RSPB Bird Reports

ORKNEY BIRD RECORDS
MAY 2008

With persistent easterly winds, May proved to be an even more exciting month than April for migrant birds, especially late in the month when those winds were, at last, accompanied by some rain that grounded birds that might otherwise have passed straight over the islands.

A flock of nine Black-throated Divers was off Hunda on 10th but the party of four summer-plumaged White-billed Divers off North Ronaldsay on 2nd (with singles on 4th and 8th) stole the show!  Manx Shearwaters became more conspicuous off North Ronaldsay with up to 12 per day especially late in the month.  The first Storm Petrels also appeared with two off North Ronaldsay on 31st and one en route from Auskerry on the same date.  A Red-necked Grebe was reported off Stromness on 4th.  Few birds in Orkney have captured the imagination more than the magnificent Black Stork that visited Evie and Rendall (with forays out over Rousay and Westray) from 21st to 24th, only the fifth to have been seen in Orkney.  Probably drifted off course on its journey from African wintering grounds to eastern Europe, it finally plucked up courage to make it north to Shetland.

Interesting geese included a Canada Goose on North Ronaldsay on 7th and a Bean Goose there on 20th.  An unusual run of Barnacle Geese on the same island included 11 on 6th and 35 on 30th.  Eight Snow Geese appeared on South Ronaldsay on 4th, later appearing to split into groups of three that were seen on Burray on 19th and five in Holm on 29th. 

There were nine records of Garganey, a good showing of this highly migratory duck that is an African winterer. A drake Ring-necked Duck was located on Egilsay, probably the bird that was found on nearby Rousay last autumn.  Pre-migratory gatherings of Long-tailed Ducks were impressive early in the month with 421 in Burray on 1st, 320 off Lyness on 3rd and 120 off No.4 Barrier on 7th. 

Single Marsh Harriers were on North Ronaldsay on 6th and at three different West Mainland localities during the month.  Goshawk continued its good run of records this spring with one flying north through the Rousay hills on 14th.  Away from breeding areas, Buzzards visited Orphir on 5th and 20th, southern Hoy on 12th and both Westray and North Ronaldsay (same bird?) on 16th.  A Rough-legged Buzzard also visited North Ronaldsay on 4th/5th.  Ospreys were recorded passing over the latter island on 15th, 20th and 22nd with others over Rendall on 7th and 13th.  A Hobby appeared on North Ronaldsay during the migrant arrival of 30th. 

Corncrakes began to trickle into their breeding areas the first to return being one at Marwick on 4th followed two days later by one on Papay.  Quail were heard calling on Egilsay on 15th with others in Deerness and South Ronaldsay on 30th.  A Crane passed over South Ronaldsay on 14th while two were recorded on North Ronaldsay on 12th, 20th and 25th/26th with two also over Holm on 17th.

More Avocets were found in the islands than ever before with two at the Mill Dam of Rango on 7th followed by one on North Ronaldsay on 9th and 11th with two there on 20th.    An elusive Little Ringed Plover visited the Loch of Tankerness on 16th/17th.  There was a particularly good passage of Dotterels beginning with one on Hoy’s Knap of Trowieglen on 2nd followed by parties of eight and two, also on Hoy on 11th and 15th, a single on Eday on 6th followed by five there on 24th and up to five on North Ronaldsay between 3rd and 15th.  The peak Sanderling count in eastern Sanday was 280 on 22nd, 170 having been recorded on North Ronaldsay on 9th and 150 on Westray on 17th.  North Ronaldsay also recorded 148 Knot on 24th.  Little Stints were seen on North Ronaldsay on 9th/10th with two on 13th while another was on Westray on 16th.  Temminck’s Stints are much rarer so that singles at the Loch of Tankerness and on North Ronaldsay on 21st were of real note. Curlew Sandpipers in their stunning summer plumage were at the Loch of Tankerness on 16th and North Ronaldsay on 25th.  Orkney’s north isles provide an important staging post for Turnstones on their way to their high Arctic breeding grounds in Canada and there were 145 on Papay on 19th, 550 on North Ronaldsay on 20th and 310 at Scuthvie, Sanday on 22nd.  101 Purple Sandpipers were on North Ronaldsay on 6th with 48 on Papay on 18th.  The month’s only live Woodcock was in Rendall on 24th though the remains of several more were found in the hills having provided important sustenance for our Hen Harriers and Peregrines.  Black-tailed Godwits settled into two breeding areas in the West Mainland while migrants included two on North Ronaldsay on 1st and four on Sanday on 6th.  The largest reported Bar-tailed Godwit flock was of 50 on Westray on 16th.  Whimbrel passage continued with up to 12 per day at nine localities and including two on Auskerry as late as 31st.  There were five records of single Greenshanks during the month while single Spotted Redshanks were seen on North Ronaldsay on 20th and over Rendall the following day.  Wood Sandpipers are always very scarce so that singles on North Ronaldsay on 9th and 21st, on Westray on 10th and in Deerness on 16th  were of note.  Common Sandpipers were seen regularly on their breeding sites but up to six on North Ronaldsay on 28th/29th were passage birds.

A Long-tailed Skua passed North Ronaldsay on 22nd while a Little Gull was there on 1st with two at the Loch of Tankerness on 31st.  Immature Glaucous Gulls were reported from six localities but the only Iceland Gull was an adult in Stromness on 5th and 13th.  Arctic Terns arrived in numbers during the month and appear to be settling well in several of their breeding colonies; however, it remains to be seen whether their food supply will support them for the rest of the season.  Little Terns were reported in small numbers from three potential breeding sites. 

Stock Doves are always rare in Orkney so that one near St.Mary’s on 7th was a good record.  Single Turtle Doves were in Toab on 21st/22nd and on 31st.  There were 11 reports of Cuckoos from 6th.  Short-eared Owls were conspicuous during the month as males hunted for their incubating mates but there was only one report of a Long-eared Owl, in Holm on 29th.  Perhaps the most remarkable event of the month was an arrival of Nightjars with birds reported from Toab, Firth and North Ronaldsay on 30th with another, singing (!) at Binscarth on 31st.  A Wryneck was on North Ronaldsay on 22nd while the first Swifts appeared from 21st with as many as nine on North Ronaldsay on 30th. 

Swallows appear to be everywhere this spring, the Orkney population having burgeoned in recent years; 60 were over the Harray Loch on 1st and 50 over the Peedie Sea on 4th.  House Martins are much scarcer but our few breeding birds settled in during the month and 12 were on North Ronaldsay on 30th.  Sand Martins are irregular breeders but birds appeared to be attached to two potential West Mainland breeding sites with a scatter of reports of up to eight elsewhere.  Up to three Tree Pipits were on North Ronaldsay on six dates with another on Auskerry on 31st.  Yellow Wagtails, especially of the Grey-headed race, are typical late May migrants, up to three occurring on North Ronaldsay and two on Auskerry with singles at three other sites.  The only Grey Wagtails were on North Ronaldsay on 5th and St.Margaret’s Hope on 29th.  Small numbers of White Wagtails passed through North Ronaldsay until 21st while another was on Hoy on 2nd.

Bluethroats were seen in Costa on 16th, the Old Man of Hoy on 27th, Deerness on 29th and North Ronaldsay (two) on 30th.  A Black Redstart was on Rousay on 3rd with one-two on North Ronaldsay from 28th-30th while Common Redstarts, scarcer than the previous species these days, occurred on North Ronaldsay on 1st and 28th/29th and on Burray on 13th.  An early Whinchat was on North Ronaldsay on 1st with another on 14th, followed by a small arrival between 28th-31st with up to three at four sites.  One-two Ring Ouzels were seen on North Ronaldsay on four dates with another in South Ronaldsay on 30th.  A few late Fieldfares were reported with 11 at Herston on 1st and the latest, one-two on North Ronaldsay on 26th/27th.  Redwings were seen in Rendall and on North Ronaldsay in small numbers up to 10th while a very late bird of the Icelandic race was in Costa on 31st.  A single Mistle Thrush was in Swannay on 1st. 

The first Sedge Warbler was on Hoy on 3rd but the species was widespread by 8th.  The only Grasshopper Warbler was one in song in Durkadale on 8th.  The migrant fall late in the month brought single Marsh Warblers to North Ronaldsay and Tankerness and Icterine Warblers to North Ronaldsay (up to four), Hoy and South Ronaldsay (singles in two localities).  Lesser Whitethroats, Common Whitethroats, Garden Warblers and Blackcaps were all recorded in small numbers, again especially between 29th-31st.  Single Wood Warblers were on North Ronaldsay on 18th and 27th-29th.  Willow Warblers seem numerous in their breeding localities this spring while as many as 17 migrants were on North Ronaldsay on 29th.  11 Chiffchaffs were on North Ronaldsay on 1st then reported singing from seven localities during the rest of the month. 

An early Spotted Flycatcher was in Rendall on 10th with another on North Ronaldsay the following day but a considerable arrival occurred from 22nd with as many as 32 on North Ronaldsay on 29th and up to four at twelve other localities.  Pied Flycatchers are much scarcer these days, only six singles being reported during the month from North Ronaldsay, South Ronaldsay and Copinsay. One of the birds of the month, however, was the much rarer Collared Flycatcher, on North Ronaldsay on 24th.

A Great Tit was on North Ronaldsay on 1st.  Red-backed Shrikes appeared from 27th with as many as 11 on North Ronaldsay and singles at five other sites.    Even more colourful was the arrival of Golden Orioles with birds in Rendall on 21st, Hoy on 23rd and Hoy again and St Margaret’s Hope on 29th.  Somewhat more mundane were the Carrion Crows that passed through North Ronaldsay (nine on 7th and five on 20th) and Fara (one on 5th).  Three Tree Sparrows were very scarce visitors to North Ronaldsay on 7th/8th. 

Bramblings were scarce with no more than six reported from six localities and Siskins, similarly, were in rather short supply with up to 10 at five sites.    Goldfinches were reported from Swannay on 2nd and Rendall on 14th.  Common Redpolls were reported from North Ronaldsay, Westray and South Ronaldsay with Lesser Redpolls in Deerness, Rendall and Swannay while single Crossbills were in Rendall on 18th and South Ronaldsay on 30th.  A Scarlet Rosefinch was in Deerness on 21st then a marked arrival occurred from 28th-31st with up to eight on North Ronaldsay and one-two at three other sites.  Single Hawfinches appeared at Crantit on 15th and in Stromness from 17th-19th. 

A late Lapland Bunting was on North Ronaldsay on 1st/2nd while single Snow Buntings lingered there until 15th.  Spring Yellowhammer records are unusual but singles were in Rendall on 9th, on North Ronaldsay on 15th/16th and in South Ronaldsay on 19th.  Finally, no fewer than three Rustic Buntings appeared – on Stronsay on 15th, in St. Margaret’s Hope on 24th and at Burwick from 28th-30th.

Eric Meek

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