About bloody time too.....

I've not found a decent bird since October 2012, well I have but not any sort of records committee thing and that was the last time I added anything to the life found list. But yesterday morning that changed, it went like this....

Set out with not too much optimism, not even sure where to go, north to the moor, south to the lochs. The dog turned for the lochs so that was decided then. It was grey and the wind was getting up. The Shunan held the usual selection of quackers so over the fields, along the road and check a garden or two then back down the track to Loch of Bosquoy. Usual dog/cat palaver at the last house then check another garden and settle myself down for the ducks. It was a WeBS day too so accurate counting was required. The teal flock requires scrutiny, just in case, 91, ah but what's this? Bright white splodge near its arse, by 'eck it's a Blue-winged Teal! (Patchwork Challenge find as well...)

Also an Oystercatcher flew in which was unseasonably early, the Woodpigeon flock increased to 9 and the Curlew count at Loch of Bosquoy was 773. Dip news, missed a Kittiwake at the Merkister, that'll be a hard one to recover.

Foot It total rising

Lapwings heading west

Yesterday was a bit of a right off for birding, horrible blow, heavy showers of nasty haily stuff but managed a quick look at the PDC and then to Work (the place, not where I...) where I've been seeing big flocks of Eider and Long-tailed Duck over the last couple of months. Had to go to Kirkwall for decorating supplies as I'd run out of bright orange paint. However, not much at either. Returning home, checked The Shunan, kipping Shelduck. This is very early and a real good Foot it species, but I was in the car. However hungry I was, drove home, put on suitable element protection gear, rallied hound, and back down the hill by shanks. Fortunately it was still there. Also around and about were 6 Meadow Pipits, a Fieldfare and 5 Redwing, all uncommon, awkward to get usually (but already on the list), these hiding in the neap field.

Neaps

Today it was calm and grey early so out sharpish. Down to Bosquoy without seeing much but once there a hidden Shoveler was eventually revealed.

Pink-foot called nice and clearly, although I still could not see it, but I've ticked this one, and the usual selection of quackers. Bumped into another birder who told me that I'd dipped on Snow Goose as they'd flown behind me and then gone on to The Shunan before lifting off and continuing west, darn! Heading back up home checked the neaps field where there were 8 Meadow Pipits a single Redwing, a Song Thrush and I heard Fieldfare. I was watching a hunting ringtail when another raptor was flushed from the gorse below it, big female Sparrowhawk, nice. That brings me to 61 which was last year's total and I've still two more weekends... 100% When I started this year I thought I would get nowhere near last year's total as in December the birds just did not seem to be about. There are plenty of chances to improve on the total too, I still could get: Black-headed Gull, Gadwall, Pintail, Goldfinch, Linnet, a redpoll of some description, maybe even Snow Goose which would be a patch tick (not a very exciting one as these birds are almost certainly from the German feral/Orkney feral population.

Harray Kirk

Late this afternoon I decided to go crow hunting and head for the roost. Two ringtails went to roost but way up the valley so I drove up further and found crow city in a field. In the end I counted 73 likely Hoodies, 4 possible Carrions and 3 certain hybrids. I should have taken the other scope as I might have been able to sort out the more subtle hybrids in the fading light.

This photographed yesterday near Work. It was with two clear hybrids and if that is a black undertail covert and not a shadow or a feather looking dark because of the light, this too is a hybrid.

More FootIt

Lots of activity over the last two days, and including eldest daughter's birthday party which took a significant amount of energy.

First the bad news, in car, drive down track for party shopping and food for Sydney (our bearded dragon) in Kirkwall when a Sparrowhawk scoots along the hawthorn hedge, ok for Patchwork but no good for FootIt (and I still need it). On the way home I gave the Shunan a quick scan as usual and a Pink-foot flew over, same story (and I still need that too).

Just outside Kirkwall there was a 2cy Iceland Gull in a field, nice. Shopping done I rashly decided to have a quick look at Scapa but very high tide, driven by southerly swell, bad idea. Went to see the Glossy Ibis at Langskaill for a quick year tick. It was very tempting to do the Point of Liddle too but party duties beckoned and house points might be at risk....

Party stuff took not so long in the end, time for an afternoon walk down to Loch of Bosquoy. Bosquoy produced the goods, the hound flushed a Jack Snipe, Golden Plover were on show and careful scanning of favoured haunts on the way back up to the house successfully located a Short-eared Owl in the dusk, something I've not seen here for a while. So three added to the FootIt list, 52 of last year's 61.

Back in time to load the car etc and a quick look at the photos of the skua sp found at Deerness that afternoon. On the way out of the door grab the BB with the skua id paper, hmm, that skua is quite interesting. (It most likely is a Great Skua but not an entirely straightforward one. I'm slightly confused about the head marking feature as I find that difficult to see between the various photos in the paper.)

Today, out the door in a fairly leisurely manner with few expectations, lovely day though, still and sunny(ish). Head for Loch of Harray pronto as I'm still short of Slav Grebe and Long-tailed Duck. Perfect conditions and Slav Grebe (x2) was quickly found but L-tD took a tad longer until 9 distant ones were located, and they were heard calling. Further searching of the loch found a very distant diver, not expected on Harray in January.  At first I thought it was Black-throat but I could not see the flank patch. Eventually it adopted a more typical pose and the dark around the face seemed to disappear perhaps as it took better light. Nice one then as I didn't score a diver last year.

Now that is a naff photo - digiscoped

A Pink-foot or two called distantly but I couldn't locate them visually and elected not to tick them. A quick nip up the road to look at the Twite flock, a tad reduced compared to New Year's Eve, now just 130 or so.

Back to Loch of Bosquoy and a real surprise, my new tactic of scanning the hills to the north pays off, except the Buzzard is considerably closer and flaps onto a not too distant electric pole. Fourth time lucky and the drake Goosanders are on the loch.

Tramping the way home, further checks on the hills reveal two large hovering raptors. Some panic sets in, these things are way over on the east edge of the Kame of Corrigal. A fair sprint out of the boggy fields and when I get half a mile or so closer the things are still there, with a Kestrel. After much scrutiny at range I decide that these too are Common and not the much hoped for Rough-legged Buzzards, a record Buzzard count from the patch in any case and four Woodpigs on the powerlines are a record January count for that species too.

FootIt total 57 (and still no Black-headed Gull).

Loch of Harray from Merkister this morn

Sunrise start (09:15)

Out at sunrise on a FootIt mission, heading for the north and east of the one mile circumference. The plan was to get Song Thrush in the gorse "up back" then head onto the edge of the moor with Red Grouse and Snipe in mind.

Heading up the path through the gorse with the dog on the lead we flushed a Woodcock from under our feet, that was a bonus. The predicted Song Thrush was then located. A few steps up through the gorse and a roost of 12 Blackbirds were flushed. Closer to the moor and another Meadow Pipit, an easy species this year. The last clump of gorse before the moor and something flushed, bit slow to get the bins up but it had flown by and into some gorse back down the way. Retrace steps, Redwing, a species that can be well tricky in January.

Next on to the moor. Let the dog off and hope. Tactic failed, all we flushed were two hares which came out from almost under the dog's feet and which she somehow managed not to see. Back on the lead and heading home and two Snipe flushed as we approached the moor gate. But no Red Grouse. Added to the Kestrel I'd seen through the bedroom window first thing, 49 and 80.3%.

Two more

Not really birding today but the elusive Woodpig was added to the list first thing and even found a friend to make a record January flock (of two). Also six Jackdaw in the upper fields. 44 which is 72.1%

New Moon and Venus in conjuction

Foot It and Patchwork Challenge - the off

Lovely day, sunny, fairly calm, good conditions for patch birding. Late start as it is an offspring's birthday so attendance at parcel unwrapping and the requirement to produce fresh pancakes for breakfast delayed the start. However, soon enough, with faithful hound along for the "walk" (charge about like a maniac) we were off. (Well, actually, a good number of species had been recorded from the kitchen window whilst preparing pancakes.)

 The Shunan this morn

 Hound

Meadow Pipit was the first quality recorded, a tricky species at this time of year. Down at Loch of Bosquoy Little Grebe was located by careful searching, often a very tricky species to find. Twite and Hen Harrier were also found soon enough but the commuting Goosander were absent, clearly hung over at Loch of Wasdale after a heavy night. Down to Harray and very careful searching in less than ideal conditions, there being glare from the sunshine and a bit of chop due to the breeze, eventually revealed a single drake Scaup, however, Slav Grebe and Long-tailed Duck were absent.

Whooper Swans were gratefully ticked

Then back to Bosquoy where a Peregrine put in a brief appearance and finally home. Searching the garden finally produced a Fieldfare, sometimes tricky. 42 was a decent outcome, just 19 to go to beat last year's total, 68.9%.

Here's a view of the patch from the garden later in the day, with The Shunan in the foreground, Loch of Bosquoy next and Loch of Harray beyond.  The island of Hoy and its hills are in the distance.

Toodle East

Offspring required taking to meet friends in kirkwall etc so an excuse for a toodle east. The lack of an extended day did limit things somewhat so it was a bit of a rush but first stop was the Toab Glossy Ibis. As well as trying out the new Canon I'm also messing about with digiscoping again, just as a backup for record shots of distant things. I tried a bit of digivideo, handheld Nikon CoolPix 3100 as well.

Ok, not great but passable, you can see what it is. 

Digiscope in terrible light, Nikon CoolPix handheld

Uncropped Canon SX50 ISO 3200 at 50x and 160th, very noisy

Then down to Point of Liddle where there were some nice surprises, amongst the 19 GNDivers and 6 Slav Grebes, 26 Velvet Scoter and 362 Eider, plus assorted LtDucks there was a close inshore Red-necked Grebe and a Black-throated Diver, very nice.

I probably should have spent more time searching for Mr Surfie but instead went to Scapa with thoughts of the thick-billed one.... just Tysties and 11 Slav Grebes here though. All the same a very nice afternoon out east.

Pochard and Twite

A huge flock of 817 Pochard counted yesterday on Loch of Harray by the Merkister was added to today by a flock of 387 Twite at nearby Russland Mill. Both spots are within my Foot It zone so hopefully they will hang around, as hopefully will the Meadow Pipit which can be a tricky species in january. Down at Howaback, which is just beyond my one mile Foot It limit, there was a (hard to get) Pied Wagtail as well as a Slavonian Grebe.

The garden yielded further out of season fayre with a Woodpigeon and  Black-headed Gull.

The afternoon was spent at Palace, a family walk which really and no special birds, but more interesting light with which to play with the Canon SX50 which has replaced the faithful (but sometimes rather irritating) SX20.

 The camera seems to have a depth of colour and sharpness that the SX20 did not achieve.

The light was poor and the zoom high, the image seems pretty sharp to me.

Year end

Here's a year end picture. Text to follow later maybe....

Warbeth Beach, Stromness, it was barely possibe to make any headway into the wind yesterday.

Reflective

Having failed to see the glossy one yesterday, I now suspect it was hiding behind the wall of the field, I nipped along there first(ish) thing and connected. The ibis walked out from behind the wall when I parked, it was just across the road.

The ibis was finding plenty to eat in the peedie field.

I moved on to Evie, the idea being to check out the whale corpse. However, high tide,a few sightseers and the appearance of an Iceland Gull when I got there weakened my resolve. half way to the corpse I gave up, most of the gulls were at the other end of the beach.

Searching the other way a Leeb was a fair reward, actually much less common here in winter than an Iceland Gull.

1cy Iceland Gull

1cy Leeb

There has been no sign of the Tree Sparrow at home since last Saturday, 14th, sadly it may have gone or been predated.

Tinkle

The Twitch - I didn't get there that early, it had been light for a while, but I was still the third person there. See the other two and the (rather dead) sperm whale.

Here's the scene, though a bit of a cheat as the gull was not feeding when I first got there, just sitting around. It then flew off strongly north. So after a bit I and two others (two more) tramped north along the shore. I looked the wrong way whilst an otter showed.

About a mile up the coast, scanning, and eventually the whitest one came into view. Flying back across from Eyenhallow, where it may roost. The pure white plumage and very long white wings, very pointed, were a sure giveaway.

This is a very white individual and I do wonder, what with the plumage and the yellow coming into the bill if it might not be a 2cy? The gull book does not entertain such nonesense of course, 1cy or adult are the options.

The bill it would seem is especially adapted to the task of piercing the tough outer whale skin. The gull continually worked at a tiny hole.

Nice bird, early Christmas present I guess, although I could do with a year end find.

WeBS counting today produced two nice drake Goosander on Loch of Bosquoy. The 120 or so Teal on The Shunan refused to reveal a G-wT though.

Goose counting in the rain

Goose counting day again so I headed over to the East Mainland to my goosey spot. Nearly 4700 Greylags counted and a rather low number of Pinkies 209. Also missing were Great Northerns, only abut 4 seen and Slav Grebes, same again. However, two good sized Eider flocks, a 607 and a 330 and a decent flock of 419 Long-tailed Ducks. Only other highlights were a flock of 36 Velvet Scoter and three Hen Harriers.