RSPB Bird Reports

ORKNEY BIRD RECORDS
March 2009

Black-throated Divers remain scarce this winter and the only report this month was of one in Echanloch Bay on 15th.  Heavy Fulmar passage was reported off Costa Head with a peak of 3500 per hour on 25th.  Over 100 Gannets per hour were passing the same headland on 6th.  Up to 12 Grey Herons were reported in the Widewall-Dale Moss area of South Ronaldsay.

The largest gathering of Whooper Swans was 30 near St.Mary’s on 14th but there were five other reports of up to 24.  There was a strong passage of Pink-footed Geese especially from mid-month: the largest flocks were of 650 in the Corrigall, Harray area on 15th and 600 at the Loch of Isbister on 20th while there were several other gatherings of up to 290.  A single Taiga Bean Goose was at Swart Howe, Holm on 13th.  The Greenland White-fronted Goose flock at The Loons numbered no more than 37 but 14 were in the Corrigall area on 15th and singles were reported from North Ronaldsay, Marwick and Toab.  The North Ronaldsay Canada Goose was last seen on 7th while single Pale-bellied Brent Geese were noted in Tankerness on 1st and 3rd and on Papay on 15th.  45 Barnacle Geese were at Sanday’s Roos Loch on 3rd and there were five other reports of up to 23.

Pre-breeding gatherings of Shelduck numbered 78 at Mill Sand, Tankerness on 11th and 62 in Widewall Bay on 8th.  A drake American Wigeon found at Mill Sand on 10th was also seen at the nearby Tankerness Loch up to 14th and was joined by another North American duck, a Green-winged Teal at the same site on 11th and 13th.  The largest Pintail gathering was 24 on the Rummie Loch, Sanday on 18th while Shovelers numbered up to 27 on North Ronaldsay and 21 on Papay.  The North Ronaldsay Ring-necked Duck remained there all month.  196 Scaup were counted on the Stenness Loch on 13th and to round off a good month for wildfowl, a Surf Scoter was in Inganess Bay on 13th and the Smew was relocated at the Loch of Skaill on the same day.

Up to three Buzzards were reported from Rendall with others at Greeny Hill, Birsay and at the Kame of Corrigall.  The only Water Rail reported was one in Stromness on 13th.

The strong return passage of Oystercatchers was exemplified by counts of 604 around the Stenness Loch and 442 at the Wasdale Loch on 13th.  Most Golden Plovers appear to have been forced out of Orkney during the previous cold spell and the largest March flocks were of up to 250 on North Ronaldsay and 200 at the Tankerness Loch.  48 Knot in the Mill Sand area on 22nd was the highest count, while for Sanderling the equivalent figure was 120 at Scuthvie, Sanday on 15th.  239 Purple Sandpipers were on Papay on 15th while gatherings of 110-120 were also reported from North Ronaldsay, Sanday and the Brough of Birsay.  The three Ruff wintering in the Loch of Banks area were seen up to 15th and three Jack Snipe were found, in Stromness, Stenness and Harray, between 9th-15th.  A Woodcock was on North Ronaldsay on 1st and 3rd while two were in Rendall on 6th.  The wintering Whimbrel on Burray was present all month.  60 Bar-tailed Godwits at The Ouse, Shapinsay was a good count, up to 43 also being seen on North Ronaldsay.  A Greenshank at the Head of Holland on 15th was an unusual record for the time of year but rarer still was the Spotted Redshank at The Shunan, Harray on 13th and 15th. 

The first Bonxie of the year was over The String on 24th.  The Mediterranean Gull that has wintered at the Peedie Sea was there again on 7th.  At least 1500 Common Gulls on a newly-slurried field at Binscarth on 8th was an impressive gathering.  Lesser Black-backed Gulls have been later in returning this year, the first being a bird at the Peedie Sea on 1st followed by two on North Ronaldsay on 3rd; 40 were at the Graemeshall Loch by 23rd.  An immature Iceland Gull was in Stromness Harbour all month with one-two at the Peedie Sea up to mid-month; others were noted on Shapinsay and Papay.  The Canadian Arctic race of Iceland Gull is known as Kumlien’s Gull and one was on North Ronaldsay on 4th/5th.  Up to four Glaucous Gulls continued to frequent Marwick, Birsay and up to three were seen on North Ronaldsay; others occurred in the Stromness area on 7th and 29th and at the Head of Holland on 15th.  100 Kittiwakes were back on their breeding ledges at Marwick Head by 24th.  Late March usually sees the first returning Sandwich Terns and this year was no exception with birds at Mill Sand on 26th and on Papay on 28th. 

A Wood Pigeon and a Collared Dove both passed through North Ronaldsay on 17th.  Risk assessments finally proved their worth on 13th when a party of staff assessing the western slopes of the Kame of Corrigall for a school outing relocated the elusive Snowy Owl!  However, hopes that it might stay in the area came to nought. Three Long-eared Owls were in Rendall on 4th and one near Finstown on 18th, the latter giving immense pleasure to one well-known local musician for whom it was a new bird!

A Waxwing was in Kirkwall on 2nd and 7th.  Skylark passage was conspicuous through North Ronaldsay for much of the month the highest count being 86 on 7th; 30 were at Dale, Costa on 28th.  The first Sand Martin of the spring was on North Ronaldsay on 20th.  Up to three Grey Wagtails (including a singing bird) were at The Willows, Kirkwall during the month and a pair were in territory at the Mill of Ireland on 28th; others were noted at Boardhouse, Finstown and Scapa.  A Dunnock was a migrant on North Ronaldsay on 13th and 18th.

Stonechats are typical March migrants and singles were on North Ronaldsay on 15th, 20th and 22nd.  Single early Wheatears were reported near the Harray Road Ends and in Holm during the beautiful weather of 17th; the only other report was of one on North Ronaldsay on 27th.  Yet another winter record of a Ring Ouzel involved a bird found dead at Rerwick, Tankerness on 1st.  An arrival of thrushes mid-month brought up to 98 Fieldfares to North Ronaldsay (when 60 were also on Sanday).  Up to 19 Blackbirds, 18 Redwings and a Song Thrush also occurred on North Ronaldsay while a Mistle Thrush was found in Stromness on 14th. 

A Chiffchaff was in Kirkwall on 20th and a migrant Goldcrest on North Ronaldsay on 18th.  The Coal Tit that has wintered in St.Margaret’s Hope was still there on 2nd and it, or another was at Hestily on 25th.  Small numbers of migrant corvids are a feature of March; a Jackdaw was on North Ronaldsay on 17th/18th and a Rook there on 24th; two Rooks also occurred at Widewall, South Ronaldsay, where they are scarce, on 28th. A Carrion Crow was at Inganess Bay on 25th and the largest Raven gathering was 35 at Rummie, Sanday on 18th. 

A migrant Greenfinch was on North Ronaldsay on 17th and two Chaffinches there on 27th.  The only Bramblings were the two in Finstown that were there until 14th.  Finstown also attracted up to three Goldfinches, five also being seen on Burray on 14th.  The biggest Twite flocks were 200 at Dam of Hoxa on 25th and 100 at Dale, Costa on 10th.  60 Linnets on Egilsay on 22nd was the largest gathering of that species and a single Redpoll flew over Rendall on 21st. 

There were 70 Snow Buntings near Yesnaby on 8th and 50 on Egilsay on 22nd while there were several other reports of up to 40.  A Lapland Bunting near Refuge, Harray on 5th was a very rare visitor to Mainland Orkney, this species being almost always recorded in the north isles.  The largest concentration of Reed Buntings this month was of up to 25 at Viewforth, Swannay.

Eric Meek

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