RSPB Bird Reports

ORKNEY BIRD RECORDS
MARCH 2004

March sees the beginning of spring passage amongst our migrant birds and most of the typical species that we would expect at this time of year turned up during the month. The only Black-throated Diver was one off North Ronaldsay on 22nd. 12 Grey Herons on Glims Holm on 13th and 8 on the Birsay Links on 6th were probably just due to depart back to Scandinavia.

Whooper Swans were quite prominent with up to 78 on Shapinsay, 50 in St Andrew's, 45 in Toab, 36 at Voy, Sandwick and several other parties of up to 30. We are used to seeing the large flocks of Greylag Geese these days but it was Pink-footed Geese that caught the eye this month; there were 1,620 in Deerness, 560 in Tankerness, up to 360 in Birsay and 200 in Harray. The Birsay Loons Greenland White-fronted Goose flock peaked at 60 on 15th while single European-race birds were near Stromness on 6th and in Sandwick on 14th ; five White-fronts were also on North Ronaldsay most of the month. Away from South Walls, the only Barnacle Geese reported were four in Sandwick on 2nd twi in Birsay on 19th and two in Tankerness on 21st while the South Walls flock was joined by a white-phase Snow Goose for much of the month.

Shelducks were conspicuous in their pre-nuptial gatherings - up to 24 were counted at Widewall, South Ronaldsay and 19 on The Ouse, Shapinsay. The largest counts of Gadwall came from the Stenness Loch (20) and North Ronaldsay (14) and of Shoveler from Shapinsay and North Ronaldsay (24 in each). Pintail arrived back to their breeding areas with 14 on Loch of Brockan, Rendall on 8th, up to seven on North Ronaldsay, three on Westray and one on Shapinsay but the dabbling duck prize of the month was claimed by both North Ronaldsay and Shapinsay with a drake American Wigeon from 13th and on 27th-28th respectively. The important Scaup flock on the Stenness Loch peaked at 266 on 19th while the only Velvet Scoters reported were a single bird on that loch on 19th and four in Veantrow Bay, Shapinsay on 20th. A drake Goosander was on the Harray Loch on 17th.

An immature White-tailed Eagle lumbered over North Ronaldsay on 18th while the only Buzzard reports came from Widewall on 6th and Redland with up to three seen on five days. Odd Kestrel records are not unusual but six together at Redland, Firth on 3rd was noteworthy. On 24th, an observer near Stromness was delighted to see an immature male Hen Harrier catch a small rabbit, then amazed to see it robbed on the ground by a feral cat! One-two Water Rails were at their North Ronaldsay and Mill Dam, Shapinsay breeding sites during the month but one at Roadmire, Westray on 18th was more likely a migrant. A count of 269 Purple Sandpipers on North Ronaldsay on 21st was noteworthy as had been 65 Bar-tailed Godwits there the previous day. Two Grey Plovers were on Papa Westray on 20th. The largest Curlew flock was 650 at Billia Croo, Stromness on 4th. Woodcock records were scarce with just one-three at Durkadale on 3rd and 15th, one on North Ronaldsay on 2nd and 31st and one in Stenness on 5th. Single Ruffs were at Loch of Banks on 4th , The Loons, Birsay on 7th and at Mill Dam, Shapinsay on 27th. A single Jack Snipe was on the Birsay Moors on 25th.

The adult Mediterranean Gull returned to North Ronaldsay on 11th with migrant Lesser Black-backed Gulls starting to appear in earnest after 15th. A Yellow-legged Gull was a very rare visitor to Lyness on 24th. Iceland Gulls were reported from Stromness, North Ronaldsay and Hoxa but the only Glaucous Gull was one in Deerness on 24th. Great Skuas just made it into this report with one off North Ronaldsay on 31st. An early Sandwich Tern was sitting by Westray's Swartmill Loch on 18th and there were two at Backaskaill, Papa Westray two days later. This month's Beached Bird Survey revealed a wreck of Puffins with 103 corpses being counted, almost all in the eastern part of Scapa Flow. None were oiled and it is suspected that most had died of starvation following prolonged poor weather out at sea.

Wood Pigeons are not usually considered to be migrants but some are, as evidenced by singles on South Ronaldsay on 10th and North Ronaldsay on 20th. The same can be said of Collared Doves , one appearing on passage on North Ronaldsay on 15th , two days before a dead nestling provided evidence of an early breeding attempt at Herston. Three Long-eared Owls appeared in an Orphir garden on 4th and gave great pleasure to the observers. A few days later, on 8th, our only breeding owl species, Short-eared Owl , was observed displaying at the Hundland Loch. Skylark is another early migrant and 75 in three flocks on Westray on 18th and a maximum of 175 on North Ronaldsay next day may well have been on their way further north. A similar peak of 49 Meadow Pipits was logged on North Ronaldsay on 18th. North Ronaldsay's first Pied Wagtail arrived on 4th and they were widespread both there and on the Mainland after 12th.

A cock Stonechat was song-flighting by the Lyde Road on 24th but this species is another typical March migrant, one on North Ronaldsay from 18th and two in South Ronaldsay on 8th probably fitting this category. North Ronaldsay also produced the month's only records of Chiffchaff (singles on 4th and 18th/19th) and Black Redstart (singles on 18th and 19th). Goldcrests started to trickle in from 18th on North Ronaldsay with singles on Rousay on 28th and Stromness on 31st. Migrant Rooks were also seen on North Ronaldsay (one-two after 20th) as was a single Carrion Crow from 21st . Singles of the latter were seen near Stromness on 2nd, Dounby on 27th and there was a Carrion/Hoody hybrid at the 4th Churchill barrier on 14th. South Ronaldsay also recorded two Rooks (at Herston on 24th) while 57 Jackdaws near Costa and 55 at Flaws were good counts. By far the best Twite flock was one of 360 at Dale, Costa on 8th but there were also 120 at Tenston on 21st. A Lesser Redpoll on North Ronaldsay on 28th was the only record. The largest Snow Bunting concentrations were 130 (in three flocks) on Westray on 18th, 90 on Papa Westray on 29th and 80 in Stenness on 12th with parties of 20-50 in three other localities. 80 Reed Buntings were still present on a farmland bird crop at Dale, Costa on 8th. And finally, a pair of House Sparrows were watched nest-building in Finstown on 20th.

E.R.Meek & Keith Fairclough

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