RSPB Bird Reports

ORKNEY BIRD RECORDS
NOVEMBER 2005

A Black-throated Diver was in Water Sound on 6th while Slavonian Grebes continued to catch the eye with up to five on the Skaill Loch and as many as 17 on the Swannay Loch. A very late Sooty Shearwater was off North Ronaldsay on 16th while a Storm Petrel was attracted to the lights of the Egilsay bonfire party on 5th!

By far the largest Whooper Swan gathering was of 109 on Shapinsay on 15th but there were five other reports of flocks of 12-25. A Greylag Goose census indicated a marked decline and a redistribution of birds within the islands as heavy pressure from Italian shooting parties in the West Mainland took its toll. 260 Pink-footed Geese were on Shapinsay on 5th, single White-fronted Geese on South Ronaldsay on 5th and North Ronaldsay on 9th while a Taiga Bean Goose was on Burray on 6th. Away from the main South Walls wintering area, the only records of Barnacle Geese were of singles on North Ronaldsay from 3rd-6th and on Shapinsay on 5th.

The first Shelducks to return from their moult migration across the North Sea were two on Shapinsay on 5th while five were at Widewall on 21st. 41 Gadwall on the Stenness Loch on 6th was a record count; 24 were also on North Ronaldsay on 9th. North Ronaldsay also attracted up to 17 Pintail until mid-month and there were four other records of up to seven. Shovelers, too, found North Ronaldsay to their liking with a maximum of 31 early in the month when 24 were also reported from South Ronaldsay’s Liddel Loch. The Stenness Loch Scaup flock numbered 306 on 6th while a drake Smew was found on the Skaill Loch on 10th. 15 Velvet Scoters were in Shapinsay Sound on 19th, one having been seen, unusually, inland on the Hundland Loch on 9th. Much rarer was the drake Surf Scoter seen off Rerwick Head on 18th and 19th.

The only raptors of note were single Buzzards at Burwick and in Orphir on 5th and on Eday on 9th.

Although there were several reports of flocks of up to 800 Golden Plover, the gathering of 4000 at the Shapinsay Ouse must have been a fine sight! The largest concentration of Purple Sandpipers was 150 at Grit Ness, Evie on 18th. A very late Little Stint lingered on North Ronaldsay until 4th and there was a Ruff there on 2nd. Snipe numbers remained especially high on Papay, four wetlands visited there on 12th/13th producing a total of 540. Four Jack Snipe were amongst the latter with three on Keelylang on 18th and singles at five other sites. Woodcock remained conspicuous with seven in Rendall on 19th, six on North Ronaldsay on 1st and singles at six other localities. 108 Bar-tailed Godwits were in Tankerness on 8th and 54 at Widewall on 9th but the only Black-tailed Godwits were two at Herston on 22nd.

Late Bonxies were at Burwick on 3rd, North Ronaldsay on 6th and Egilsay on 10th but even more noteworthy were an Arctic Skua off Shapinsay on 20th and a Long-tailed Skua off St.Mary’s on 27th. The ever-faithful Ring-billed Gull returned to Stromness from 18th while a late Lesser Black-backed Gull was on North Ronaldsay on 3rd. An Iceland Gull was on North Ronaldsay on 16th with another in Stromness on 19th and 25th. Single Glaucous Gulls were on North Ronaldsay on 6th and 12th with another in the Kirkwall-Scapa area on 14th and 25th. 10 Little Auks passed North Ronaldsay on 13th while two-three were also reported from Stromness, Scapa and St.Mary’s.

The winter bird crops at Dale, Costa attracted an impressive gathering of 500 Rock Doves by the end of the month. A migrant Wood Pigeon was on North Ronaldsay on 1st with two at Herston next day. November is always a good month for Long-eared Owls; the largest gathering was of six in St.Ola while one-three were reported from seven other sites. The Stenness Hoopoe that appeared in late October remained until 8th but was amazingly elusive. Late Swallows appeared on North Ronaldsay and South Walls (two) on 3rd. Waxwings were conspicuous and well-reported; the largest gatherings were 30 in Finstown, 28 in Orphir and 24 in Kirkwall but there were 15 reports of up to 10 from elsewhere.

A Black Redstart was on North Ronaldsay on 2nd with two there on 4th. Unfortunately the only record of a Common Redstart was of one killed on the road at Norseman on 8th. There was a late Wheatear on North Ronaldsay on 3rd and a Ring Ouzel in Stromness on 1st. The peak Fieldfare arrival occurred on 2nd/3rd when 120 were at Herston and 267 on North Ronaldsay; 193 Redwings also arrived on North Ronaldsay at that time.

There were six records of one-three Blackcaps up to 8th but the only later sightings involved singles in Kirkwall and at Crantit on 21st and one in Costa all month. A Lesser Whitethroat was in a Stromness garden for a few days up to 18th, the very late date and colouration of its upperparts suggesting a Central Asian origin. One-two Chiffchaffs were seen in four localities up to 14th. A Great Tit was a rare visitor to a Hoy garden from 1st to 8th.

70 Chaffinches in Rendall on 27th was by far the largest gathering of this species. Bramblings were scarce, only up to six being reported from four sites up to 9th. 50 Greenfinches were at Herston on 4th while two Goldfinches were in Orphir on 21st followed by four at Bigswell, Stenness on 23rd. 20 Siskins visited Rendall on 1st but no more than five were seen elsewhere. The Dale, Costa bird crops were really performing well by month’s end with up to 450 Twite and 100 Reed Buntings; 150 Twite were also in Toab at that time. The small irruption of Mealy Redpolls continued with10 in Rendall on 2nd and singles at three other localities. The only Crossbills were a party of six in Rendall on 8th. Northern Bullfinches were seen at seven sites, the largest gathering being six on Hoy on 10th. Finally, it has been one of the best autumns for Snow Buntings for many years. The largest flocks were 400 at Quoyangry, South Ronaldsay on 15th, 272 on North Ronaldsay on 14th, 250 near Stromness on 14th and 200 at Hoxa on 9th but there have been many reports of up to 120 elsewhere.

Eric Meek

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