RSPB Bird Reports

ORKNEY BIRD RECORDS
JUNE 2010

Manx Shearwaters became more numerous after mid-month with up to 13 per day passing North Ronaldsay and 23 on the sea off Marwick Head between 21st-25th.  A single Storm Petrel was seen, also from North Ronaldsay on 25th while breeding birds were noted on the Muckle Skerry.  A Great White Egret, a very rare visitor, was seen by one lucky observer as it flew inland from the Palace on 3rd.

One-two Whooper Swans were reported from four localities while three were at Westray’s Saintear Loch on 17th.  A Canada Goose was at Langamay and a Dark-bellied Brent Goose at Scuthvie, both Sanday, on 3rd and 5th respectively.  A drake Garganey was at The Loons on 4th and lingering Long-tailed Ducks at Herston and North Ronaldsay up to 9th and at Scapa and the Boardhouse loch on 25th/26th.

The only unusual raptors were a Marsh Harrier on North Ronaldsay on 2nd and a Hobby at Quoyangry, South Ronaldsay on 18th.  Two Cranes were at Greeny, Birsay on 10th while two, presumably different birds moved north through Orphir to Graemsay on 18th and were subsequently seen in Outertown, Stromness.  Single Quails were seen or heard in South Ronaldsay, Marwick and Harray between 12th-17th.

89 Golden Plovers had returned to North Ronaldsay by 26th but the only Grey Plover reported was one at Cornquoy, Holm on 3rd.  A late Dotterel was seen on Papay on 13th.  By far the largest concentration of Knot was 62 on Papay on 4th although28 were on North Ronaldsay on 25th.  Papay provided the largest Sanderling count with 96 on 3rd followed by 75 at Scuthvie on 7th.  North Ronaldsay provided most sightings of the scarcer waders with a Greenshank and Wood Sandpiper on 11th (when another Wood Sandpiper was also on Papay), a Curlew Sandpiper on 25th and a Pectoral Sandpiper on 30th; a Green Sandpiper was at Lowrie’s Water, Evie on 23rd.  Up to 15 Black-tailed Godwits were seen at The Loons and up to 13 on North Ronaldsay while Scuthvie saw the biggest Bar-tailed Godwit flock with 45 on 11th.  Late migrant Whimbrels occurred on North Ronaldsay on four dates and on Papay and the Loch of Bosquoy on 5th.  A pair of Red-necked Phalaropes dropped briefly into Papay’s North Hill Reserve on 5th and another was on Shapinsay on 28th/29th.

A Glaucous Gull was found in Toab on 22nd and an Iceland Gull at Scapa on 25th.  A Brunnich’s Guillemot, a very rare visitor from the High Arctic, usually found as a mid-winter tideline corpse, was seen off Lyness on 28th.  Single Turtle Doves were on North Ronaldsay, at Dale, Costa and at Noup, Westray between 3rd-8th.  Cuckoos were less numerous than in May but, nevertheless, were seen in six localities with as many as three in Rendall on 11th.  A Long-eared Owl was in Rendall on 16th and Swifts were reported on North Ronaldsay from 23rd-26th and at The Citadel, Stromness from 26th-29th. 

The rarest bird of the month was a Tawny Pipit that was on North Ronaldsay from 23rd-26th.  The only Yellow Wagtail record was of one over Hundland, Papay on 5th.  A pair of Grey Wagtails were feeding young at Glue’s Garden Centre on 16th and another was at The Shunan on 17th while an intriguing record was of a White Wagtail feeding in Stromness on 10th, 26th and 30th and making off towards the lorry park where breeding might be occurring.  May’s Red-rumped Swallow remained in the golf course area of St.Margaret’s Hope until 3rd and a Black Redstart was at the Stromness Loons on 9th.  A very late Redwing was on North Ronaldsay on 11th.

Grasshopper Warblers were heard singing in two localities in Rendall during the month while, also in Rendall, an Icterine Warbler was recorded in full song on 15th.  North Ronaldsay had the monopoly on scarcer warblers with Lesser Whitethroat and Garden Warbler on 3rd and Common Whitethroat on 5th.  Chiffchaffs were also noted there on six dates with one on Papay on 16th and singing birds at Herston from 8th-12th and at Trumland, Rousay on 9th.  Breeding Willow Warblers were widespread but single migrants were seen on North Ronaldsay on 6th and 11th.  North Ronaldsay also logged a maximum of four Spotted Flycatchers on 4th with singles on ten dates but the only other was one at Herston on 6th.  

75 Ravens was a respectable gathering at West Ayre, Sanday on 13th.  The only Goldfinches were noted in Stromness on 11th and in St.Ola on 16th and there was no hint of the species consolidating itself as an Orkney breeder following the first record of nesting in 2009.  Siskins were present in the Stenaday area of Finstown all month and in Rendall most of the month while one was at Trumland on 9th.  All Redpoll records were of birds not identified as to species; three were over Egilsay on 7th while singles were seen at four other localities between 16th-25th.

After major Crossbill irruptions in 2008 and 2009, surely we can’t be going to have another in 2010!  However, the classic pattern is beginning to form with a scatter of records early in the month then, from 25th onwards, reports of up to 12 in Finstown, five in Hoy, four in Rendall and one-two at five other sites.  Papay’s Rustic Bunting remained until 1st while now probably even rarer, even though it bred in Orkney until only a few years ago, a Corn Bunting was on North Ronaldsay on 2nd.

Eric Meek

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