RSPB Bird Reports

ORKNEY BIRD RECORDS
MAY 2004

Traditionally a month when spring migration is at its height, May 2004 proved to be relatively quiet apart from two flurries of activity, one around 5th/6th and the other right at the month’s end.

Sea-watching off North Ronaldsay produced a Black-throated Diver on 8th and a series of Manx Shearwater records later in the month (max. 20 on 26th). A White-fronted Goose remained there until 10th while up to seven Barnacle Geese passed through mid-month. Two late Pink-footed Geese were at Marwick on 9th while, amazingly, a Pink-foot gander was found mated to a nesting Greylag Goose on the Birsay Moors. Shapinsay’s Mill Dam hosted broods of Pintail, Wigeon and Pochard ducklings during the month, indicative of the importance of this small site for our rarer ducks. Single Garganey were at Brodgar, Graemeshall and North Ronaldsay between 3rd and 13th and single Common Scoter off Shapinsay and North Ronaldsay on 13th. Lingering wintering ducks included 98 Scaup on the Harray Loch on 3rd, 89 Long-tailed Ducks on the Tankerness Loch on 6th and the North Ronaldsay Smew that remained until 6th. Up to six Ruddy Ducks were present on the Mill Dam and four at Loch of Banks.

An immature White-tailed Eagle was mobbed by a Raven over the Orphir Hills on 6th while an escaped falconer’s eagle, possibly a Tawny Eagle, was seen in Birsay late in the month. Marsh Harriers were seen on North Ronaldsay and Rousay on 5th/6th and in the West Mainland on several dates but the only other unusual raptor was a Hobby on the Birsay Moors on 21st.

Red-legged Partridges were reported from several East Mainland sites during the month, presumably the result of releases by shooting interests; however, a Quail on North Ronaldsay on 20th was a much more interesting gamebird! A Crane was in the Rendall area on 8th/9th while it or another arrived on Stronsay the next day and remained for several days.

Some good passage wader flocks were noted: Ringed Plovers peaked at 268 on North Ronaldsay on 19th with 200 at The Ouse, Shapinsay on 25th and 112 at the Oyce of Quindry on 16th. North Ronaldsay also produced the best counts for Knot (50 on 20th), Sanderling (814 on 5th) and Purple Sandpiper (120 on 5th) but was pipped at the post with Dunlin, The Ouse on Shapinsay producing 250 on 25th against North Ronaldsay’s 245 on 20th. Amongst the more unusual waders, four Dotterel appeared on Sanday on 20th with two on Egilsay on 26th; a very late Jack Snipe was in South Ronaldsay on 8th; a Greenshank was in the same area on 2nd and a Wood Sandpiper on North Ronaldsay on 9th. Away from breeding sites, a light passage of Black-tailed Godwits occurred with up to three on North Ronaldsay and one-two elsewhere while the largest gatherings of Bar-tailed Godwits were 11 on Shapinsay on 13th and 33 on North Ronaldsay on 27th. The latter island also produced by far the biggest count of migrating Whimbrel with 71 passing through on 9th nowhere else recording more than three per day.

A Long-tailed Skua must have been a fine sight as it drifted over Bridgend, Firth on 4th. Little Gull records involved two in Stenness on 4th and singles on North Ronaldsay on 9th and on the Harray Loch on 31st. An immature Ring-billed Gull was found on Shapinsay on 13th, a very rare visitor to Orkney other than the oft-returning Stromness winterer. Single Iceland Gulls were seen in South Ronaldsay on 2nd and the Birsay Loons on 17th while the only Glaucous Gull was one in Deerness on 6th. A pair of Little Terns returned to a regular breeding site during the month but there were concerns over our Arctic Tern population, very few having returned to Papay, one of their major haunts, by the end of the month.

Collared Dove passage was evident through North Ronaldsay with a peak of 17 on 29th while there were eight reports of Cuckoos scattered throughout the islands. The influx of migrants at the month’s end included a spectacular Bee-eater on Westray on 31st, another very rare bird in Orkney. The only Swift was one on North Ronaldsay on 30th but Swallows were numerous and widespread and included a count off 88 on North Ronaldsay on 16th when there were 16 at Stronsay’s Burgh Head. An extremely rare Red-rumped Swallow was found in Holm on 26th and had apparently been present for a few days previously. The only Tree Pipits were singles on North Ronaldsay on 6th and 10th while a light passage of White Wagtails early in the month brought up to six to that island on 9th and two to Holm on 2nd.

North Ronaldsay held something of a monopoly over migrant chats and thrushes with a Mistle Thrush on 2nd, late Fieldfare (17th) and Redwing (27th), peaks of 104 Wheatears and three Whinchats on 5th/6th, a Nightingale on 5th, three Redstarts on 6th and a Bluethroat on 29th. One-two Ring Ouzels also occurred there between 1st-6th the only other report being of one on South Ronaldsay on 11th.

A Grasshopper Warbler was in song in Hoy’s Heldale Burn on 11th while Sedge Warblers arrived in force from 5th onwards. Much scarcer were the Icterine Warbler (9th), Reed Warbler (29th), Marsh Warbler (31st) and Great Reed Warbler (31st – only the 3rd Orkney record) that all appeared on North Ronaldsay. A scatter of Lesser Whitethroats included up to three on North Ronaldsay and one singing in Finstown for an extended period raising hopes of breeding. Whitethroats and Blackcaps occurred in similar numbers but the only Garden Warbler was one in Finstown on 9th. Willow Warbler passage peaked on North Ronaldsay on 5th when 15 were counted, nine Chiffchaffs being there next day; the only Wood Warbler was one in St.Margaret’s Hope on 8th. A few Pied Flycatchers appeared on North Ronaldsay, Deerness and Hoy 3rd-8th while Spotted Flycatchers were reported from three sites 8th-11th and three 26th-30th.

A Long-tailed Tit was a very strange find at Balfour, Shapinsay on 13th but even more spectacular was the Golden Oriole on North Ronaldsay on 31st. The latter island also produced all the records of Red-backed Shrikes with up to four between 8th-12th, one on 27th and an amazing eight on 31st. During the first half of the month, Carrion Crows were noted from four sites with a maximum of six on North Ronaldsay on 1st, that island also producing the only Tree Sparrow record with five on 24th. Single Bramblings were recorded from four localities 8th-11th and the month’s only Goldfinch from Stenness on 14th while the appearance of two Crossbills in Holm on the early date of 18th raised hopes of this being an irruption year. A Mealy Redpoll was in Stromness mid-month and a Lesser Redpoll in South Ronaldsay on 26th while up to three redpolls also occurred on North Ronaldsay. Finally, late Snow Buntings lingered on Hoy until 5th and on North Ronaldsay until 19th.

Eric Meek

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