RSPB Bird Reports
ORKNEY BIRD RECORDS
September 2008
The magnificent, summer-plumaged White-billed Diver remained in Water Sound all month and, on 14th, it was accompanied by a Red-necked Grebe. A Black-throated Diver off Tres Ness, Sanday was an unusual find. Numbers of Slavonian Grebes in Echnaloch Bay built up to eight by 21st but the only other one reported was one on North Loch, Sanday on 28th. A Great Crested Grebe was off Stronsay on 5th.
Sooty Shearwaters were noted only off North Ronaldsay with a maximum of 117 on 8th. 75 Manx Shearwaters also passed that island on that date, few being seen after mid-month; others were noted in Scapa Flow (four) and Hoy Sound on 9th. 55 Storm Petrels passed North Ronaldsay on 1st. A very high count of 1250 Shags was made from the Ness Point area, Stromness on 23rd. Herons continued to attract attention, the Finstown Ouse gathering peaking at 20 on 20th and parties of 12 being noted at both Innertown, Stromness and at The Loons, Birsay. A great rarity was a White Stork that passed south over the Finstown area on 23rd.
The first Whooper Swans were four at Herston on 17th followed by 17 on North Ronaldsay on 20th then an arrival on 21st brought 45 to North Loch, Sanday, 15 to Graemeshall, Holm and four to Stronsay; small parties were noted in several places thereafter. The latter part of the month saw the best Pink-footed Goose passage for many years. First noted on 19th when 21 were over Brodgar and 13 over North Ronaldsay, the main passage occurred on 26th when 2600 were counted passing over the Pentland Firth in just 30 minutes and 1600 were over the Stenness Loch during the day. Many also went through on 28th with at least 1000 over Finstown and 200 over the Stronsay Firth. A single very early Greenland White-fronted Goose was seen on Sanday on 23rd while two Snow Geese were seen in Deerness on 18th North Loch, Sanday was visited by a party of five Canada Geese on 21st. Single Pale-bellied Brent Geese were seen in Widewall Bay on 17th and 22nd and at St.Mary’s on 27th when a flock of 40 was found at St.Peter’s Pool.
A Shelduck remained in Widewall Bay until 15th. Wigeon numbers burgeoned during the month with Sanday attracting 1500 to North Loch and 2000 to Bea Loch after 23rd. North Loch also played host to a record gathering of 250 Pintail on 23rd, the previous best count for Orkney being just 80 at this site in 2006. North Ronaldsay played host to a Scaup and two Common Scoters on 27th. The only Velvet Scoters were three in Echnaloch Bay all month, the same site attracting the first two Long-tailed Ducks from 26th. Across the road in the bay, 48 moulting Red-breasted Mergansers gathered on 12th. A party of seven Goosanders paid a brief visit to the Loch of Kirbister on 6th.
It was a good month for unusual raptors. A Honey Buzzard was seen in Firth on 14th/15th. Ospreys were in Finstown on 13th, Rousay on 14th and North Ronaldsay on 18th. A Marsh Harrier was near St.Margaret’s Hope on 14th and a female Goshawk had other birds heading for cover at the Tankerness Loch on 26th. Amongst commoner birds of prey, Sparrowhawks were very conspicuous probably reflecting their best ever breeding season in Orkney as well as immigration from Scandinavia; one-two birds were widespread with three at Stove, Sanday on 28th. One-two Buzzards were reported from five localities , including one found dead on Sanday on 28th.
Water Rails were more conspicuous than usual with seven at Shapinsay’s Mill Dam on 30th, five on North Ronaldsay on 8th and one-three on Sanday, The Loons and Graemeshall. The largest Golden Plover flocks numbered 1000 in Deerness, 912 on North Ronaldsay and 900 at the Hundland Loch while the lone Pacific Golden Plover remained on North Ronaldsay until 7th. Grey Plovers are scarce away from the North Isles but an influx from 20th brought one-two to six localities on the Mainland and South Ronaldsay. The largest gathering of Knot was 144 on North Ronaldsay although up to 80 were in Widewall Bay and 68 on Papay’s North Hill. 280 Sanderlings was the peak count on North Ronaldsay, 180 being attracted to Scuthvie, Sanday on 5th. 15 Purple Sandpipers was the maximum count on North Ronaldsay while 15 were also at Birsay Bay on 14th and nine on Copinsay on 21st. Scarcer small waders included up to seven Little Stints on North Ronaldsay (peak on 18th) with others at Widewall Bay on 3rd and The Shunan, Harray (two) on 21st. The only Curlew Sandpipers were one on Stronsay on 16th, two at The Shunan on 21st and one on North Ronaldsay on 25th/26th. Visitors from North America involved Pectoral Sandpipers on Stronsay on 31st August, on North Ronaldsay on 17th-19th, 24th/25th and 27th (two), and at the Tankerness Loch on 20th and 23rd while a Buff-breasted Sandpiper was on North Ronaldsay on 11th/12th.
Ruff were conspicuous with the largest gatherings being 21 at Mill Dam, Shapinsay on 2nd, 11 on North Ronaldsay on 13th and 10 at the Skaill Loch on 5th with one-eight at nine other sites. Snipe numbers began to build with 134 on North Ronaldsay on 25th and 90 at Herston on 15th. The only Jack Snipe were singles on North Ronaldsay on 16th and 20th. A very early Woodcock was on Sanday on 16th. There was a high-tide roost of 170 Bar-tailed Godwits at Cata Sand on 28th. Black-tailed Godwits passed through in good numbers with maxima of 56 at Shapinsay’s Mill Dam (5th), 50 at North Loch (21st), 35 at The Shunan (3rd) and up to 25 at eight other sites. 444 Curlews was the largest flock of that species, on Shapinsay on 30th. Small numbers of Whimbrels continued to be recorded with seven on North Ronaldsay on 1st with one-two at three other sites. Spotted Redshanks continued to be commoner than usual with one-two on North Ronaldsay, The Loons, Loch of Skaill, The Shunan, Rango and Burwick up to 24th. Greenshank passage petered out by mid-month, one-two having been noted at five localities. One-two Green Sandpipers were recorded from four sites, the last being one on North Ronaldsay on 21st while a Wood Sandpiper was at Mill Dam, Shapinsay on 3rd. One-two Common Sandpipers continued to be seen on North Ronaldsay up to 25th with three at Furrowend, Shapinsay on 3rd. Very similar in appearance but much rarer was the Spotted Sandpiper on North Ronaldsay on 30th, only the second Orkney record of this North American wader. 451 Turnstones was the month’s largest count, on North Ronaldsay on 2nd.
Although Great Skuas remained noticeable almost to the month’s end, Arctic Skuas were very few although two were off North Ronaldsay as late as 29th and 30th. A single Sabine’s Gull was off that island on 6th and a Little Gull was in Holm on 4th. Lesser Black-backed Gulls disappeared to their winter quarters, the last reported being three on North Ronaldsay on 6th. Lingering Common Terns were noted on North Ronaldsay to 16th and in Kirkwall on 21st. An adult Arctic Tern had a begging juvenile with it at Scapa on 5th while birds were still being seen on North Ronaldsay to the month’s end. An unusual record involved two Little Terns in Hoy Sound on 9th.
North Ronaldsay monopolised migrant doves with a Wood Pigeon on 14th, a Collared Dove on 24th/25th and single Turtle Doves from 10th to 26th. Cuckoos were reported from Finstown on 12th and South Ronaldsay on 14th. Nine Swifts were on North Ronaldsay on 2nd with one-four there and at five other sites up to 21st. Following the August record of a Great Spotted Woodpecker in Deerness, others were found at St. Mary’s on 19th and at Berstane on 24th. One-two Wrynecks were on North Ronaldsay from 7th-16th with others in South Ronaldsay (1st), Evie (3rd) and Sanday and Stronsay (14th). One-two Sand Martins were on North Ronaldsay to 23rd, the only others being two at Swannay on 12th. Large numbers of Meadow Pipits continued to pass through the islands, small numbers of Tree Pipits being found amongst them with one-two on North Ronaldsay and Hestily early in the month and an influx 10th-15th with up to 17 on North Ronaldsay and one-two at five other sites. Grey Wagtails were well reported with one-two at seven localities and up to four at the favoured site at The Willows, Kirkwall. Up to three Yellow Wagtails occurred on North Ronaldsay up to 27th with singles in Birsay on 17th and the Shunan on 26th. Confidence in identifying autumn White Wagtails seems to be building amongst observers; up to 17 were on North Ronaldsay (peak on 5th) and up to five at six other sites.
A small influx of Robins occurred from 10th numbers on North Ronaldsay peaking at 27 on 13th. Redstarts appeared in the same ‘fall’ with a high of 69 on North Ronaldsay on 13th, 30 on South Ronaldsay next day and up to 12 elsewhere. A Black Redstart was on North Ronaldsay on 26th. A Bluethroat was at Hestily on 19th and another on North Ronaldsay from 24th. However, putting even the Bluethroats into the shade was the Red-flanked Bluetail on North Ronaldsay on 25th/26th, the first Orkney record of this very rare vagrant from Siberia that has expanded its range westwards into Finland. Whinchats appeared during the mid-month arrival of migrants with up to 31 on North Ronaldsay and up to eight at nine other sites. Wheatear passage is more complicated with birds coming to us from the north-west as well as from the east but peaks on North Ronaldsay of 83 on 2nd and 119 on 17th reflected arrivals from the latter direction. Early Fieldfares were noted on North Ronaldsay on six dates after 6th with another on Burray on 14th. Small numbers of Redwings appeared from 14th with a peak of 41 on North Ronaldsay on 24th. Song Thushes were involved in the mid-month ‘fall’ with 47 on North Ronaldsay on 13th and up to 10 elsewhere.
Grasshopper Warblers were seen in Harray on 3rd and on Sanday on 21st with one-two on North Ronaldsay 12th-16th. 16 Sedge Warblers were trapped and ringed in the Graemeshall reedbed between 2nd-14th with one-three at six other sites up to 17th. Single Reed Warblers were on North Ronaldsay and at Graemeshall on 2nd, the mid-month arrival then bringing up to five to North Ronaldsay, two to South Ronaldsay and one to Stronsay. Two Marsh Warblers arrived on North Ronaldsay on 1st as did an Icterine Warbler; other Icterines were seen there 13th-18th (two) and at Herston on 26th.
One-two Barred Warblers were on North Ronaldsay on eight dates with singles on Stronsay (10th), Hoy (19th) and Rendall (28th & 30th). Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, Garden Warbler, Blackcap and Willow Warbler all showed a similar pattern of occurrence with small numbers early in the month and a more substantial arrival mid-month. North Ronaldsay as usual recorded the highest counts of five Whitethroats, eight Lesser Whitethroats, 37 Garden Warblers and 33 Blackcaps but with South Ronaldsay in close contention with, for example, 20 Garden Warblers and 10 Blackaps on 14th. Only small numbers of Chiffchaffs were noted, the most being six on South Ronaldsay on 14th. They were outnumbered by a good influx of that tiny migrant from Siberia, Yellow-browed Warbler of which three on North Ronaldsay on 16th increased to 16 by 24th, two were on Stronsay on 17th and singles were in Evie, Rendall, Hestily and Herston from 24th. One-two Wood Warblers were on North Ronaldsay from 6th-17th with others in St. Margaret’s Hope on 8th and Herston from 14th.
Spotted Flycatchers and Pied Flycatchers showed the same pattern as other small migrants with small numbers in the first few days of the month followed by a substantial arrival mid-month, North Ronaldsay reporting a peak of 21 Spotted and 22 Pied Flycatchers on 13th, South Ronaldsay 12 and ten respectively next day with smaller numbers at a host of sites. Single Treecreepers, a very scarce visitor to the islands, were noted on Stronsay on 17th and Hestily on 24th. Hestily also recorded a Red-backed Shrike on 13th and another was on North Ronaldsay on 20th. Much rarer was the Woodchat Shrike seen on Papay on 30th. Rather more mundane but nonetheless scarce, were the two Carrion Crows seen in the Dounby area from 18th with another in Rendall on 28th. A Tree Sparrow, a very scarce visitor these days, was in Deerness from 15th.
There was marked, early arrival of Chaffinches in the mid-month ‘fall’ with up to 115 on North Ronaldsay (15th), at least 200 flying south over Sanday (14th), 35 in Deerness (18th), 30 in South Ronaldsay (14th) and smaller numbers elsewhere. The only Bramblings were singles on North Ronaldsay on 21st and at Hestily next day. Siskins arrived mid-month with a peak of 16 on North Ronaldsay (14th) and up to six at six other sites. Linnet flocks built up in specially provided bird-crops, the largest being 250 near Purgatory, Sanday on 28th and 170 at Dale, Costa on 30th. Twite followed the same pattern the greatest numbers being 130 at Dale (30th) and 100 on Burray (2nd). A Lesser Redpoll was found dead on Papay on 18th while Common Redpolls of the Greenland race arrived from 18th with six at Hestily, four at Dale and one-two at three other sites; a bird of the Mealy race was at Dale on 30th. The small Crossbill irruption continued with up to four in Rendall early in the month, one on North Ronaldsay on 18th with three on 25th and one at Hestily on 20th. One-two Scarlet Rosefinches were seen on North Ronaldsay from 6th-18th with others there on 25th and on Stronsay on 24th. Hawfinches are very scarce in autumn so that singles on North Ronaldsay on 18th and in Finstown on 25th were of special note. Up to three Lapland Buntings were noted on North Ronaldsay on six dates while another was at the Tankerness Loch on 29th. Snow Buntings were seen only on North Ronaldsay where one on 21st increased to three by 30th.
However, the ornithological event of the month was, without doubt, the finding of a male Cretzschmar’s Bunting on North Ronaldsay on 19th. Breeding in the eastern Mediterranean and wintering in north-east Africa, this is only the fourth record for Britain, two having been seen on Fair Isle (1967 and 1979) and one on Stronsay (1998). The bird remained on the island until 21st, allowing considerable numbers of birders to see it, some at considerable expense!
Eric Meek
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