RSPB Bird Reports
ORKNEY BIRD RECORDS
FEBRUARY 2011
A very quiet month with the aftermath of the harsh winter weather being the main talking point. A few Wrens began to make an appearance as did small numbers of Song Thrushes – perhaps many of both species left Orkney and are only now returning. Stonechats are still almost non-existent – I know of only two reports so far this year in breeding areas.
Fulmars were passing the Brough of Birsay at up to 4000 per hour on 27th and included a very dark ‘blue’ bird, probably of Arctic origin. A Great Crested Grebe was seen at the Brig o’ Waithe on 17th but moved on very quickly. Very few Whooper Swans were seen but two did visit the Peedie Sea on 6th. Pink-footed Geese became quite conspicuous suggesting some movement back into, or through, the islands; up to 395 were in Tankerness and 200 in Shapinsay while, around 22nd-24th, several flocks of up to 80 were noted overhead. The Loons flock of Greenland White-fronted Geese reappeared but never numbered more than 37; three Eurasian White-fronts were on North Ronaldsay from 22nd. At least 1300 Barnacle Geese were on South Walls on 1st and 480 in South Ronaldsay on 6th while small groups of 10 and 14 were seen in Sandwick and Rendall. A Dark-bellied Brent Goose was on North Ronaldsay on 24th.
22 Shelducks were at Lairo Water, Shapinsay on 17th and 40 at the Mill Sand, Tankerness on 24th. The vagrant Green-winged Teal was back at the Mill Dam, Shapinsay from 3rd until at least 27th. The Stenness Loch has become the main haunt for wintering Gadwall and 44 were there on 15th when 171 Scaup were also counted; at nearby Brodgar, there were nine Shoveler on 11th , although these were outstripped by the 26 on North Ronaldsay on 21st. Pintail peaked at 15 on North Ronaldsay on 26th while an unusual record was of a drake in Stromness Harbour at Copland’s Dock on 17th. The Lesser Scaup that had been frequenting Holm was last seen at Wester Sand on 2nd. A Common Scoter was present all month just offshore from the Finstown slip while others were noted off North Ronaldsay (one-two on several dates) and off Howequoy Head, Holm on 22nd. Also in Holm, three Goosanders were on the Graemeshall Loch on 4th.
Red-legged Partridges, released for shooting on Shapinsay, were attracted to bird feeders at Furrowend and numbered 18 on 3rd.
The first sign of some migratory movement, as usual, involved Oystercatchers, 85 having returned to the Brig o’ Waithe on 9th rising to 145 two days later; they were widespread by the end of the month. Very few of our wintering Golden Plovers remained in the county although up to 245 were on North Ronaldsay; five at Brunt Hill, Stromness on 21st were probably our local breeders returning. A Knot was on North Ronaldsay on 22nd while the Purple Sandpiper flock there peaked at 160 on 3rd/4th. Single Woodcocks were reported from nine localities with three in the Lyrawa Plantation, Hoy on 1st. However, the only Jack Snipe was one at Ingashowe, Firth on 25th. The largest Bar-tailed Godwit concentration was of 75 on North Ronaldsay on 2nd
A Little Gull was an unseasonal visitor to North Ronaldsay on 23rd and 26th. One - two Iceland Gulls remained in the Stromness area all month with another in Kirkwall on 18th and possibly the same bird at Kelton, St.Ola on several dates and one on North Ronaldsay on 5th. Three Glaucous Gulls on North Ronaldsay on 3rd were followed by single on three dates in the same locality. The Peedie Sea is the usual place to see the first returning Lesser Black-backed Gull and, right on cue, one was there on 17th followed by one at Tingwall on 26thand another on North Ronaldsay on 28th. The Queenamidda track in Rendall was an unusual inland locality for a Kittiwake to be passing over on 21st. However, the most notable gull sighting of the month was of a bird showing the characteristics of an adult American Herring Gull in Kirk Sound, Holm on 2nd; photos of this bird are still being analysed to try to confirm the identification of what would be a new bird for Orkney.
A few thousand Guillemots were ashore on their breeding ledges at Marwick Head in the beautiful weather of 27th. However, the only Razorbills reported were three off North Ronaldsay on 7th. Two Little Auks off Howequoy Head on 28th were the only ones reported while a freshly dead Puffin was found at Scapa on 25th.
A Stock Dove was a rare visitor to Evie on 26th. Meadow Pipits were very few and far between although four were on North Ronaldsay on 25th. A marked passage of Skylarks took place through North Ronaldsay from 22nd with a peak of 151 on 26th; a few local birds were in song by the month’s end. Pied Wagtails became slightly more conspicuous, especially after mid-month. Single Stonechats were noted on North Ronaldsay on 16th, 22nd and 27th, presumably passage birds en route to Shetland or Scandinavia. There were a few reports of Redwings including 15 in Kirkwall on 4th and 14 on North Ronaldsay on 6th. Fieldfares were even fewer with up to 14 on North Ronaldsay and the only other being one at Dale on 5th.
What was probably the same Great Grey Shrike as was reported on Rousay in early January appeared on Sanday’s north end on 22nd January and gave its watchers exceptional views as it killed a vole and impaled it on barbed wire!
A Coal Tit was found in Hoy’s Wee Fea Plantation on 1st having survived the worst of the weather; we can only hope that another, of the opposite sex, also survived! A Carrion Crow as seen at Kirbuster, South Walls, also on 1st while a migrant Rook was on North Ronaldsay on 26th.
One – two Bramblings were seen in Finstown and this was also the usual count in Rendall although 16 were noted there on 10th. Two Goldfinches remained in Finstown all month, one being heard singing during the last week; in addition a small influx on 22nd/23rd brought seven to the Picky and four to West Heath, Holm one of which, again, was in song. Siskins were few, with only one in Rendall on 9th and two on Rousay on 28th and the only Common Redpolls were up to four on North Ronaldsay. Linnet flocks were not large, the maxima being 60 at Firth School on 15th and 40 at Dale, Costa on 26th. Twite flocks, too, were down in numbers, the biggest counts being 350 at each of Dale and Brinkie’s Brae and 300 at Firth School. Up to three Northern Bullfinches remained in Finstown all month. Away from North Ronaldsay where up to 31 were present all month, the only report of Snow Buntings was of 25 on Birsay Links on 22nd. North Ronaldsay also recorded a single Lapland Bunting on 26th.
Eric Meek
Back to RSPB Bird Reports Menu