February ’08 did manage to produce some interesting records. The only Black-throated Diver records were both off Burray, on 2nd and 15th. An outstanding count of 66 Slavonian Grebes was made in Wide Firth on 10th when 11 were also seen in Water Sound, Burray; nine were on the Stenness Loch on 5th. A single Red-necked Grebe was in Inganess Bay on 13th. Parties of seven and eight Cormorants moving north over Herston were suggestive of passage while the same area,Widewall Bay, produced the highest count of Herons with 12.
77 Whooper Swans were on Mill Dam, Shapinsay on 4th while 36 were on Sanday’s Bea Loch on 10th. Greylag Geese remained very numerous with, for example, 2273 around the Stenness Loch on 5th. 500 Pink-footed Geese were together in Tankerness on 12th and the Greenland White-fronted Goose flock at The Loons, Birsay peaked at 63 on 2nd, the only other being a single bird on North Ronaldsay on 2nd. A Taiga Bean Goose was on Shapinsay on 7/8th while the Firth Snow Goose relocated to Quanterness being seen there on many dates.300 Barnacle Geese (presumably from South Walls) visited Herston on 2nd while the Skaill, Sandwick flock peaked at 68 on 16th and others involved up to 17 in Rendall and nine at Point of Ayre, Deerness. North Ronaldsay’s Canada Goose was seen up until 19th and its Pale-bellied Brent Goose until 20th; another Brent was reported in Deerness.
Widewall Bay attracted the biggest concentration of Shelducks, 43 on 9th. A Green-winged Teal was seen on the Loch of Tankerness on 11th/12th but was very elusive. North Ronaldsay’s peak count of Shoveler was 25 on 15th while 24 had been on Loch of Banks a week previously. North Loch, Sanday remained the main site for Pintail, 39 being counted on 10th; elsewhere, North Ronladsay had a peak of 19 on 10th and one-four were noted at four other sites including one on Gairsay. A count of 175 Tufted Ducks on Vasa Loch, Shapinsay was very high for that site. 89 Scaup were on the Stenness Loch on 5th but more unusually up to five were on the Loch of Skaill and a drake was at Herston 8th-10th. Quanterness was the main site for Velvet Scoters with up to 35 during the month; the Surf Scoter was seen again there on 10th and 18th. A drake Goosander was on the Harray Loch on 16th and the drake Smew remained on the Loch of Skaill until at least 17th.
A Common Buzzard was seen on several occasions in the Firth/Rendall area while the Rough-legged Buzzard remained in Rendall all month.
Away from the north isles, Grey Plovers are really scarce so that singles at Birsay Bay and Bay of Skaill on 2nd and at the Oyce of Quindry on 9th were of note. A flock of 330 Knot in fields at Heatherhouse, Tankerness on 14th was an unusual concentration. The shore at Scuthvie, Sanday again provided the biggest Sanderling count, 210 on 10th while 130 were on North Ronaldsay on 12th. The same two sites scooped the honours for Purple Sandpipers too – 110 at Scuthvie on 10th and 119 on North Ronaldsay on 13th. There were five Ruff at The Loons hide, Birsay on 2nd, one of them bearing Dutch colour rings indicating that it was the same bird as had appeared here last year; another was at Cleat, South Ronaldsay on 9th. Woodcocks continued to be prominent with three in the Linnadale area of Orphir on 2nd, three in Remndall on 14th and one-two at five other sites. Jack Snipe were in short supply being recorded only on Burray on 2nd and at Hobbister, Orphir on 7th and Head of Work on 13th. Widewall Bay hosted 81 Bar-tailed Godwits on 9th and 47 were on North Ronaldsay two days later. The wintering Whimbrel was seen on Burray on 22nd and 27th.
The remarkable concentration of white-winged gulls at Carness, St.Ola was confirmed as consisting of Iceland Gulls, a peak count of six being made on 9th. Elsewhere, one-two were seen at five sites up until 19th. Records of Glaucous Gulls comprised four long-staying individuals – two on North Ronaldsay, one in Stromness Harbour and one in Widewall Bay – and a single fly-by at Furrowend, Shapinsay on 24th. Little Auk sightings were confined to North Ronaldsay with one on 19th and two on 23rd.
The largest Rock Dove flock was of 200 at Dale, Costa on 27th. A pair of Collared Doves was nest-building at Highland Park, St.Ola on 9th. The only Short-eared Owl reported was one in the Burn of Rusht, Birsay on 20th. Skylarks provided some interest during the month. Fine weather encouraged birds into song on South Ronaldsay and Burray on 9th/10th while an apparent arrival of migrants on 2nd involved 33 coming in from the south on South Ronaldsay, 12 on Burray and 27 moving east over Finstown. North Ronaldsay recorded peaks of 80 on 12th and 82 on 20th while 30 were at Dale on 23rd. The only Grey Wagtails were birds on the Willow Burn, Kirkwall on 5th and at Scapa on 27th. Pied Wagtails became more conspicuous as the month progressed with five together in Stromness on 15th. The Hen of Gairsay was an unusual locality for a flock of 15 Meadow Pipits on 14th; otherwise only four singles were reported.
An influx of Redwings brought 60 to Deerness on 12th and 22 to North Ronaldsay next day. A small arrival of Blackbirds resulted in a count of 14 on North Ronaldsay on 25th. 80 Jackdaws were at Dale on 29th, other substantial flocks being 44 at Newark Bay, South Ronaldsay on 24th and 48 at Loch of Lythe, also South Ronaldsay on the same day. Carrion Crows were at Skaill, Sandwick on 9th and Burray on 14th while a Hybrid Crow was in Rendall on 2nd. Ravens are notoriously early nesters and birds were building in Rendall on 20th and a nest with two eggs was found in Orphir on 29th.
Bramblings have been very scarce this winter and three in Finstown on 2nd was the month’s only record. Finstown also provided most of the other interesting finch records with a maximum of 98 Greenfinches there, the only Bullfinch (up until at least 18th) and up to four Goldfinches; other Goldfinches involved singles on Sanday on 2nd and Burray on 10th, six in Deerness on 17th and eight on Rousay on 4th. Although single Siskins were in Kirkwall on 9th and Firth next day and 10 were in Rendall on 13th, it was an influx from 18th that caught the attention with up to 40 in Rendall, 20 in Finstown and up to five at six other localities. The largest Twite flocks were 140 at Dale, 120 at Sebay Mill and 100 at Herston. 140 Snow Buntings were in Rendall on 23rd, other substantial gatherings being of up to 70 on North Ronaldsay and 65 at Tresness, Sanday. Dale again provided the biggest Reed Bunting flock with 60 there on 27th.
E.R.Meek
Back to RSPB Bird Reports Menu