RSPB Bird Reports
ORKNEY BIRD RECORDS
March 2010
50 Great Northern Divers off Rerwick Head was a notable gathering. Our local Red-throated Divers began to make their way back to their breeding sites, the first being one at the Swannay Loch on 4th. Great Crested Grebes are rare visitors but one was off No.1 Barrier from 5th to 10th (before moving to Burray on 14th) and another was in Widewall Bay from 6th to 14th. Up to four Red-necked Grebes were present in the Holm Sound-Sandoyne area while Slavonian Grebes were noted in many localities, some coming into their superb breeding plumage. The largest gathering of Grey Herons was 18 at Graemeshall Loch on 6th.
48 Whooper Swans at the Loch of Sabiston on 16th was the month’s best count but the party of 11 adults that arrived on the Peedie Sea and remained for over a week attracted a lot of attention. 600 Pink-footed Geese were in their usual wintering area in Tankerness on 5th but, during the third week of the month, a marked passage took place as birds returned from more southerly wintering grounds prior to departure for Iceland: gatherings at this time included 110 in Rendall on 23rd and 600 at Vestrafiold, Sandwick on 27th. Three Taiga Bean Geese remained at their Birsay site until 8th while others included one in Tankerness on 1st, two in Evie on 17th and one on North Ronaldsay from 6th to 14th. The Greenland White-fronted Goose flock at The Loons numbered 64 on 22nd with single birds being seen at nearby Marwick on 30th and on North Ronaldsay on 12th. Two Eurasian White-fronted Geese were on North Ronaldsay from 9th to 20th. More unusual were the Snow Goose in the Stromness area on 9th and the Canada Goose on North Ronaldsay on 2nd while, on Sanday, a brood of three or four hybrid Canada x Greylag Geese were seen. The South Walls Barnacle Goose count for February was 1555 while, in March, others included five at The Loons on 6th, nine in Deerness on 21st and 27 at the Loch of Skaill on 27th. Two Dark-bellied Brent Geese were on North Ronaldsay from 6th to 27th.
Widewall Bay attracted the largest gathering of Shelducks with 40 on 14th. The elusive Green-winged Teal in Holm was relocated at Wester Sand on 25th. There were 38 Pintail at Sanday’s north end on 18th while, on the Mainland, the Loch of Brochan continued to be a magnet for them with 25 there on 6th/7th. Shovelers began to make their way back to favoured breeding sites, 12 being on the Brodgar Pools on 21st. The female Ring-necked Duck remained on North Ronaldsay all month. Up to 11 Velvet Scoters occurred off Sandoyne and up to four off the north Tankerness coast. One – two Surf Scoters were also in the latter area on 18th and 23rd as were two Common Scoters; other Commons were two off No 2 Barrier on 21st and five in Widewall Bay all month. Two Goosanders were on the Wasdale Loch on 16th and on the Loch of Brockan on 25th while what was probably the Loch of Skaill Smew appeared on the Loch of Clumly on 14th.
The only Buzzard away from known breeding areas was that at Widewall on 1st. Hen Harriers found it difficult to decide whether it was winter or spring! – at least 13 were still using the communal winter roost in Durkadale on 22nd while, on 23rd, sky-dancing display was noted in both Firth and Rendall.
Water Rails were reported from Otterswick, Sanday on 12th, Herston on 21st. and from Dale, Costa all month. Five Grey Plovers were at Seater, Sanday on 2nd with singles at Birsay Bay on 1st and Mirkady, Deerness on 16th. By far the largest gathering of Golden Plovers was 1100 at Heatherhouse, Tankerness on 21st but there were several reports of other flocks of up to 300 as birds gathered prior to their next move northwards. 205 Purple Sandpipers at Seater, Sanday on 2nd and 78 Knot at Heatherhouse were the best counts for those species while the single wintering Ruff was seen again at Marwick on 4th/5th. Five Woodcock were flushed from below the Dwarfie Hamars, Hoy on 16th and there were four in Rendall on 11th with one-two at two other sites. There were four reports of Jack Snipe from widely scattered localities. The wintering Whimbrel was seen on Burray on three dates while two unusual passage waders were a Spotted Redshank at The Shunan on 21st and 29th and a Green Sandpiper at Ireland, Stenness on 29th.
A Bonxie was seen off the west coast of the Mainland as early as 1st but few others had made it back before the month’s end. A noteworthy party of four Little Gulls were found in Evie Bay on 18th, three remaining the following day. Common Gulls began to reoccupy their moorland breeding colonies towards the month’s end but 1000 were still in a flock near Loch of Bosquoy on 26th. The immature Iceland Gull remained in Stromness Harbour until at least 10th, it or another being seen at Point of Ness on 31st; an adult flew through the Rennibister area on 27th. Lesser Black-backed Gulls seemed a little late in returning but 39 had gathered in Evie by 31st. 100 Kittiwakes were ashore on the Marwick Head cliffs on 4th while the first Sandwich Tern was one at St.Peter’s Pool on 25th followed by two there on 30th. In early spring, Guillemots come and go from their breeding ledges depending on the weather but 100 were ashore at Marwick on 1st. The first Puffin to be reported was one of Stanger Head, Flotta on 16th while 25 were on the sea near the Castle o’ Burrian, Westray on 21st.
A Collared Dove was an unusual visitor to Papay on 24th. A Barn Owl, a species being recorded far more regularly of late, was watched hunting near Twatt on 7th and two Long-eared Owls remained in their winter roost in South Ronaldsay as late as 8th. Good weather around 20th/21st spurred our resident Short-eared Owls into activity and their superb diving, wing-clapping display was seen on several occasions around that time.
There were unconfirmed reports early in the month from Rousay of a Swallow having been seen, almost unbelievable considering the weather conditions but then, on 24th, there was a confirmed sighting of one feeding along the beach at Burwick, by far the earliest that one has ever been seen in Orkney. 95 Skylarks were on North Ronaldsay on 16th as passage was witnessed there; 60 at Durkadale on 22nd were more likely to be local birds. The first full, ‘parachuting’ display of Rock Pipit was noted at Marwick Head on 8th but one was still at an inland wintering area on the Swannay Loch on 24th. A pair of Grey Wagtails set up territory at The Willows early in the month with singles also reported from Evie, Stenness and St. Margaret’s Hope.
The severe winter may well have reduced our breeding Stonechat population but two passage birds were on North Ronaldsay on the typical date of 25th. The same date and the same location produced a Black Redstart, this bird also being seen on 29th. An early Wheatear appeared on North Ronaldsay on 23rd with five there on 28th; the only Mainland record was of one at Cruland, Sandwick on 28th. Herston attracted 100 Redwings on 6th and 50 Fieldfares the following day.. Three Chiffchaffs were found on North Ronaldsay on 25th when another was at Tofts Ness, Sanday.
A Great Tit was a good find at How, Sanday as it fed with the local House Sparrows on 23rd. Even more unusual were the four Coal Tits that continued to visit a Lyness garden until at least 16th. The biggest Jackdaw flock was 92 at Newark Bay, South Ronaldsay on 14th.
Five Bramblings were in Deerness on 4th, others being reported from Finstown on 21st and The Shunan on 30th. No fewer than 10 Goldfinches were in Burray Village on 1st with one-two being reported from four other sites. One-five Siskins were reported from Harray, Rendall and South Ronaldsay between 5th and 10th then from 22nd onwards a marked influx took place with up to six seen in thirteen different localities a far apart as Rackwick and North Ronaldsay. 55 Linnets at Swannay was the biggest reported flock but Twites remained much more numerous, the largest gathering being 600 at Ocklester, Holm on 10th. Four Lesser Redpolls were feeding with a single Common Redpoll in Finstown on 29th. Late March is often a time when Hawfinches are seen in the islands and, right on cue, two appeared on North Ronaldsay on 30th and one on Rousay the following day. The only locality to report any Crossbills was in Rendall where there were up to six between 5th and 8th and two on 23rd. By far the largest Snow Bunting flock was that found on the Hill of Yonbell, Birsay and which numbered 200 on 4th.
Eric Meek
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