North Ronaldsay

Oo, er, I'm not keen on this bit

Louise's sister who is visiting us kindly volunteered to look after the offspring for a day and a night so we hopped on the plane and spent a day and a bit on North Ron.

We were very well looked after at the observatory, highly recommended and had a great day tromping up to the north end, carefully avoiding Tor Ness where the White-billed Diver was found the next morning.

The famous beach grazing sheep

The contrast was really interesting with Meadow Pipit and Pied Wagtail thinly but widely scattered, until today they've been very difficult to find on Mainland. Skylarks were singing everywhere, bit thin on the ground on West Mainland. We managed to see Jack Snipe, flushed from the road side and a short seawatch from Denis Head produced a bit of Kittiwake movement.


The most striking thing for me about the island were the Fulmars. They nest on the ground by the dykes (walls), so were busy establishing territory and spend their time making low level passes across the fields. Pretty much everywhere you go there's Fulmars passing you by at head level.

Fulmars laying claim to a dyke

Fulmar

Back at the ranch there was Goldfinch on the Nyger feeder yesterday and still three male Chaffinch which have begun to sing. Meadow Pipit was heard by The Shunan. The Song Thrush still sings in the evening and a few Jackdaw are coming in to the roost (I need to get a look at these birds on the deck as I suspect monedula). There were Golden Plover at Loch of Bosquoy this morning and I also espied a long distance Pied Wagtail.

Goldfinch on Nyger feeder