RSPB Bird Reports

ORKNEY BIRD RECORDS
SEPTEMBER 2004

Strong winds stirred up seabirds at intervals during the month with, for example Fulmars moving west past Birsay’s ‘whalebone’ at 370 per hour on 12th and Gannets at 360 per hour on 25th.  Both Manx Shearwaters and Sooty Shearwaters were seen in small numbers, most being recorded from North Ronaldsay with up to 25 per day of each.  71 Storm Petrels were trapped on the night of 1st on North Ronaldsay but otherwise only one – three were seen there, off Papay and in the Pentland Firth.  Six Leach’s Petrels were seen from a fishing boat off North Ronaldsay on 9th with further records of one – two from five localities between 21st and 30th.

A Red-necked Grebe was early in its arrival off No 1 Barrier on 1st.  Some large congregations of Shags occurred with 350 in Widewall Bay and 180 in Burra Sound.  Herons became conspicuous as migrants arrived in the islands; 20 at the Finstown Ouse was the largest party.  50 Whooper Swans arrived on North Ronaldsay on 21st while three were at Widewall next day.  A small party of Pink-footed Geese was heard over Stenness on 14th but the main passage did not begin until 20th when 80 passed North Ronaldsay; thereafter, day counts of up to 237 were reported from many localities.  Greylag Geese are usually later arrivals than Pink-feet but a good passage began from 19th with flocks of up to 130 noted passing south.  Two Brent Geese on Westray on 6th and one at Brodgar on 12th were all pale-bellied birds while there were two Barnacle Geese on North Ronaldsay on 27th.  The largest Teal flocks were 420 on North Ronaldsay on 30th and 160 at Rango on 18th  while it was Shapinsay’s Mill Dam that attracted the most Shoveler – 41 on 18th.  However, amongst the dabbling ducks, it was the Pintail counts from North Ronaldsay that really caught the eye, numbers climbing to an unprecedented 95 by 26th.  Other duck records of note included up to three Long-tailed Ducks off North Ronaldsay after 25th, up to eight Common Scoter there after 20th, a single Velvet Scoter off Birsay’s whalebone on 27th;  five Goldeneye on the Swannay Loch on 1st with two on North Ronaldsay on 30th; and five Ruddy Ducks on the Mill Dam, Shapinsay on 18th.

A lucky sighting was that of a Corncrake at the Point of Buckquoy on 15th.  Wandering Marsh Harriers were reported from The Loons, Birsay on 15th, from the Mill Dam on 18th and from Quoyer, Harray on 21st but the only Buzzard reported was a juvenile in Rendall on five dates.  Light passage of both Sparrowhawk and Merlin took place through North Ronaldsay during the month with up to two per day of both species while no fewer than seven Kestrels were seen in South Ronaldsay on 15th.

Amongst the waders, North Ronaldsay recorded the largest concentrations of Ringed Plover (151 on 21st), Golden Plover (950 on 20th), Knot (125 on 20th) and Sanderling (200 on 19th) with smaller numbers being reported from many other sites.  Papay turned up trumps with a real rarity in the form of an American Golden Plover on 27th.  Little Stints appeared in small numbers with one – five at five sites, Curlew Sandpipers appearing in exactly similar numbers.  Purple Sandpipers on North Ronaldsay had built up to 48 by 18th.  Ruff were scarce with only one – two at four sites apart from a party of 10 on a flooded field in Sandwick on 24th.  Snipe passage intensified at the end of the month with 125 on North Ronaldsay and 90 in Stenness; the only Jack Snipe was one on North Ronaldsay on 30th.  Of many substantial Curlew flocks, 600 at Marwick on 25th was the largest but Whimbrels were seen only n North Ronaldsay with three on 4th and the last on 26th.  Black-tailed Godwits were similarly scarce with North Ronaldsay reporting one on 8th and three on 22nd and three being seen at the Brig o’ Waithe on 10th.  The leucistic Redshank at Brodgar continued to be an unusual sight throughout the month while the only Greenshank seen was at the Birsay Loons on 1st. Single Common Sandpipers were on North Ronaldsay until 6th.  Grey Phalaropes were a feature of the month’s end off North Ronaldsay with one-three on four dates between 21st and 28th.

Singhle Pomarine Skuas were seen from Papay on 26th, Birsay’s whalebone on 27th and North Ronaldsay on 30th.  A fine Sabine’s Gull was off Lamb Holm on 3rd while, close by, a Mediterranean Gull was off No.1 barrier on 20th.  Late Lesser Black-backed Gulls lingered on Sanday until 26th and North Ronaldsay until the following day.  A Glaucous Gull was in South Ronaldsay on 26th and Iceland Gulls were noted from both North Ronaldsay and South Ronaldsay on 28th.  A few lingering Sandwich Terns, Common Terns and Arctic Terns were still present up to the month’s end.

A Long-eared Owl in Herston on 2nd was unusual and, on such a date, unlikely to be a Continental immigrant.  The only Swifts reported involved two on North Ronaldsay on 5th and one there on 8th.  A Wryneck was amongst a small influx of migrants to North Ronaldsay on 29th.  The predominantly westerly winds throughout the month were probably responsible for the large numbers of Meadow Pipits seen throughout the islands as birds passed through, presumably from Iceland; up to 300 per day were recorded on North Ronaldsay.  A single Yellow Wagtail was recorded there on 29th.

North Ronaldsay provided most records of migrant chats but they were few and far between. There were only three Robins, three Redstarts and three Whinchats although four Black Redstarts and then a Bluethroat on 29th went some way to making amends.  Another Bluethroat appeared at Windwick on the same date.  Only Wheatears appeared in any numbers with maxima of 36 on North Ronaldsay on both 4th and 20th.  Single Stonechats there on 11th and 29th/30th invited speculation as to their origins.  A small early trickle of Fieldfares brought one – two to North Ronaldsay and Rendall up to 11th but then no more until 21st and a maximum at the first locality of nine on 30th.  Redwings appeared on North Ronaldsay, in Rendall and at Marwick from 25th.

The last remaining Sedge Warblers were noted at Herston on 1st, Rendall on 6th and North Ronaldsay on 7th.  A Barred Warbler was in Firth on 1st and another on North Ronaldsay on 7th.   The only Garden Warblers were on North Ronaldsay with singles on four dates while Blackcaps were there on 14th and in Costa on 25th.  Lesser Whitethroats were present singly on North Ronaldsay up to 13th  before an arrival on 29th brought fiver to the island; another was in Toab on 21st.  The first Yellow-browed Warblers appeared simultaneously on North Ronaldsay (2) and Rendall, also on 29th.  Willow Warbler numbers declined during the month until the arrival on 29th brought five to North Ronaldsay and one to Herston while the scatter of Chiffchaffs was also concentrated towards the month’s end.  Two Wood Warblers were on North Ronaldsay on 4th.  Goldcrests also arrived at the end of the month bringing four to North Ronaldsay and one to Stromness Outertown.  Only four Pied Flycatchers were reported during the month, three of them on North Ronalday and one on South Ronaldsay and none after 11th.  However, St. Margaret’s Hope turned up a fine migrant in the shape of a Red-breasted Flycatcher on 21st and South Ronaldsay continued its good run with, amazingly, a Treecreeper at Windwick on 28th.

75 Jackdaws at Eastside, South Ronaldsay was a good count on 1st.  A few Bramblings appeared right at the month’s end with seven on North Ronaldsay and singles at Herston and Costa.  The only Siskin reported was the long-stayer in Rendall which remained until 20th.   Good Linnet flocks were reported from North  Ronaldsay (250 on 27th) and Hoxa (120 on 13th) while a single Greenland Redpoll was on Papay on 26th and Scarlet Rosefinches were seen on North Ronaldsay on four dates up to 12th and on 29th (2).  A Lapland Bunting was on North Ronaldsay on 5th followed by one – three from 20th while another was on Papay on 26th.  Snow Buntings first appeared on North Ronaldsay on 13th and built up to a peak of 79 on 27th while up to 50 were also reported from Papay at the same time and one – five on Westray and Sanday.  14 Reed Buntings on North Ronaldsay on 29th also probably represented an influx of Continental birds.

Eric Meek

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