RSPB Bird Reports
ORKNEY BIRD RECORDS
JUNE 2007
Single Great Northern Divers were seen off North Ronaldsay until 12th and even later birds in the Bay of Skaill on 17th and in Widewall Bay on 23rd. The only Black-throated Diver was in Echnaloch Bay on 19th. A summer-plumaged Slavonian Grebe remained on the Harray Loch off the Barnhouse Hide until 9th. Two Storm Petrels off North Ronaldsay on 3rd were the only ones reported.
Three Snow Geese on Copinsay on 6th had to be of dubious origin but two Barnacle Geese on North Ronaldsay on 14th and two at the Hundland Loch on 22nd together with a single Pink-footed Goose at Billia Croo on 2nd were more likely to be wild birds. Wigeon is a fairly scarce breeding bird in Orkney (and indeed in Britain) so the presence of no fewer than seven broods on Echnaloch was of note. In a good spring for Garganey, there were further sightings of drakes at The Loons on 4th and Brodgar on 6th. One-two Scaup on North Ronaldsay from 4th-6th were late stayers as were up to three Long-tailed Ducks there up to 7th and a Pochard at Mill Dam of Rango on 6th. The peak count of Red-breasted Mergansers in Echnaloch Bay was 75 on 2nd, this flock usually comprising almost entirely moulting drakes.
An Osprey was reported by fishermen on the Harray Loch on 6th. The only Water Rail was one on Papay on 7th but a Spotted Crake flushed on Egilsay on 21st was a really special find. At least 16, and possibly 20, Corncrakes have been reported so far including two that have returned at last to Egilsay.
The richness of Egilsay’s Onziebust Reserve for breeding waders was confirmed by this spring’s counts of Curlew (48 pairs), Oystercatcher (100 pairs), Lapwing (84 pairs), Redshank (56 pairs) and Snipe (96 displaying males); for good measure no fewer than 106 singing Skylarks were counted there too! Golden Plover numbers on North Ronaldsay had built up to 197 by 28th but the only Grey Plover reported was one on Papay on 3rd. The peak count of Knot on North Ronaldsay was 64 on 21st. That island recorded 72 Sanderlings on 2nd when five were at Newark Bay, South Ronaldsay; 21 were at the Bay of Skaill on 7th. A fine Ruff in full (black) breeding regalia was at the Brodgar Pools on 16th/17th. Single migrant Black-tailed Godwits were on North Ronaldsay on 19th and 26th. The largest count of Bar-tailed Godwits was 16 at St.Peter’s Pool on 29th while a single bird was in a strange locality at Loch of Hundland on 3rd. One-two Whimbrel were seen on North Ronaldsay up to 9th and again, 18th-29th with others in Orphir on 3rd and Papay on 17th. Away from breeding sites, the only Common Sandpipers reported were singles on North Ronaldsay on 7th and 10th while a Green Sandpiper visited Rendall on 21st/22nd. A Red-necked Phalarope was on North Ronaldsay on 27th.
The tail-end of the spring skua passage brought single Pomarine Skuas to North Ronaldsay on 2nd and the Brough of Birsay next day. A single immature Little Gull was on the Harray Loch on 19th while late-staying Iceland Gulls were in Stromness Harbour and Birsay Bay on 5th. At least two pairs of Little Terns are back at their usual breeding site; other records involved two at Echnaloch Bay on 1st, one at Newark Bay, South Ronaldsay on 2nd and one on North Ronaldsay on 25th.
Up to three Wood Pigeons occurred on North Ronaldsay up to 15th while another migrant was in Herston on 2nd. Collared Doves also continued to pass through North Ronaldsay with one-three on seven dates up to 29th. Only two Cuckoos were reported, in Rendall on 9th and North Ronaldsay next day. Short-eared Owls are fairly unusual in the outer north isles so one on Papay on 2nd and singles on North Ronaldsay on 6th and 12th were noteworthy. Five Swifts gave amazing views as they fed at knee height along the top of Marwick Head on 2nd; other singles were reported from five localities. One-three Sand Martins were recorded from five localities but there were no indications of breeding. Away from breeding sites, the only reports of House Martins were up to six on North Ronaldsay (peak on 6th) and one at Marwick Head on 2nd.
A Tree Pipit was on North Ronaldsay on 4th/5th but the
rarity of the month was undoubtedly the superb male Citrine Wagtail that
was found at the Loch of Boardhouse waterworks on 15th; this was Orkney’s
first spring record of this Siberian vagrant, all other having been young
birds in autumn. Single Black Redstarts were on
North Ronaldsay on 1st and 17th, one-two Common Redstarts also
occurring there up to 4th. Whinchats were seen at
Marwick Head on 2nd and North Ronaldsay on 7th. It seems to be a
good year for breeding Stonechats on our moors but one
on North Ronaldsay on 23rd was an unusual record. A Fieldfare was
on North Ronaldsay on 19th and a Redwing there on 11th.
Whitethroats sang
in Rendall on 7th and in Herston from 19th-21st; other singles were on
North Ronaldsay up to 7th, that island also reporting a Lesser
Whitethroat on 1st. Nine Garden Warblers remained
on North Ronaldsay and one on Burray on 1st following the late May ‘fall’;
three more arrived on the former island on 18th with one still present
on 30th. Up to three Blackcaps were on North Ronaldsay
until 9th and one in Birsay on 3rd while singing males were at Gyre, Orphir
on 9th and in Rendall on four dates. North Ronaldsay had a monopoly
on migrant Phylloscopus warblers with a Wood Warbler on
6th, single Chiffchaffs up to 6th and up to six Willow
Warblers during the first week; up to six Spotted Flycatchers occurred
there at the same time.
The late May ‘fall’ produced
a good number of Red-backed Shrikes; one was at Cleat,
South Ronaldsay on 31st May while, in June, one was at Burwick on 2nd, a
male was in song (mimicking Linnet and Sedge Warbler) at Scorradale on
5th, a male was at Stromness Loons on 7th and on North Ronaldsay, up to
four were seen until 9th. A Rose-coloured Starling was
reported from Knarston, Rousay on 24th.
Up to three Siskins were seen in Rendall up to 12th when
one was on North Ronaldsay; others were seen at feeders on Hoy later in the
month. A redpoll, probably a Lesser Redpoll, was watched
song-flighting in Rendall on four dates while a Common Redpoll was
on North Ronaldsay on 21st. The only Scarlet Rosefinches were
one-two on North Ronaldsay up to 7th.
Finally, a bunting watched at
Marwick Head on 1st was either an Ortolan Bunting or, more
probably, the much rarer Cretzschmar’s Bunting for
which there is only one previous Orkney record and only three for Britain.
Eric Meek
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