RSPB Bird Reports

ORKNEY BIRD RECORDS
September 2007

Up to four Great Northern Divers appeared at a number of sites as wintering birds began to arrive but the only Black-throated Divers were one in Water Sound on 23rd and singles off North Ronaldsay on 26th and 28th.  The first Slavonian Grebe was seen in the Bay of Firth on 15th, a further six being reported by the end of the month. 

The unprecedented passage of Great Shearwaters continued with up to 73 per day off North Ronaldsay (peak on 11th and last noted on 20th) and singles off Egilsay on 11th and Birsay on 13th.  Sooty Shearwaters are much less unusual but numbers were exceptionally high with a peak of 489 off North Ronaldsay on 4th and three other day counts of c.200; elsewhere, highest counts were 108 off Birsay on 14th and up to 50 off Start Point, Sanday on 19th and 28th/29th while birds were also seen in much less likely situations for example off Egilsay, off Shapinsay and between South Ronaldsay and Flotta.  Manx Shearwaters were, typically, less numerous, maxima being 32 off North Ronaldsay on 4th and 19 off Birsay on 14th.  A single Balearic Shearwater passed North Ronaldsay on 13th.  Up to 43 Storm Petrels were seen per day during the North Ronaldsay sea-watches (peak on 4th) while four were noted off the west side of South Ronaldsay on 6th and two off Egilsay on 11th.  The only Leach’s Petrel was one off North Ronaldsay on 18th. 

13 Grey Herons gathered at the Finstown Ouse on 15th.  The first returning Whooper Swans were four on Sanday on 17th followed by 21 on North Ronaldsay on 25th and one at the Loch of Skaill on 29th. Pink-footed Goose passage began with eight on North Ronaldsay on 16th while 165 arrived at the Bea Loch, Sanday on 19th with up to 90 per day being noted at several localities thereafter.  Migrant Greylag Geese usually arrive later but are difficult to separate from our local breeders; a gathering of 1200 at the Swannay Loch on 29th probably included birds of both origins.  A single Brent Goose was seen on North Ronaldsay from 22nd while two Barnacle Geese were there on 30th. 

Two Shelducks at Burwick on 6th and two on North Ronaldsay on 19th/20th were unseasonal.  Wigeon began to arrive in large numbers with 660 at the Loch of Brockan, Rendall on 8th and 1400 at Sanday’s Bea Loch on 19th.  The highest Gadwall count was of 20 at Graemeshall Loch on 8th and that for Pintail, eight on North Ronaldsay on 30th.  Two Scaup on the latter island on 17th were early arrivals; also there was a Common Scoter on 15th/16th.  Two Velvet Scoters frequented Echnaloch Bay all month but the first Long-tailed Ducks were not seen until 11th when three were off Egilsay, others being seen on the Peedie Sea and Echnaloch Bay before the end of the month.  Echnaloch Bay also attracted a flock of up to 30 moulting drake Red-breasted Mergansers while two Goosanders were seen at the Brig o’ Waithe on 9th and the two drake Ruddy Ducks remained at the Quoyloo Brewery Pool. 

Single Buzzards seen at Binscarth, Rendall and Deerness between 25th and 28th were the only birds of prey of note.  Up to three young Corncrakes were reported from Clifton, Westray mid-month, the only other being a migrant on North Ronaldsay on 29th.  A Crane flying over Herston on 15th must have been a fine sight.

Golden Plover flocks built up during the month but the only count received was of up to 870 on North Ronaldsay.  American Golden Plovers, a very scarce vagrant, were seen in Deerness on 11th and Holm on 26th.  Sanday is the favourite haunt of Grey Plovers and 56 were at Cata Sand on 26th, no more than three being seen at three other sites.  Sanderling flocks peaked at 150 at Scuthvie, Sanday on 26th and 142 on North Ronaldsay on 4th.  The only Purple Sandpipers reported were on North Ronaldsay where numbers peaked at 32 on 27th.  A Curlew Sandpiper on Burray on 12th was the only one reported. Up to seven Ruff gathered near Burwick during the month (peak on 29th) with one-two at three other sites.  Much rarer, however, was the Buff-breasted Sandpiper found at Burness, Sanday on 30th.  Two Jack Snipe appeared on cue on North Ronaldsay on 27th.  Black-tailed Godwits, en route from Iceland, were conspicuous with up to 30 at the Bea Loch, Sanday, 25 at Loch of Lythe, South Ronaldsay, 24 at Costa , 15 on North Ronaldsay and up to seven at several other sites. By far the largest concentration of Bar-tailed Godwits was on Sanday with 500 at Cata Sand on 20th.  The only Whimbrels were singles on North Ronaldsay on 2nd, 5th and 24th and the only Green Sandpiper, one in Rendall on 15th.  A Wood Sandpiper on Egilsay on 3rd was much scarcer as was a Grey Phalarope off North Ronaldsay on 4th.

Bonxies lingered until the end of the month while Arctic Skuas were noted off North Ronaldsay until 25th.  One-two Pomarine Skuas were seen off North Ronaldsay, Egilsay and Birsay on six dates while three Long-tailed Skuas were off Egilsay on 11th with singles off North Ronaldsay on 9th and 13th.

Single Little Gulls were at Evie Sands on 14th and North Ronaldsay on 28th while Sabine’s Gulls were seen during sea-watches off Birsay on 13th and off North Ronaldsay on 16th and 27th.  Iceland Gulls were reported from the Peedie Sea on 11th and North Ronaldsay on 22nd with Glaucous Gulls at No.4 Barrier on 25th and North Ronaldsay on 26th and 28th. 

Little Terns are rarely seen away from their breeding site so a juvenile off the Egilsay Pier on 4th was noteworthy.  The last Common Tern was reported off North Ronaldsay on 23rd while that island saw a big influx of Arctic Terns also on 23rd when 120 appeared, two also being noted at Honeysgeo, South Ronaldsay on 25th.  A Little Auk, photographed in Pierowall Harbour, Westray on 25th was very early. 

On North Ronaldsay, a Turtle Dove was seen on 24th and 26th and a migrant Wood Pigeon on 28th.  A Great Spotted Woodpecker drew attention to itself on a roadside verge in Sandwick on 30th.  Shorelarks are very scarce visitors these days so one at Start Point, Sanday on 28th and 30th was of note.  Much rarer still was the Tawny Pipit found on North Ronaldsay on 27th, only the 3rd Orkney record if accepted.  Tree Pipits should be much commoner but are rarely found, the only report being of one at Lingro, St.Ola on 26th.  A few White Wagtails continued to be found amongst Pied Wagtail flocks with two in Stenness on 5th and two at each of Birsay and Bay of Skaill on 24th.  Two Grey Wagtails frequented The Willows area of Kirkwall all month while others were at Ireland on 28th and Burwick on 30th.  Single Citrine Wagtails, a rare migrant from Siberia, were seen on North Ronaldsay on 28th and 30th. 

After an excellent summer for Swallows, they became less conspicuous as the month progressed, the roost in the Graemeshall reedbed peaking at 2100 on 8th.  A few House Martins lingered late into the month but the only Sand Martins reported were four at Burray Cemetery on 12th. 

The ‘fall’ of Continental passerine migrants from 27th brought two Dunnocks, six Robins, three Bluethroats, a Redstart, a Whinchat, a Stonechat, a Ring Ouzel, 48 Blackbirds, 10 Fieldfares, seven Song Thrushes and 28 Redwings to North Ronaldsay.  An influx of 20 Blackbirds to Egilsay on 15th was probably best explained in terms of dispersing local birds and few migrants were reported away from North Ronaldsay with only one-three Robins at three sites and 10 Fieldfares, 20 Song Thrushes and 50 Redwings in Rendall with one-two Redwings at three other localities.

Seven Sedge Warblers were still at Graemeshall on 3rd and two on 12th.  Warblers of various species were also involved in the fall at the end of the month with North Ronaldsay recording a Grasshopper Warbler, a Sedge Warbler, an Icterine Warbler, a Barred Warbler, up to five Lesser Whitethroats (with others on Sanday, Burray and South Ronaldsay); up to four Garden Warblers (with two on Sanday), two Blackcaps, a Yellow-browed Warbler (with another three on Sanday and one on South Ronaldsay), up to eight Chiffchaffs (with two on Sanday and one on South Ronaldsay), up to three Willow Warblers (with four on Sanday) and 41 Goldcrests (with 10 on Sanday, 10 on Burray and seven in Rendall).  One-two Pied Flycatchers were also on North Ronaldsay from 27th and a Red-backed Shrike there from 10th-22nd. 

Bramblings arrived in small numbers with four on North Ronaldsay on 27th and eight in Rendall and nine at Crantit on 28th.  North Ronaldsay also attracted a Chaffinch, three Greenfinches and a Scarlet Rosefinch on 28th while the only Siskins were two in Rendall on 13th and two at Herston on 30th.  Up to three redpolls were on North Ronaldsay from 18th with others at Brodgar and in Rendall on 15th and three at Start, Sanday on 19th – all those seen well appeared to be Common Redpolls of either the Greenland or Iceland races.

Snow Buntings were first seen on North Ronaldsay on 5th and increased to 66 by 27th; one-three were seen at a few other sites.  Lapland Buntings were reported only from North Ronaldsay where four on 7th increased to 13 by 12th with up to four later in the month.

Eric Meek

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