RSPB Bird Reports
ORKNEY BIRD RECORDS
JANUARY 2011
The harsh weather of November and December seems to have really taken its toll on Orkney’s birds. Large numbers of wildfowl and waders appear to have left the islands and it can only be hoped that they found safe refuge somewhere to the south-west. Many small birds have been greatly reduced in numbers and we simply don’t know yet whether they have left or died. One of the most obvious species to have been affected is Wren – this is usually one of our most widespread birds but I have only seen one during the whole of January. Stonechats are almost non-existent while Song Thrushes (apart from one brave bird singing away at The Willows) seem to have gone too. Shetland birders are reporting a dearth of Rock Pipits and, although not absent here, are certainly far fewer than normal.
90 Great Northern Divers was a notable gathering off Hunda on 27th while there were nine Black-throated Divers off Flotta’s south coast on 27th. A remarkable count of 143 Slavonian Grebes was made between St.Mary’s Bay and Echnaloch Bay on 11th, a figure in excess of what is normally considered to be the total for the whole of Scapa Flow; doubtless many were birds forced off fresh-water by the big freeze. Single Red-necked Grebes were seen in Holm Sound on 5th and off the Brough of Gurness on 8th. Little Grebes continued to be seen on their salt-water wintering sites with, for example, two in Stromness Harbour and up to three in Finstown Bay. Fulmars were passing the Brough of Birsay at 300 per hour on 9th while a ‘blue’ bird was at Costa Head on 23rd. A remarkable record was of two Storm Petrels off Black Craig on 4th; this species should be wintering in waters off South Africa!
The Vasa Loch, Shapinsay Whooper Swan flock peaked at 52 on 21st. Very few Pink-footed Geese were reported but a flock of 90 passed over Flotta on 27th.The Greenland White-fronted Goose flock at The Loons disappeared and when they returned numbered only 30 on 27th; a single bird was seen in Holm on 1st. Away from South Walls, the largest Barnacle Goose gathering was one of 42 at the Loch of Skaill with small single-figure groups in Deerness, Rendall and Harray. More unusual geese included two Snow Geese near Kirkwall Airport on about 2nd; a Taiga Bean Goose near St.Mary’s on 3rd; and a flock of 20 Canada Geese first seen at Foubister, Toab on 3rd and which then split into smaller groups and wandered the East Mainland until the end of the month.
Shelducks began to return from their moulting grounds in force with 56 at the Oyce of Quindry by 24th and 53 at Mill Sand by 30th. A North American Green-winged Teal was at Shapinsay’s Mill Dam on 15th. The now annual winter gathering of Pintails at the Loch of Brockan numbered 26 on 31st while the largest Shoveler flock was one of 15 on North Ronaldsay. The Ayre Loch Lesser Scaup relocated to the sea at Wester Sand, Holm where it was seen up until at least 7th. Flocks of 12 – 14 Velvet Scoters were off Quanterness and Rerwick during the month while a single bird was on the Stenness Loch on 29th. A Common Scoter was in Finstown Bay all month with another off the Dam of Hoxa on 4th and two off Rerwick on 13th. The regular Surf Scoter was also seen off Rerwick, on 3rd. The largest gathering of Long-tailed Ducks was of 250 in the Bay of Carness on 10th, the same date as 730 Eiders were also there. Three drake Goosanders were on the Loch of Bosquoy on 1st/2nd, one remaining until 3rd while a Smew was on the Loch of Skaill until at least 19th being joined by a second on 13th.
Buzzards were noted in many localities, the most unusual being perhaps that on Fitty Hill, Westray. Much scarcer was the Rough-legged Buzzard that was seen moving north along the hill ridge above Finstown on 25th.
The only Water Rail reported was that at Dale which, like last year, made its way onto the Wildlife Explorers’ Big Garden Birdwatch list on 23rd. Golden Plovers are amongst those species that leave us in hard weather but 320 had returned to North Ronaldsay by 14th and 120 to The Ouse, Westray by 18th. Three Grey Plovers were at the Oyce of Quindry on 5th with singles at Birsay Bay, Skaill Bay and North Ronaldsay. Some good Purple Sandpiper flocks were still to be found with 170 in Birsay Bay on 9th and 124 on North Ronaldsay on 26th. One-two Woodcocks were reported from nine localities during the month but the only Jack Snipe was one at Swannay on 24th. The Bay of Tuquoy, Westray held 150 Bar-tailed Godwits on 18th wile 70 were at the Oyce of Quindry during the first half of the month. Curlew numbers seemed to be reduced but a flock of 450 was at Marwick on 27th. 140 Redshanks in Widewall Bay on 14th was a good count.
Up to three Iceland Gulls frequented Stromness Harbour all month, at least two in the Kirkwall area and others at No.4 Barrier and Finstown. Glaucous Gulls were seen at Marwick on 8th, at Skaill, Sandwick from 14th and at the Brough of Gurness on 30th; another was found dead on North Ronaldsay.
Guillemots come and go at their breeding sites during the winter months; hundreds were at Marwick Head from 10th-14th then disappeared only to return in thousands on 27th. The largest Rock Dove flock was of 400 at Costa on 10th. Three Short-eared Owls were found in a daytime communal roost on Egilsay on 13th.
There was a handful of Waxwing records: six were in Stromness on 15th and four in Kirkwall the previous day; other singles were seen on North Ronaldsay on 5th and in Rendall on 13th and 20th. As noted above, Rock Pipits seem to be few and far between but single inland birds were found at Syradale, Firth on 22nd and at Akla, Orphir on 27th. Very few Meadow Pipits have remained in the county but two were at Swannay on 29th. Wintering Pied Wagtails were fewer than normal with only two singles up to 8th then two in Kirkwall on 13th and three in the Stromness area on 29th.
A Mistle Thrush was reported from Papay on 17th but the usual wintering thrushes were very scarce; up to nine Fieldfares occurred on North Ronaldsay but only two singles were reported from elsewhere while only one-two Redwings were on North Ronaldsay with another on Hoy on 25th.
A Blackcap was seen in the Kirkwall pet shop garden on 16th while a really good find was a Great Grey Shrike at Essaquoy, Rousay on 6th. Ravens were carrying nest material at Black Craig on 10th while a gathering of 52 Hooded Crows was seen at the Click Mill on 30th. Single Carrion Crows were seen in Deerness, at Marwick and on Westray during mid-month.
A Tree Sparrow was reported as being in the Kirkwall pet shop garden on 16th. Two-three Bramblings were in the Finstown area all month with one-two also at Herston and in Rendall. The Heddle Road, Finstown Goldfinch flock peaked at eight on 30th, singles also being noted on Burray and South Ronaldsay. The biggest Linnet flocks were of 150 at Dale on 10th and 100 at Firth School on 21st. Twite were not as numerous as last winter but, nevertheless, Dale, Costa recorded up to 750; Brinkies Brae, Stromness up to 500; Firth School up to 350; with up to 180 at other sites. Up to ten Common Redpolls were noted on North Ronaldsay while one-two were reported from six Mainland, Burray and South Ronaldsay sites. Up to four Northern Bullfinches continued to frequent the Heddle Road area of Finstown all month with others in Rendall on two dates and in Kirkwall.
Two Lapland Buntings were at Lairo Water, Shapinsay on 8th with one on Birsay Links next day. Birsay Links was also the locality for the largest Snow Bunting flock, 45 on 8th; other flocks included 40 on Shapinsay on 8th, 25 at Howe Brae on 14th and up to 23 on North Ronaldsay. Dale, Costa again provided the largest Reed Bunting count with 50 on 10th.
Eric Meek
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