RSPB Bird Reports
ORKNEY BIRD RECORDS
JUNE 2008
In June, migration eases down and we are usually left with our breeding birds to keep us happy until autumn movements begin. However, this June continued the excitements of the earlier part of the spring with some really good birds to attract the attention.
Up to six Black-throated Divers were seen in Scapa Flow during the month with another off Linga Holm on 30th. Great Northern Divers were seen in small numbers in a number of localities with as many as 20 in the Flow on 24th and a bird calling loudly off the Hobbister cliffs on 26th. Seabird passage got under way off North Ronaldsay with 62 Manx Shearwaters on 16th and 70 on 21st; other were seen in the Flow on 18th and 24th. Storm Petrels were on the move too with a peak of 160 off North Ronaldsay on 20th and other sightings in the Flow on 24th and in the Pentland Firth (eight) on 28th. A most unusual record was of 10 Leach’s Petrel in Scapa Flow, six of them on the water) on 24th; other singles were off North Ronaldsay on 13th and 20th. It looks like being another disastrous year for our breeding seabirds (of which more next month) but one species bucking the trend is Gannet – the new colony on Westray’s Noup Head now has 345 nests!
A census of Greylag Geese on the uninhabited islands of the Wide, Stronsay and Westray Firths found 5542 birds (a mixture of moulting adults and goslings) on 30th. Amongst a flock of 400 Greylags off the Little Green Holm on that day was an Egyptian Goose, probably a new Orkney species, although not terribly exciting as they have been introduced and naturalised in southern England. Two Snow Geese were in South Ronaldsay on 4th and one was reported from the Holms of Ire on 17th. Two Barnacle Geese were on North Ronaldsay on 8th.
Wigeon is a scarce breeding species anywhere in Britain with no more than 300-500 pairs in total so it was pleasing to see no fewer than five broods on Echna Loch, two on Lowries Water and one on Graemeshall Loch. The only Pochard reported was a drake on the Wasdale Loch on 21st and the only Goldeneye, a drake on the Swannay Loch on 26th. A large moulting concentration of 610 Eiders was off Quanternees on 4th, a female Velvet Scoter was in Echnaloch Bay on 30th and a drake Ruddy Duck was on Shapinsay’s Mill Dam on 28th.
A Sea Eagle was in the Woodwick valley, Evie on 6th while even rarer were two different Golden Eagles, one over Finstown on 2nd and one over Holm on 8th. A Marsh Harrier was in Rendall on 17th while Hobbies were reported from South Ronaldsay on 1st and 2nd and from North Ronaldsay on 9th.
Water Rails are very scarce breeders in Orkney but three called from the Mill Dam, Shapinsay during the month. A Spotted Crake was recorded on North Ronaldsay on 1st. The only Quail reported was one in the northern part of South Ronaldsay between 16th and 27th.
North Ronaldsay was the only locality to report Knot with a peak of 22 on 9th. The same island also had the largest Sanderling count (33 on 15th) but 25 were on Birsay beach on 21st and six inland on the shores of the Harray Loch on 17th. A Little Stint was on Evie Sands on 12th while Ruff were noted at four localities, The Loons (a pair) on 2nd, and males at Loch of Rummie, Sanday on 16th, Holms of Ire on 23rd and Mill Dam of Rango on 27th. Two Black-tailed Godwits were on North Ronaldsay from 1st-3rd and two at Holms of Ire on 23rd but as many as 16 could be seen at The Loons on 29th. Two Bar-tailed Godwits were at the unusual inland locality of the Brodgar Pools on 2nd. What was presumably light spring passage of Whimbrels was noted up to 17th but singles over North Ronaldsay on 26th and 28th and over Shapinsay also on 28th may well have been returning birds. A Green Sandpiper was on North Ronaldsay on 22nd while two Common Sandpipers on the Peedie Sea were probably late migrants. A female Red-necked Phalarope was reported from the Loch of Skaill on 21st.
A Pomarine Skua was over Evie on 3rd, with it or another over Evie later in the day. Iceland Gulls were noted at Lyness on 3rd, on North Ronaldsay on 9th/10th and in Kirkwall on 21st. An immature Glaucous Gull was at Herston on 16th and, presumably the same bird at No.3 Barrier next day. Little Terns remained at three potential breeding sites during the month.
Single Turtle Doves were seen on Stronsay, in Toab and at Melsetter during the early part of the month while Cuckoos were noted at five localities with up to three in Rendall on 18th. Single Long-eared Owls were noted on Stronsay on 2nd and at Hestily, South Ronaldsay on 4th. There was a Wryneck on Stronsay on 1st and a Nightjar there on the same day when two were also found on North Ronaldsay. This brings to seven the total of Nightjars found this spring, a quite unprecedented influx. Single Swifts were noted on four dates up to 19th but from 26th, there was a marked infux with up to 20 over Rendall, 15 over Hestily and one – seven elsewhere.
Short-toed Larks were reported from North Ronaldsay on 16th and 30th while a Tree Pipit was there from 1st-6th. A White Wagtail was on that island on 1st while Grey Wagtails were noted in four localities with a female and later a juvenile in Evie suggesting local breeding. Waxwings are very rare in spring and summer so that one on North Ronaldsay on 11th, four at Graemeshall, Holm on 12th and one in Evie on 19th were of special note.
A Whinchat was on North Ronaldsay on 3rd with a Ring Ouzel there on 3rd/4th. Single Redwings appeared in Kirkwall and in Rendall on 18th, the latter in song. One-two Fieldfares were on North Ronaldsay up to 6th while a Mistle Thrush was seen there on 26th.
Without doubt, the bird of the month was the River Warbler that appeared in an Evie garden on 8th and remained there until 18th. With a song like a somewhat demented sewing machine, this extreme rarity (only the second for Orkney) was seen well by many observers thanks to the patience and hospitality of Sunniva and Martin Green, to whom many thanks!
Marsh Warblers were found on Stronsay and North Ronaldsay on 4th while the bird found in May in Toab remained until 5th. Icterine Warblers were on Copinsay on 4th and on North Ronaldsay on the same day and on 8th. The only Lesser Whitethroat was on North Ronaldsay from1st-4th when a Common Whitethroat was also present, the only other record of the latter species being at Swannay on 26th. A few Garden Warblers were noted in the first week of the month with up to four on North Ronaldsay and a singing bird in Rendall. Blackcaps were more numerous with up to three in seven localities and including singing birds at Herston and on the Germiston Road. Up to four Spotted Flycatchers remained on North Ronaldsay until 9th with another on 19th; singles were reported from four other sites and a pair bred in Evie. The influx of Red-backed Shrikes in May left up to four on North Ronaldsay until 10th with others at Hestily on 1st and 4th and on Stronsay (two) also on 1st.
Apart from the River Warbler, the other most notable ornithological event of the month was the multiple arrival of Rose-coloured Starlings. Usually an inhabitant of the furthest eastern parts of Europe, this species occasionally erupts westwards and what were probably six different birds arrived in Orkney: in Evie on 17th/18th; in Stromness from 24th; in St. Margaret’s Hope from 25th; in Finstown on 26th; in Deerness on 27th and in Kirkwall from 28th.
Another, more common, irruptive species is the Crossbill and it looks as though 2008 is going to be a bumper year for this bird. Small parties were reported from a dozen localities, mainly during the latter part of the month with 14 at Binscarth on 29th being the largest flock. Denied their usual fare of spruce or pine cones, these visitors have been watched eating aphids from the rolled up leaves of elm trees. Siskins appear to be on the move too with birds reported from five sites, the most being ten in Finstown on 21st. A Lesser Redpoll was in Evie on 9th and, finally, a Scarlet Rosefinch was on North Ronaldsay from 2nd-4th.
Eric Meek
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