Who would have believed that it was so difficult to get a group of eleven keen birders to a location well served by public transport?
Well, yes, North Ronaldsay is 190 miles from Inverness – yes, there is a necessary drive up to Scrabster or Gills Bay in the very north of the country – yes, there is then an hour and a half ferry trip over the sometimes unpredictable Pentland Firth – followed by a drive up mainland Orkney to its airport outside Kirkwall – and then a flight in what looks perilously like a rather large model aeroplane. But that should be all in the day’s work for the intrepid traveller. Had it not been for Storm Amy.
In the end three of us made the journey together two days late and two, who had got up to the islands before the storm hit them, were able to make it to the Observatory on North Ron. for a limited time.
Well, yes, North Ronaldsay is 190 miles from Inverness – yes, there is a necessary drive up to Scrabster or Gills Bay in the very north of the country – yes, there is then an hour and a half ferry trip over the sometimes unpredictable Pentland Firth – followed by a drive up mainland Orkney to its airport outside Kirkwall – and then a flight in what looks perilously like a rather large model aeroplane. But that should be all in the day’s work for the intrepid traveller. Had it not been for Storm Amy.
In the end three of us made the journey together two days late and two, who had got up to the islands before the storm hit them, were able to make it to the Observatory on North Ron. for a limited time.
Wheatear, a dark Redpoll and a pale one, surely one of the "Arctic" forms (Philip Wilson)
A large flock of Golden Plovers in the fields beside the observatory delighted one of us who got up before breakfast, on the one day when the weather tempted her out, and the waders on the beaches at both Westness and The Links were a sight which we all very much enjoyed. Sanderlings, Dunlins, Turnstones, Redshanks, Ringed Plovers and Purple Sandpipers were all anxious to make the best use of exposed sands while the sunlight lasted and provided us with a memorable spectacle. The Snipes on the inland lochs were too numerous to count, but a single Ruff stood out, as did a Greenshank; and a Little Stint was seen by some.
On several occasions we were drawn back to Bewan Loch near the Old Beacon at Dennis Head and were ultimately rewarded with close up views of two Curlew Sandpipers, Bar-tailed Godwit, Shoveller, Gadwall and Pintail. Whooper Swans were arriving from their northern breeding grounds and the count each day was different. The other bird we saw several times each day was Hen Harrier, with at least two ring-tails and probably more than one beautiful pale male bird present during our stay.
On several occasions we were drawn back to Bewan Loch near the Old Beacon at Dennis Head and were ultimately rewarded with close up views of two Curlew Sandpipers, Bar-tailed Godwit, Shoveller, Gadwall and Pintail. Whooper Swans were arriving from their northern breeding grounds and the count each day was different. The other bird we saw several times each day was Hen Harrier, with at least two ring-tails and probably more than one beautiful pale male bird present during our stay.
Bar-tailed Godwit, Ringed Plover and Hen Harrier (Philip Wilson)
Our last two days were to provide the rarities. Firstly, a White-rumped Sandpiper on the Links and our thanks to Maddy for stopping to alert us to this and leading the way across what seemed to be a vast expanse of shore, to get to the puddle it had chosen as its feeding place. Then, almost the last bird of the trip; a probable Black-headed Bunting. This was frustratingly mobile along the rough boulders and stones on the shore at Dennis Head, but, though in typically enigmatic plumage, this was a “lifer” for two of the three of us. First calendar-year birds such as this are difficult to separate from Red-headed Bunting (breeds even further SE) and many remain indeterminate.
White-rumped Sandpiper (Philip Wilson). An annual vagrant from N America or far eastern Russia.
(probable) Black-headed Bunting - a vagrant, breeding SE Europe through to S Russia, wintering in India (Philip Wilson)
Very many thanks to Philip who drove us around the island (and sometimes into and out of some very sticky corners) with unabated enthusiasm.
Sue Sykes
Sue Sykes
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