RSPB Bird Reports

ORKNEY BIRD RECORDS
JANUARY 2006

The flat calm conditions at the end of the month enabled some good counts of Great Northern Divers to be made with 50 in Shapinsay Sound on 26th, 40 in Hoxa Sound and 50 at Sandoyne on 28th and as many as 120 off the east side of Flotta on 30th. The Flotta count was made while trying to relocate the White-billed Diver seen in Pan Hope during an aerial survey by JNCC on 29th. 25 Black-throated Divers were also at Sandoyne on 28th and 13 off The Breck, Orphir next day, there having been two off Fara on 26th while, more unusually, one was off North Ronaldsay on 19th and four there on 26th. 20 Slavonian Grebes and a Red-necked Grebe were also located at Sandoyne on 28th, confirming this west-facing Holm bay as a prime spot in such weather conditions. The largest gathering of Herons was of 22 flying from the Stromness Holms to Graemsay on 7th while 16 were at the Brig o’ Waithe on 27th, 15 in Pan Hope, Flotta on 30th, 12 in the Bay of Firth on 1st and 11 at each of Widewall and Burwick on 14th. The Little Egret again frequented the Loch of Banks for most of the month. The flock of 500 Shags in Widewall on 19th was the largest recorded.

A scattering of Whooper Swans was noted on the Mainland and North Ronaldsay but by far the largest gathering was on Shapinsay, peaking at 67 on 14th. There were 91 Greenland White-fronted Geese at The Loons on 3rd and over 100 Pink-footed Geese in Harray on 28th while the injured Bean Goose remained on the Hundland Loch. Away from the main Barnacle Goose area on South Walls, up to 85 appear to be wintering in South Ronaldsay and a flock of 360 was seen in Sandwick on 15th with a few smaller parties elsewhere. The largest Shelduck count was of 36 in Widewall Bay on 26th but birds are now quite widespread following return from their moult migration. Amongst the dabbling ducks, Pintails were quite well reported with records from seven localities including 19 at the Loch of Banks on 1st and 12 at Shapinsay’s Mill Dam on 21st. The latter locality also saw 15 Shoveler on 10th while 23 were in the Brodgar area on 1st. In that same area there was a Goosander on 18th with four present on 27th; another was on Papay on 14th. The bulk of the Scaup flock moved on to the Harray Loch towards the end of the month and a count of 355 was made there. The drake Smew remained on the Skaill Loch until at least 17th and a drake Surf Scoter was seen in Shapinsay Sound on 3rd and 26th. Single Common Scoters were off Deerness on 3rd and in Finstown Bay on 1st, 3rd and 5th while Velvet Scoters numbered up to 37 off Quanterness and 30 in Shapinsay Sound. The Ruddy Duck was seen again on the Quoyloo brewery pool on 15th and 25th.

Although one-two Buzzards frequented the Firth/Rendall area during the month, the raptor scene was really enlivened by the appearance of a Rough-legged Buzzard in the Rendall-Firth area from 28th while, on 31st, a really surprising find was a female Goshawk on the Holm of Grimbister.

The Coot flock on the Harray Loch off the Brodgar car park has been conspicuous in recent weeks and what is almost certainly a record count of 1017 was made there on New Year’s Day. Pheasants don’t usually hold much appeal for birders but the sight of no fewer than 56 at Dale, Costa on 4th must have been quite arresting! – as many as 43 were also at Longhouse, St.Ola. Water Rails were reported from Papay (singles at three sites) and at two sites in St.Ola.

Oystercatchers began to sneak back into the county during the month as evidenced by 34 around the Stenness Loch on 23rd. Away from their main wintering areas in the north isles, single Grey Plovers at Mill Sand on 3rd, Bay of Skaill on 3rd and 8th and at Widewall on 15th were of note. Some unusually large Golden Plover flocks have been noted this winter and the presence of 11000 in two flocks on Sanday on 20th keeps up that pattern; 3500 were at Hatston on 4th and 1200 at Twatt on 8th. 431 Purple Sandpipers on Papay on 14th was a good count, North Ronaldsay producing 173 on the same date. 85 Dunlin were at Kirbuster, Birsay on 8th, an unusual concentration for an inland locality. Papay again provided the largest Snipe count with 255 on 14th ; a Jack Snipe was also found there with others on North Ronaldsay on three dates, at Longhouse on 4th and at Corrigall on 25th. One - two Woodcocks were reported from ten localities. 47 Bar-tailed Godwits on North Ronaldsay on 11th was the largest count although there were 37 at Mill Sand on 3rd and 35 at Widewall Bay on 1st when two Black-tailed Godwits were also present. The largest Curlew flock was one of 1030 on Shapinsay on 26th. A Ruff was an unusual find at Mill Sand, Tankerness on 2nd with perhaps the same bird at the Bay of Suckquoy next day but pride of place amongst the waders must go to the Temminck’s Stint that appeared on North Ronaldsay on 28th, the first ever winter record of this very scarce species in Scotland!

The Stromness Ring-billed Gull remained for much of the month but was elusive while a Little Gull was at the Sands of Evie on 5th. Glaucous Gulls were reported from five localities and probably involved about half a dozen birds but the only Iceland Gull was one in Birsay Bay on 3rd. The calm conditions allowed two Little Auks to be located in Hoxa Sound on 28th and two more off Flotta on 30th.

700 Rock Doves at Dale, Costa on 4th was the largest flock but up to 434 were at Furrowend, Shapinsay, 165 at Clumly, Sandwick and 145 at Kingsdale, Firth. There were 64 Wood Pigeons at Redland, Firth on 23rd while 30 fed behind the Sands of Evie on 6th. Long-eared Owls were reported from six localities with a maximum of four at a St.Ola site on 5th.

A few Pied Wagtails are wintering with at least two in Stromness and one in Kirkwall; a single Grey Wagtail was at Warebeth, Stromness on 16th. Meadow Pipits are wintering in larger than usual numbers; the largest count was of 19 on the Golta, Flotta on 30th. The only Waxwings were two in Finstown on 2nd and two in Kirkwall on 16th. 255 Fieldfares were at Heddle, Firth on 29th, 134 at Eastabist, Birsay on 14th and 100 at The Gloup on 1st. Redwings counts included 125 in Firth on 7th. More unusually, single Mistle Thrushes were in Deerness on 3rd and on Papay on 18th. The mild conditions encouraged a Song Thrush into full voice in Kirkwall on 20th and, next day, two Goldcrests were singing at Langskaill, Tankerness. Amongst the corvids, a single Rook was on North Ronaldsay on 19th, single Carrion Crows at the Bay of Skaill on 1st, Twatt on 8th and at Heddle at the end of the month while the best Jackdaw flock involved 78 at Costa on 25th.

A flock of 40 Chaffinches was in Finstown on 27th where up to three Bramblings were also present; up to six Bramblings were also seen at Backatoon, Firth. Also on 1st, a Goldfinch was seen at Cara, South Ronaldsay while two were on Burray on 28th. Twite peaked at 400 at Dale on 17th while 300 were at Dounby on 21st and 180 at Furrowend, Shapinsay on 31st. Four Mealy Redpolls appeared at Dale on 6th with another at Bosquoy, Harray on 15th. One - two Northern Bullfinches were reported from Finstown and Crafty, Firth. Snow Bunting flocks included 150 at Brodgar on 30th, 120 at Shapinsay’s Mill Dam on 31st with 70 at Herston and 65 at Skaill, Sandwick on 27th/28th. By far the largest concentration of Reed Buntings was of 150 at Dale on 6th although up to 50 were also at Backatoon, Firth.

Eric Meek

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