RSPB Bird Reports
ORKNEY BIRD RECORDS
September 2011
The month started with a bang as a Fea’s Petrel flew past North Ronaldsay on 1st; this rare petrel from Madeira has been seen in Orkney only twice before. Other rare seabirds seen from North Ronaldsay included Great Shearwaters on 9th and 16th and Balearic Shearwaters on 13th and 16th. The movement on 16th also saw 435 Sooty Shearwaters and 135 Manx Shearwaters pass the same site, very few of either of these species being seen elsewhere. Up to 15 Storm Petrels were seen form North Ronaldsay until 7th; the only other was one off the Whalebone on 1st. There was a large concentration of 600 Shags off Stromness on 12th. Heron numbers built up during the month bringing 10 to Cumminess on 5th and 14 to North Ronaldsay and to the Finstown Ouse on 20th and 22nd.
Two Whooper Swans at the Merkister on 8th seemed to be newly arrived but it was not until 19th when 14 arrived on Sanday (building to 22 by 25th) and 23rd, when 18 were on the Peedie Sea that immigration really began. A Pink-footed Goose was at Loch of Banks on 11th followed by 25 at the Swannay loch on 12th; 105 passed over Banks on 14th but it was 23rd that saw the peak passage with 418 over North Ronaldsay and 70 over The Loons. Single Barnacle Geese were at Herston on 15th and on North Ronaldsay on 29th while a party of six Dark-bellied Brent Geese were seen off Shapinsay on 25th. The Canada Goose paired with a Greylag Goose on Sanday produced three hybrid young.
Wigeon began to arrive in large numbers, the biggest flock being 1100 on Sanday on 19th. A peak of 19 Pintail was recorded on North Ronaldsay on 9th while 30 Shovelers were at Little Water, Stronsay on 18th. Five Scaup were on the Loch of Bosquoy on 11th when one also arrived on North Ronaldsay; 29 had returned to the Harray Loch at Brodgar by 26th. Six Goldeneyes remained on the Loch of Skaill for much of the month while the largest Red-breasted Merganser flock was of 36 in Echnaloch Bay on 24th.
A female Marsh Harrier frequented The Loons – Loch of Banks area from 7th to 11th but was eclipsed by the finding of a juvenile Pallid Harrier there on 23rd. Another was found on North Ronaldsay on 25th and both remained until 28th, only the 2nd and 3rd Orkney records of this rare raptor from the steppes of Central Asia which appears to be expanding westwards at present. As usual, North Ronaldsay went one better with the finding of a young male Lesser Kestrel on 20th/21st, the first Orkney record of this falcon from southern Europe and south-west Asia. A Hobby was seen at Evie Sands on 18th and, once again, two were seen together at Hestily, South Ronaldsay on 23rd.
200 Ringed Plovers had gathered near Quoyangry on 5th while Golden Plover flocks peaked at 1500 at Dounby on 11th, 1000 at The Loons on 23rd and 900 on North Ronaldsay on 30th. North Ronaldsay also recorded an American Golden Plover on 24th. There was a scatter of Grey Plover records, the largest party being of six at the Oyce of Quindry on 18th. 100 Knot were feeding voraciously on rotting seaweed at Backaskaill Bay, Sanday on 4th while the largest Sanderling gathering was of 440 on North Ronaldsay on 13th. Small numbers of Little Stints passed through up to 22nd with four at Sanday’s North Loch being the largest party. Similarly, Curlew Sandpipers were reported from four sites with seven at Brough, South Ronaldsay being the largest and latest gathering. Rarer waders included Pectoral Sandpipers near Stromness on 9th, at Oyce of Isbister on 12th and on North Ronaldsay on 19th and 25th-28th; and a Buff-breasted Sandpiper on North Ronaldsay 24th-30th.
There was a strong passage of Ruff with up to 49 at Brough, South Ronaldsay; up to 35 on North Ronaldsay; 30 at Barns of Ayre; and up to 16 at both Loch of Banks and on Stronsay. The only Jack Snipe were one-two on North Ronaldsay on five dates after 15th. Black-tailed Godwit passage was quite modest with, apart from 33 at Lea Shun, Stronsay on 18th, no more than seven seen at nine sites. The biggest gathering of Bar-tailed Godwits was of 50 at Backaskaill, Sanday on 4th. A few migrant Whimbrel passed over North Ronaldsay until 14th; the only others were one at the Brough of Birsay on 4th and the regular winterer on Burray. Curlew flocks included 250 at Oyce of Isbister on 15th and 230 at Coldomo, Stenness on 13th. One-two Greenshanks were noted at seven sites while scarcer species included a Spotted Redshank at The Loons on 27th, a Green Sandpiper in Harray on 1st and a Wood Sandpiper on North Ronaldsay 4th-11th. A late Common Sandpiper was at the Wasdale Loch on 1st although occasional migrants passed through North Ronaldsay to 12th.
Bonxies were seen right through to the month’s end but the last Arctic Skuas were one off Stronsay on 18th and one off North Ronaldsay on 22nd. Two Pomarine Skuas were off North Ronaldsay on 16th. There was marked influx of juvenile Little Gulls with singles on Sanday, at the Dead Sand, Stenness, on Evie Sands, on Stromness Golf Course and on North Ronaldsay 4th-20th. Small numbers of Sandwich Terns were noted up to 24th, Arctic Terns to 26th and Common Terns to 30th.
10 migrant Wood Pigeons arrived on North Ronaldsay on 30th while a Turtle Dove was found at Harpsquoy, Birsay on 18th. The only Swifts were on North Ronaldsay with birds on four dates to 10th. A somewhat bizarre sight was a Great Spotted Woodpecker clinging to a fence post on Marwick Head on 24th what was presumably the same bird moving to the shores of the Boardhouse Loch on 25th/26th. Single Wrynecks were found on North Ronaldsay on 4th/5th and on Sanday on 18th.
A Short-toed Lark was a scarce visitor to North Ronaldsay on 21st-27th. The only Sand Martins reported were three still associated with a breeding site in Stenness on 5th and a single bird on North Ronaldsay on 30th. House Martins were noted on seven dates to 30th when singles also occurred at Dale, Costa and at Gerraquoy, South Ronaldsay.
It was North Ronaldsay’s month for pipits! Apart from the resident Rock Pipits and numerous migrant Meadow Pipits the island also recorded single Tree Pipits on four dates; a Tawny Pipit on 18th; two Buff-bellied Pipits from 22nd; and two Richard’s Pipits and a Red-throated Pipit on 30th. In addition, Citrine Wagtails were seen there on eight dates with two from 20th-24th while a Grey Wagtail was present on 8th. Small numbers of White Wagtails were identified amongst the many Pied Wagtails during the month, the largest count being of ten at Evie Sands on 24th.
The fall of migrants on 17th/18th brought in small numbers of Robins, Redstarts and Whinchats while a Stonechat was on North Ronaldsay on 30th. Wheatears continued to be conspicuous as birds arrived from both the north-west and the north-east; the peak count was 101 on North Ronaldsay on 8th. The only Redwing earlier in the month was one at Dale, Costa on 19th then, on 30th, came the first arrival of the autumn with 690 on North Ronaldsay and up to 20 elsewhere. A few Song Thrushes arrived mid-month and again on 30th; the only Fieldfare was one at Wheems on 21st.
Single Grasshopper Warblers were seen on North Ronaldsay on 5th and at Cara on 19th. Late Sedge Warblers lingered in Orphir on 13th and on North Ronaldsay until 19th while North Ronaldsay also noted single Reed Warblers on five dates. Barred Warblers were noted throughout the month with up to four on North Ronaldsay and three on Stronsay and with singles at five other localities. Small numbers of Lesser Whitethroats, all associated with the mid-month fall, were noted at eight sites with three on North Ronaldsay the maximum. The only Common Whitethroats were one-two on North Ronaldsay 6th-16th. 16 Garden Warblers arrived on North Ronaldsay on 18th with one-two at five other sites. Blackcaps, as usual, were more numerous with birds noted at 15 sites after 18th and a maximum of 38 on North Ronaldsay on 19th.
The first Yellow-browed Warbler arrived on Stronsay on 15th birds then being noted during the rest of the month from a dozen sites with a peak of six on North Ronaldsay on 19th. Willow Warblers also arrived during the same mid-month fall with up to 15 on North Ronaldsay and five on Stronsay amongst the records from ten locations. Chiffchaffs were scarce with just six on North Ronaldsay, three on Stronsay ans one on Burray on 18th/19th. A single Wood Warbler was on North Ronaldsay on 18th. A few Goldcrests also came in with other migrants but no locality held more than six.
One-two Spotted Flycatchers were reported from four sites after 14th and one-two Pied Flycatchers from three. A report of a Red-breasted Flycatcher near Kirkwall Airport made it onto one of the national ‘bird lines’ but no more information was forthcoming. There were six reports of single Red-backed Shrikes during the month, all after 14th. The Tree Sparrow at Nisthouse, Harray was reported on and off all month but was missing on 4th when one was seen in the garden of Ley House, Hoy – surely it didn’t commute that far! Another was on Stronsay on 17th.
A couple of Chaffinches arrived on 18th but then ten came in to North Ronaldsay on 29th, followed the next day by four Bramblings. The largest Greenfinch flocks were 70 at Dale on 13th and 50 at Finstown School on 22nd. A Siskin was on Stronsay on 18th, North Ronaldsay recording others on 13th, 26th and 29th (four). A single Lesser Redpoll was on North Ronaldsay on 7th. All other redpoll records are believed to refer to Common Redpolls and there were up to ten in Finstown, seven at Waulkmill Bay, three on Sanday and singles on North Ronaldsay. Six Crossbills arrived on North Ronaldsay on 30th while it was particularly good month for Scarlet Rosefinches; up to five occurred on North Ronaldsay (with that number recorded on 1st, 3rd and 19th), two at Swannay on 30th and singles at four other sites. A Hawfinch was an unusual autumn visitor to North Ronaldsay on 30th.
An early Lapland Bunting was in Outertown, Stromness from 4th-14th and another at Marwick Head on 25th; at least 25 were on Sanday during the third week of the month, North Ronaldsay reported up to 34 (Peak on 24th) and two flocks totalling 37 were found on Costa Head on 30th. Snow Buntings occurred in numbers only on North Ronaldsay where there were 60 on 24th; elsewhere one-five were seen at four sites. Single Ortolan Buntings were on North Ronaldsay on 16th and 21st while a Little Bunting was found on Sanday on 18th.
Eric Meek
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