RSPB Bird Reports

ORKNEY BIRD RECORDS
October 2007

The largest concentrations of Red-throated Divers were 35 off eastern Rousay on 12th and 19 in Widewall Bay on 8th while for Great Northern Divers, the largest counts were 36 off Egilsay on 30th and 28 in Shapinsay Sound on 30th.  A most unusual record of a Black-throated Diver on fresh water came from the Swannay Loch from 13th-31st while another was off Egilsay on 30th.  Great Crested Grebes are rare visitors so that two in the Bay of Firth on 4th were of note as was a Red-necked Grebe on the Swannay Loch on 1st.  16 Slavonian Grebes in Echnaloch Bay on 24th was a good count.

Sooty Shearwater passage continued off North Ronaldsay with 25 on 8th and up to 11 per day until 22nd and the last was one on 29th.  A single Storm Petrel was also seen there on 23rd.  Up to 800 Shags gathered in Widewall Bay with a peak on 8th.  Little Egrets are becoming more regular visitors in these days of global warming so that the finding of one in the Hundland Loch area of Birsay was less unusual than it once would have been. 

Whooper Swans were widely reported with up to 38 on North Ronaldsay,  75 on Sanday, 77 on Shapinsay and 58 flying south over Widewall Bay on 28th when 33 were at St. Mary’s, 15 over Finstown, 12 at Dale and 11 at Hoy’s Bay of Quoys; 21 were at Dale and 31 were in Burray next day.  Greylag Geese arrived in large numbers but we await the November census for an assessment of their numbers.  Pink-footed Geese are much less numerous but up to 200 were in the Bea Loch area of Sanday for most of the month while passage between 1st – 9th saw up to 150 over six localities.   20 Greenland White-fronted Geese had returned to The Loons, Birsay by 7th increasing to 28 by 30th while 23 arrived at the Swannay Loch on 13th; the only other record was of 10 over Swannay on 21st.    300 Barnacle Geese had returned to South Walls by 15th while passage elsewhere saw flocks of 16 – 45 in six different localities.  Two Canada Geese flew in from the sea over Sanday on 16th while single Brent Geese were seen on North Ronaldsay on 2nd and 19th and a pale-bellied bird was on the Holms of Ire on 26th.

Wigeon became very numerous during the month, the largest gathering being 2500 on Sanday’s Bea Loch on 7th.  Teal, too, were conspicuous with as many as 800 on Egilsay on 30th and up to 260 on North Ronaldsay and 153 on Burray.  The largest Pintail flock was on Sanday’s North Loch where there were up to 39 although 13 were at the Sabiston Loch and nine on North Ronaldsay.  The Loch of Boardhouse is the favoured locality for Pochard, 357 being counted there on 8th.  Kirkwall’s Peedie Sea attracted up to 180 Tufted Ducks and up to 16 Scaup joined them; the only other Scaup records were of singles on Rousay on 16th and in Finstown Bay from 25th.  Much rarer was the Ring-necked Duck that was found on The Loch of Wasbister, Rousay on 16th, only the 3rd Orkney record of this North American species.  Long-tailed Ducks became conspicuous as the month wore on with 150 off Aikerness, Evie the biggest count.  22 Velvet Scoters were found in Kirkwall Bay on 20th, up to three in Echnaloch Bay and one, unusually, on the Swannay Loch on 17th.  A Common Scoter was seen from North Ronaldsay on 16th with four there on 21st while the much rarer Surf Scoter put in an appearance in Echnaloch Bay, a drake being there on 6th/7th.  A Ruddy Duck was still at the Quoyloo Brewery Pool on 7th while three were on the Harray Loch the following day.

At least 12 Hen Harriers entered the communal roost at Durkadale on 23rd.  Single Buzzards were seen in Rendall on 2nd and Burray on 18th.  The best raptor of the month, however, was a juvenile female Goshawk that flew through Shapinsay on 23rd.

Migrant Water Rails were at Dale, Costa on 12th and in Herston on 19th.  A large flock of Golden Plovers built up at Hatston and peaked at 2000 on 27th; elsewhere there were 1350 at Twatt, Birsay on 5th and 1200 at Scuthvie, Sanday on 2nd with gatherings of 700 on North Ronaldsay and in Deerness during the month.  The largest congregations of regularly occurring waders were:  105 Ringed Plovers at Warebeth on 12th; 77 Knot on North Ronaldsay on 13th; 100 Sanderlings at Scuthvie, Sanday on 6th and 30 Purple Sandpipers at Birsay Bay on 28th and on North Ronaldsay on 30th.  More unusual were a Little Stint on Burray on 22nd; a Ruff on Burray on 26th/27th and two at Widewall Bay on 28th;  two Curlew Sandpipers at Mill Dam, Shapinsay from 6th-10th; and single Pectoral Sandpipers at Lettan, Sanday on 6th and on Burray from 15th-17th.  An estimated 1000 Snipe were on Egilsay on 1st , eclipsing numbers elsewhere although 105 were in eastern Sanday on 6th.  Jack Snipe were very scarce there being only five records of 1-2 birds during the month.  In contrast, Woodcock became conspicuous after 20th with 11 on the Holms of Ire, 10 on North Ronaldsay, five on Start, Sanday and at Hestily, South Ronaldsay and 1-3 at several other localities.  Black-tailed Godwit passage peaked on 6th/7th when 52 were at the Loch of Banks, 26 on Sanday and six on North Ronaldsay the only other record being of one on the latter island on 18th.  A very late Whimbrel was seen at Water Sound up to 24th.  A Greenshank was over Swannay on 3rd, a Spotted Redshank at Sanday’s North Loch on 6th and a Green Sandpiper at the Wasdale Loch on 8th.  Hailing from the other side of the Atlantic, however, was a Lesser Yellowlegs at Shapinsay’s Mill Dam from 6th-8th, only the 4th record for Orkney.  Single Grey Phalaropes were in Echnaloch Bay on 18th and off North Ronaldsay on 23rd.

A few Bonxies lingered during the month with the latest being seen off North Ronaldsay on 23rd and Shapinsay on 25th.  A very late Arctic Skua was off North Ronaldsay on 29th, two Pomarine Skuas having been seen there on 19th.  A Mediterranean Gull returned to the Peedie Sea on 27th and the Ring-billed Gull to Stromness on 29th while two Little Gulls were found in Birsay Bay on 30th.  However, amongst the smaller gulls, the outstanding sighting was of four Sabine’s Gulls that landed on Egilsay’s Loch of the Graand amongst a flock of 1000 Kittiwakes before heading off south once more.  Single Glaucous Gulls were on North Ronaldsay on 22nd and 30th and at Birsay on 29th while another in Stromness Harbour from 28th has several unusual features that are creating debate!  A Glaucous x Herring Gull hybrid was on North Ronaldsay on 15th.  Late Sandwich Terns were seen on Sanday on 6th (two) and on Papay on 26th while one-two Arctic Terns were reported from North Ronaldsay and Burray between 26th-29th.  The ‘wreck’ of Razorbills that began in late September and was most noticeable in Scapa Bay became a ‘wreck’ of Puffins with perhaps as many as 100 coming ashore during last three weeks of the month.  Three Little Auks were also found dead there on 21st/22nd while North Ronaldsay recorded live birds on 18th/19th(six) and 23rd (12).

A gathering of 195 Wood Pigeons at Redland, Firth was of note, 96 having been counted going into a Finstown roost on 10th; single migrant birds were on North Ronaldsay between 18th-29th.  North Ronaldsay also reported a migrant Collared Dove and a much rarer Stock Dove on 29th.  Short-eared Owls become much less conspicuous in the autumn probably as they become more nocturnal; however, at least six were hunting the Durkadale valley at dusk on 23rd.  The only Long-eared Owl reported was one at Wideford Burn, St.Ola on 30th. 

Rock Pipits are closely tied to the shore in summer but have a tendency to move inland in winter; six were 80 metres from the sea on Shapinsay’s East Hill on 25th.  Richard’s Pipits are exciting visitors from the steppes of Siberia – one was on Egilsay on 1st and another on Burray on 19th/20th.  One-two Grey Wagtails were in Kirkwall all month; others were in Evie on 1st (two), on North Ronaldsay on 3rd-5th and 9th and at Finstown on 13th and 31st.  After a fantastic summer for Swallows, the last two were seen on Sanday on 16th. 

It was a poor autumn for Dunnock and Robin passage with no more than one-two of each reported from just a few localities.  A migrant Stonechat was on North Ronaldsay on 10th while the only Whinchat report was of one on Egilsay on 1st.  There was a marked influx of Wheatears on 5th/6thwith up to 25 on North Ronaldsay and 20 on Sanday; the latest lingerer was on the former island on 28th.  Single Ring Ouzels occurred on Burray on 5th and North Ronaldsay on 9th/19th but there was no marked Blackbird influx until the last week of the month when a peak of 143 was recorded on North Ronaldsay on 28th.  Song Thrushes are earlier migrants and this month’s peak was of 33 on North Ronaldsay on 4th.  A movement of 1000 Redwings took place over Sanday during the morning of 6th when some 600 were noted on North Ronaldsay but numbers were much smaller during the rest of the month.  Fieldfares were fewer although 150 were over Sanday on 6th, 170 in Stromness on 19th and 105 on Shapinsay on 29th.  Single Mistle Thrushes were seen in Rendall on 2nd and 20th.

Like most other migrants, Blackcaps were few and far between with no more than four on North Ronaldsay (peak on 24th) and just one-two at four other localities.  Single Garden Warblers were noted in Rendall on 5th, Dale on four dates 18th-30th and in Finstown on 23rd while the only Barred Warbler was one on Sanday on 5th/6th.  Up to three Lesser Whitethroats occurred on North Ronaldsay until 10th with two on Sanday and one on Burray during the same period.  Late Willow Warblers were on North Ronaldsay on 3rd and 8th with two at Herston on 4th and one there on the very late date of 24th.  Chiffchaffs are usually much more conspicuous in October but North Ronaldsay only recorded singles all month and although there were five on Sanday on 6th, the only others were in Rendall on 1st-3rd and at Cara, South Ronaldsay on 24th.  Amazingly, for a bird that breeds no closer than the Ural Mountains, Yellow-browed Warblers were more numerous:  up to seven occurred on North Ronaldsay up to 17th (peak on 10th), up to three on Sanday to 9th, one-two in Swannay from 6th-11th and singles at four other sites.  Goldcrests were another common migrant in short supply with no more than 11 on Sanday (6th), 10 in Rendall (1st-5th) and eight on North Ronaldsay (6th).  Single Red-breasted Flycatchers were good finds on North Ronaldsay on 16th/17th and 24th. 

One of the most interesting events of the month was the arrival of considerable numbers of Jackdaws, presumably of Scandinavian origin.  Three appeared on North Ronaldsay on 22nd and built up to 188 by 26th; 50 were also at Graemeshall, Holm on 28th.  Any reports of Jackdaws away from the usual gathering places of our breeding birds would be gratefully received.  Single migrant Rooks were on North Ronaldsay on 22nd and 24th/25th.

North Ronaldsay reported peak counts of Bramblings on 4th (20) and 28th/29th (40) but apart from 12 in Rendall on 10th and in Finstown on 30th and up to 10 in Herston during the month, all other counts were of one-six.  Seven Goldfinches appeared on North Ronaldsay on 20th, one at Dale on 21st and three at Ley House, Hoy on 28th.  Siskins became very conspicuous during the month as it became apparent that a large irruption was occurring, apparently with its origins in Scandinavia.  Small numbers were noted during the first half of the month but from the 20th onwards flocks of 30-50 were seen on North Ronaldsay, on Shapinsay, in Finstown, in Stromness, at No.2 Barrier and in South Ronaldsay with smaller numbers elsewhere.  Small numbers of Common Redpolls occurred with up to nine on North Ronaldsay and one-two at five other sites.  The best Twite flocks were 200 at Windwick on 28th and 120 on Egilsay on 24th and 30th while a party of 42 at Hoy’s Dwarfie Stane was unusual.  Crossbills were reported only from Rendall where there were 14 on 13th, one on 19th/20th and five on 25th.  The only Scarlet Rosefinches were singles at Dale, Costa on 5th-7th and 9th-12th.

Up to 180 Snow Buntings were on Egilsay with a peak on 24th; elsewhere 58 were on Ward Hill, Hoy on 24th, 50 at Start, Sanday on 27th and up to 47 on North Ronaldsay.  One-two Lapland Buntings were on North Ronaldsay until 16th and two on Egilsay on 30th.  The largest Reed Bunting flock was 70 at Dale, Costa on 13th.  Much more unusual were the Little Bunting on North Ronaldsay on 10th and the two Ortolan Buntings there on the very unusual date of 28th.

Eric Meek

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