RSPB Bird Reports

ORKNEY BIRD RECORDS
SEPTEMBER 2003

September was North Ronaldsay's month! As so often in the early part of the autumn, migrants were few and far between in Orkney as a whole, but our north-eastern outpost concentrated what birds there were into that tiny area and came up with a remarkable run of rarities. One noticeable feature of the month was the real dearth of common migrants anywhere with species such as Redstart, Blackcap, Garden Warbler, Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, Spotted Flycatcher and Pied Flycatcher nowhere occurring in more than single figures.

North Ronaldsay had some remarkable sea-watches during the month. On 1st, a Black-throated Diver, a Great Shearwater and a Cory's Shearwater were seen while on 9th 311 Storm Petrels were counted. On 15th, a Fea's Petrel (3rd Orkney Record), 72 Sooty Shearwaters and 54 Manx Shearwaters were reported then, on 24th, another Cory's Shearwater, 229 Sooty Shearwaters, 2 Leach's Petrels, a Surf Scoter, a Little Gull, an Iceland Gull, a Brunnich's Guillemot (only the 2nd live record for Orkney) and four Little Auks were logged. In addition, 'blue' Fulmars, the colour-phase originating in Arctic waters were conspicuous later in the month with 14 on 27th.

The first Slavonian Grebe was off North Ronaldsay on 18th. Whooper Swans began arriving from their Icelandic breeding grounds with two in Holm on 21st followed by up to 30 on Stronsay. A flock of 100 Pale-bellied Brent Geese passed the Brough of Birsay on 15th and 17 Barnacle Geese were on Shapinsay on 18th. Pink-footed Geese became conspicuous after 15th with several flocks of up to 90 and a maximum of 277 on North Ronaldsay on 17th. A few early White-fronted Geese were reported with two at the Swannay Loch and two North Ronaldsay 15th-19th. The latter island produced a count of 21 Pintail on 11th and provided the only records of Long-tailed Duck (19th & 25th) and Common Scoter (from 22nd).

Buzzards were reported from Hoy and Firth all month but one at Herston (23rd) and two on North Ronaldsay (10th) were more unusual. At least two Marsh Harriers wandered the islands being reported from six different localities while North Ronaldsay logged a maximum of four Merlins on 14th.

Away from breeding sites, Water Rails were seen at Binscarth (14th) and on Papay (20th). Golden Plover flocks built up considerably, the largest being 1300 on North Ronaldsay on 17th. The largest concentration of Knot was at St.Peter's Pool on 15th and of Sanderling, 198 on North Ronaldsay on 14th. The only Little Stint of the month was one on North Ronaldsay on 19th and, remarkably, not a single Curlew Sandpiper was reported. Very few Ruff were seen either with no more than four in only a couple of localities but rarer waders included a Pectoral Sandpiper on Papay on 21st and a Buff-breasted Sandpiper on North Ronaldsay from 29th. The first Jack Snipe was on Papay on 20th to be followed by one in Stenness and up to three on North Ronaldsay where Common Snipe peaked at 237 on 20th. Black-tailed Godwits numbered no more than four anywhere except Stronsay where there were 32 on 14th. The largest Bar-tailed Godwit flock was of 300 in Otterswick, anday on 12th. Curlew flocks built during the month with as many as 950 in the Coldomo/Sower area of Stenness/Orphir on 12th. Very few Whimbrel were noted although one was still on North Ronaldsay on 30th, a locality that produced the month's only records of Greenshank (8th) and Common Sandpiper (two on 20th). A Wood Sandpiper was at The Loons, Birsay on 9th.

Single Pomarine Skuas were seen in Eynhallow Sound and at the Brough of Birsay on 25th and off North Ronaldsay on 27th, the last locality having noted the only Long-tailed Skua on 12th. Little Gulls were at St.Mary's and North Ronaldsay with a single Sabine's Gull off the latter on 18th. A very good find was a Gull-billed Tern in the Tingwall area on 26th/27th and a Black Tern was on North Ronaldsay on 14th. Small numbers of Little Auks were also reported from North Ronaldsay after 17th.

A Stock Dove was on North Ronaldsay from 15th and a Turtle Dove from 19th but much more exciting was the finding of a Barn Owl of the pale-breasted race there on 4th. Two Long-eared Owls were at Cara, South Ronaldsay on17th. North Ronaldsay continued its dominance providing the only records of Swift (18th), Great Spotted Woodpecker (20th), Shorelark (21st), Sand Martin (14th and 21st), Richard's Pipit (from 19th), Tree Pipit (27th), Citrine Wagtail (from 28th) and Yellow Wagtail (20th and 24th). Elsewhere, the Graemeshall Swallow roost held up to 2000 birds during the month but had declined to 100 by 27th while House Martins were still feeding young on Sanday on 12th. A strong Meadow Pipit passage was noticed throughout the islands during the month with as many as 1172 logged on North Ronaldsay on 16th. Pied Wagtails were also conspicuous with many reports of up to 30 and a count of 76 on North Ronaldsay on 11th; up to 12 White Wagtails were seen there too. Reports of Grey Wagtails came from Rendall, Deerness and Hoy while a family party of four was seen at Scapa on 28th.

Wheatear passage was not as strong as in some years but 151 were counted on North Ronaldsay on 8th, the island that also provided the only reports of a Ring Ouzel (8th) and of Bluethroats (1-2 from 20th-30th). A tiny number of Redwings and Fieldfares were reported after 15th hopefully heralding strong October movements. The only previous Orkney record of Lanceolated Warbler was of one on the Pentland Skerries in 1910 but this month produced two reports of this inveterate skulker that runs around in grass like a mouse! - one was trapped on North Ronaldsay on 8th and one was at Start Point on 29th. A warbler that doesn't yet appear in many people's field guides, Sykes's Warbler, was caught and ringed on North Ronaldsay on 29th. This extreme rarity from Central Asia used to be considered a race of Booted Warbler but has recently been awarded species status. North Ronaldsay also recorded an Icterine Warbler (14th), a much rarer Melodious Warbler (10th) and the much rarer still Blyth's Reed Warbler (30th). Our breeding Sedge Warblers usually depart in August so that four at Longhouse, St.Ola were of note and one at Graemeshall, Holm was very late. North Ronaldsay reported one - three Barred Warblers after 20th but didn't quite have a monopoly as one was seen on Papay on 5th. Two Arctic Warblers were both on North Ronaldsay, on 1st and 3rd, but the invasion of Yellow-browed Warblers that occurred from 18th was more widespread with up to six on North Ronaldsay, eight on Sanday and singles on Stronsay, Papay, Rousay, Hoy and in Rendall. This compares with no more than three of the usually common Chiffchaff and no more than five Willow Warblers anywhere except North Ronaldsay where a peak of 12 was recorded on 12th. Two Red-breasted Flycatchers were on North Ronaldsay on 20th with further singles there on 25th and 30th and on Westray on 21st.

A Woodchat Shrike was a good find on North Ronaldsay on 16th but the only Red-backed Shrike was one on 20th, also on that island. Also there, a scatter of redpolls included a fine Arctic Redpoll of the huge, Greenland/Baffin Island race on 27th and up to three Scarlet Rosefinches (max. on 9th). A few Bramblings began to arrive after 20th while Twite flocks began to build with 50 reported from Hoy, Deerness and Burray. A Snow Bunting was first seen on North Ronaldsay on 17th and on Papay on 21st ,building to a peak of 155 at the former site by 29th. Also, there were up to eight Lapland Buntings (max. on 15th), a Little Bunting (27th) and yet another major rarity in the form of a Yellow-breasted Bunting from 12th.

E.R.Meek

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