Treeper

 

Now that was a surprise. Birding around the garden this morning, a nice male Blackcap was almost the first bird I saw. The next bird was a real surprise, a Treeper. This is a species that occurs just about once a year on Orkney so one in the garden is a bit of a triumph. Also present today was a Chiffy, several Chaffinch and Brambling, several Reed Buntings, Redwings and about 20 Blackbirds, several of which were again seen to leave high to the south.

A stroll around Palace found a Goldfinch and a rather odd Willow Warbler with very bright orange/yellow legs and feet.

White-winged Gulls

Wednesday morning's seawatch was a bit of a disappointment all the same there were a few skuas and a good passage of Kittiwakes, 150 in 90 minutes, A mystery bird gave brief views, scary but I must have mis-seen the features, surely.

Returning to Birsay in the afternoon with the family to look at the waves a first winter Iceland Gull appeared over our heads, nice one.

The next day I went down to Waulkmill Bay late in the afternoon with dog, offspring and relative, onto the beach and reprise (of a kind) a first winter Glaucous Gull circled our heads as we stepped onto the beach.

Today on the way back from the airport we stopped off at the PDC to show our guests some close views of Long-tailed Ducks and in amongst the twenty or so gulls on Tesco Corner was a second winter Iceland Gull. (Ooops, now on examination age is reviewed, the bill colour would make this a first winter, plumage is not totally reliable for aeging I have learnt.)

Ivory Gull tomorrow?...

In and around the garden of late: Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Goldcrest, Redwing, Fieldfare, Robin, (piles of Blackbirds moving through), Chaffinch, Brambling and several Reed Buntings.

Twite have been evident on the track and over the house of late.

Seawatching

The west-nor'west wind doth blow so a seawatching I shall go.

Not perfect conditions and I couldn't manage this morn due to the need to aid with wrestling the new boiler into position. However, come lunch time, and having dropped oldest offspring off at her mate's house, it was to the Point of Buckquoy (otherwise known as the Borugh of Birsay car park). Fortunately at this time of year there was no need to jockey for position as for most of the four and a half hours mine was the only car getting battered by the wind, rain, hail, seaspray and other assorted elements.

Now why is it with seawatching that all too often two interesting birds show at once? So in four and a half hours there were four notable birds really. First off after an hour or so a very acceptable juvenile Pom went by close enough to show off all its best features, including the signature underwing. However, not far off two and a half hours, and along came the star of the show, Leach's Petrel making strong headway into the wind and also showing off very nicely. I track back and am immediately I'm onto another juvenile skua but this is no Pom and it doesn't look like an Arctic either, unfortunately it was just a bit of a way out and I was struggling to get the best of views when it was past the car wing mirror and out of view. Even a quick bit of reversing and manouvering couldn't get me back onto it. Trouble was I hadn't tracked back very far from the petrel and it was just too brief a view, but I was pretty sure, but not quite sure enough, that it was a juvenile Long-tail; so it goes.

Half an hour later a blue Fulmar went by close in.

The accompanying cast included an adult, pale phase Arctic Skua, eleven Bonxies, about 150 Kittiwakes including about 30% juveniles, 270 Gannets and unusually for the time of year 290 or so Fulmar. There was a trickle of Guillemots west and a few Razorbills and some Eider as well.

Back home the Yellow-browed had called in the morning, after having a close shave with a Sparrowhawk. A Kestrel was present. Yesterday's two Brambling fed under the feeders as did two Chaffinch. There was a tantalising glimpse of what was probably a male Blackcap, which would be a tetrad and a garden tick.

So all in all a pretty good october day.

Yellow-browed Warbler

Nice! Nice, nice! Oh I do so love Yellow-browed Warblers especially when I'm hearing and then watching one from our garden. Scrutiny of the sycamores has paid off this autumn and the Yellow-browed Warbler is just such a good garden bird.

 

Where's the Yellow-browed Warbler?

Also in the garden this afternoon were 19 Blackbirds, 3 Chaffinches, a Redwing or two. This morning there had been three Brambling under the feeders and the Tree Sparrow was still present.

Spent much of the rest of the day on South Ronaldsay and East Mainland looking at waders and gulls for not much reward it has to be said; so it goes.

Whooper Swans, four of seven at Liddel

Lapwing and Golden Plover on the Helston Road

Introducing my new series (and see top of this post): Where's ...

 Boney?

American Wigeon

Thanks to AL for the prompt text, ten minutes later I was watching a nice drake American Wigeon on Loch of Harray. It was at a bit of range but interestingly straight-necked and floating higher in the water. I'll have another look tomorrow to see if I can pick it out again with a bit more time to look.

A family trip to South Ronaldsay produced a Swallow, a juvenile Lesser Black-backed Gull and really good numbers of Eider and Gannets. The Gannets must have got into a shoal of fish as there were near enough 1400 in the flock, about five miles off I reckonned.

At home the Tree Sparrow was on the feeders and a couple of Reed Buntings dropped in briefly but I had little time to look.

Blackbird stuff

Interesting things Blackbirds. At the moment there are a lot of those matt black ones around with dull black bills. I presume these are Scandinavian jobs but I really ought to look at references and check that supposition. Anyway this afternoon 16 of them went through the neighbouring trees, some pausing on the powerlines first, before heading off across the cut barley field south. A few minutes later another five appeared on the fringes but either stayed put or went into the nearest field to feed.

Thursday evening, Loch of Harray

Bobolink - missing...

The temperature has dropped recently, good job the heating engineer is here putting in the new system, we've not had a working boiler for months but its getting a bit uncomfortable now.

The girls and Louise had more Whooper Swans this morning as they walked down for the school transport, two tacked on to the back of 13 Mutes. My cycle to work was not enlivened by Swallows for the first time since they arrived in the spring, indeed it was rather birdless.

News of a Scarlet Grosbeak on Eday raised the pulse but it hasn't been seen today, there's no chance of me getting out there until Saturday, doubtless by then a waste of time. However, it does give hope for the search. Where's my Bobolink?

Napolean Bonaparte

I'd not been able to go for the Boney on Thursday but a clear diary on Friday afternoon meant I could leave shortly after four. Arriving at the barriers shortly before five I searched the Graemeshall shores and the Barley field to no avail. The gull roost off Holm looked interesting though so I persevered with that and bingo! Nice adult Boney, the lack of black on the underwing is a real giveaway in flight.

The flushing assistant

Today I had a long tramp with my flushing assistant in the morning which found me nice numbers of  Pochard and Curlew, the Golden Plover flock and five Scaup. But failed to find the hoped for Jack Snipe.

Wildfowl on Bosquoy

Back at the ranch a Mealy Redpoll fed briefly on docks before disappearing. There was an early afternoon trickle of Swallows east and Chaffinch, Redwing, Robin all showed. Late afternoon there was a Wheatear on the track.

 Loch of Bosquoy

 

 The rookery trees

Squall passing

West Mainland again

I was a bit puffed out to be honest and keen to improve the garden list I spent a lot of time mooching around the Sycamores and the willows around the back. The family gripped me off. Mollie first, scoring Short-eared Owl early on which performed beautifully for her  whilst she let the hound out first thing. Flying around her head and almost into the garge before perching on the roof of the byre. Then Louise had the Barred Warbler again under the feeders, she gave a good enough description.

I tramped round and around the garden, a small unidentified warbler first thing. Four Brambling and a few Redwings. Probably saw the Barred Warbler chasing a Chaffinch into the tops of the Sycamores in the afternoon.

Down at Birsay the hound and I watched waders for an hour or so, including quite a puzzling large Dunlin with a pinkish/brown neck. Had me going for a bit but a Dunlin it was. Careful examination of Rock Pipits has now got me to be entirely clear about Buff-bellied Pipit ID, there's still time for another of those, a self-find would be very neat.

The moth trap has proved rather disappointing, just one Rosy Rustic last night; three Large Yellow Underwings, a Rosy Rustic and an Angle Shades the night before (with a maybe interesting micro).

A bit of looking through the "from the garden" list for the year uncovered some omissions so with the Barred, Goldcrest and Reed Bunting of the weekend the list stands at 96 beating last year by two already. 

Its blowing a hooley tonight, fingers crossed the greenhouse will be ok.

West Mainland day

 

 Some of yesterday's Pinkies (71 in two flocks)

The day was spent between home and Birsay. A day that was supposed to have rain all day was still and overcast with almost no rain. Time at the beginning and the end of the day was spent patrolling the Sycamores and other vegetation around the house which produced Redwings again, after the 19 or so yesterday and Goldcrest was added to the "in the garden" list securely with good views eventually, there may well be as many as five present. Bramblings showed up at the end of the day, like the Chaffinches they had little interest in the feeding station and spent their short time with us feeding on aphids in the Sycamores. Also at the end of the day two unidentified warblers, one of which may have been a Garden Warbler and the other might have been Thursday's (or another) Barred Warbler but both birds were uncooperative.

The lunchtime beach at The Links held plenty of waders, I'll be going back tomorrow to count them properly but 70 or so Ringed Plovers, 10 Dunlin, 3 Barwits plus Turnstones, Redshanks and Curlews. The main point of interest at The Links though were the thrips on the beach, see pix below.

 Thrips

 The black line in front of the girls is all thrips, and it's deep, half a finger tip to the joint

These are on a pool turning it black

 The 20p coin gives a sense of scale here.

There must have been billions of thrips on the beach.

On a roll

Funny this birding lark. You go weeks and weeks flogging away, searching the same places and the rewards are a Curlew Sand or a Pom then everything changes and you find a decent bird every time you go out.

I had a brief wander around the garden this afternoon, I didn't have much time as I had Dad stuff to do and the offspring were impatient. But it was still and there were birds. A Chaffinch, then three, two Wrens, six or seven Blackbirds, 2 Robins at least, a Reed Bunting. Thought I heard a Goldcrest which would be a garden tick. Then, there in front of me was a garden tick, a Barred Warbler. I don't find many passerines and this is a species I've not found before. Delight, especially as it gave cracking views whilst it fed in the soft afternoon light in the Sycamores. Didn't cross the wall line into our garden but a "from the garden" tick nonetheless. The camera was in the kitchen of course, and after I'd ran and got it all I managed was a blur.

North Ronaldsay weekend

This weekend had been booked for a fortnight as my previous attempt to get to North Ron ahd been scuppered by fog which prevented the plane from flying.

DE and I arrived on the six o'clock plane and were immediately whisked to the north end of the island where a number of rarities were known to lurk. Most things had gone to roost but PB got us on to the Short-toed Lark which we saw adequately in the failing light.

The next morning we headed again for the north end after breakfast. There was a stiff southerly breeze and sheltering behind the dykes was required in order to keep optics steady. Having tried various view points as we scanned for pipits and wagtails a Citrine Wag called very loudly in my ear and landed on the dyke beside me. I went for the bins not the camera and excellent views were obtained, but not a picture (the below is the best I could manage later on).

 Citrine Wagtail

Whilst scanning the available pipits and other wagtails a small wader was scoped. A completely unexpected Buff-breasted Sand which performed superbly for the next two hours or so before disappearing. 

 Buff-breasted Sandpiper, a new find for me

The business of the day was to find the Buff-bellied Pipit which was soon seen briefly before it disappeared. This is a species I have never really got to grips with either in the field or via photos so I was pleased to have seen it but disappointed I hadn't got the sort of views which would have given me a solid tick.

A couple of hours failed to sort the pipit out until PB (the other one) appeared and showed us the bird. I still wasn't entirely happy with the views I was getting, mostly due to the bright sunlight which I think was making the subtlty of the plumage colours hard to pick out. In the end it took me until about two in the afternoon of pacing around the north end to finally get the views I was looking for and to fully understand the identification. The clincher was hearing the call as I flushed the bird after taking a large number of pics.

 Citrine Wagtail and Buff-bellied Pipit in the same frame... nice

 Buff-bellied Pipit

During this whole performance various other things were found including a large flock of Snow Buntings, 14 Sooty Shearwaters during a half hour look at the sea, and two Lapland Buntings.

A celebratory meal was called for in the new lighthouse cafe. Unbeknown to me DE who had returned earlier  to the Obs with the hunger of a starved horse had not known about this rather fine hostelry and was not a little peeved to hear of its delights after an hour or so's tramp back to the Obs. He did however, manage Yelow-browed and glimpses of Grotfinch on the way.

Managing to get a lift most of the way back down the island after an especially uneventful seawatch I spent the late afternoon hunting unsuccessfully for the American Golden Plove, found late in the morning, which had hidden itself away in long grass and hundred's of Goldies.

Old Light

The next day I was out and hunting around the Holland House gardens from quite early on. Plenty of birds called including two Yellow-broweds, one of which I glimpsed, innumerable Blackcaps, Lesser Whitethroat and three Goldcrests but I failed to find anything of more interest.

After breakfast things were only slightly better with a glimpse of a flying Barred Warbler. However, perseverence was required and DE and I headed down to Hooking. We counted waders and generally enjoyed a pleasant morning's birding when DE noticed a harrier over the loch. For some reason (I see Hen Harrier nearly every day at home, it's often a garden bird) I decided to get the skaffolding out and set up the scope, with the usual cursing as the legs stuck etc. Eventually I managed to view a rapidly retreating distant harrier whilst looking into harsh light. The bird banked briefly and I was sure I could see deep, rusty brown, uniform underparts. I then watched with a bit more diligence and noted that the bird was flying with subtly more rapid wing beat and the wings looked long and pointed. However, within a second or so the bird had disappeared from view. "That'll be a harrier sp." I said to DE as we started scanning the links for waders and counting Ringed Plover. A few minutes later DE shouted up "Harrier!" and I saw what was clearly either a Monty or a Pallid pass almost over our heads, "It's a Pallid!" shouted DE. In the struggle to decide whether to photograph it or look carefully all I got was the colour and the flight again, although I did see a collar that looked much like the markings on photographs of juvenile Pallid Harriers that I've recently been examining (ever hopeful). A brief discussion revealled that we hadn't got all the features, I was concerned at this point that BBRC would chuck it out. I called up the troops. We scanned down the links and after 15 minutes or so I saw the bird distantly to the north. By this time troops had indeed arrived. We walked down to join most of the observatory who had gathered a few hundred metres down the way. As we arrived everyone decided to get back in the vehicle and drive north. As usual I decided to do something different and stay put. A few minutes later I was treated to excellent views as an agile, twisting, hunting Pallid Harrier came south again showing all its best features, excellent!

 Pallid Harrier, two finds in two days, exceptional

I eventually moved to the south of Hooking where I got very good views, not great photos but you get the jist.

I would have got better pictures if a wader which flew over with Snipe hadn't confused and distracted me. Looking very dark and unmarked into the light and I being in a bit of a heightened state, to be honest I jumped to the wrong conclusion. Bit of a shame really as I don't mind finding a Pec, which is what it was, and which on a calmer day I would most probably have got right, even on not so good flight views. However, everyone was very good tempered about being whistled up for what is not an especially uncommon bird here, when it was eventually heard to call and seen again in flight, so it goes.

North Ronaldsay sheep