Bird Report - December 2106

There is not much to report from around Sunnybank this month as the days were at their shortest and the weather challenging at times to say the least. We had our usual visitors such as Starlings, House Sparrows, Blackbirds and Greenfinches and I made sure to put out extra feed for them.

There was a Short-eared Owl exploring the field at Little Halley; three Snipe flew up from the field at Quoybelloch and a few days later even more were startled while feeding there. A few Robins have brightened up my days - seen singly of course. We have more Blackbirds than normal so I suspect the extras will be migrants roosting in our small plantation and popping out to feed in the field during the day.

On my beached birds survey at Newark Bay there were at least 10 Ravens in the field as I drove down the lane. As I walked towards the beach a huge flock of Starlings rose up - no doubt finding plenty to eat amongst the piles of tangles. Unusually there were approximately 40 Shag swimming in the sea offshore.

On to Sandside Bay and, driving down the lane, I stopped the car to count c.300 Greylag Geese grazing in the field opposite Grindigar. In the very next field there were 40 Pink-footed Geese feeding.

As I walked down to the beach at Sandside 25 Rock Doves flapped up from the field and made their getaway. A nice flock of 30 Linnets flew by. On the beach a large group of Hooded Crows and a variety of Gulls were busy sorting through the seaweed. There were 4 Oystercatchers by the water's edge - most of these species will be basking in milder weather further south. It was nice to see a good variety of waders, including Purple Sandpipers, Redshank, Curlew, Turnstone - all taking advantage of the incoming tide. In the sea I spotted a sizeable flock of Mallards.

In spite of it being winter, it won't be long before Ravens are making plans to pair up and raise families. Corvids are among the earliest species to breed. So the cycle begins again - let's hope 2017 is a successful breeding year for our birds.

Starling 480x640

Photograph of a Starling at Sunnybank.

Pauline Wilson

Bird Report - December 2106

There is not much to report from around Sunnybank this month as the days were at their shortest and the weather challenging at times to say the least. We had our usual visitors such as Starlings, House Sparrows, Blackbirds and Greenfinches and I made sure to put out extra feed for them.

There was a Short-eared Owl exploring the field at Little Halley; three Snipe flew up from the field at Quoybelloch and a few days later even more were startled while feeding there. A few Robins have brightened up my days - seen singly of course. We have more Blackbirds than normal so I suspect the extras will be migrants roosting in our small plantation and popping out to feed in the field during the day.

On my beached birds survey at Newark Bay there were at least 10 Ravens in the field as I drove down the lane. As I walked towards the beach a huge flock of Starlings rose up - no doubt finding plenty to eat amongst the piles of tangles. Unusually there were approximately 40 Shag swimming in the sea offshore.

On to Sandside Bay and, driving down the lane, I stopped the car to count c.300 Greylag Geese grazing in the field opposite Grindigar. In the very next field there were 40 Pink-footed Geese feeding.

As I walked down to the beach at Sandside 25 Rock Doves flapped up from the field and made their getaway. A nice flock of 30 Linnets flew by. On the beach a large group of Hooded Crows and a variety of Gulls were busy sorting through the seaweed. There were 4 Oystercatchers by the water's edge - most of these species will be basking in milder weather further south. It was nice to see a good variety of waders, including Purple Sandpipers, Redshank, Curlew, Turnstone - all taking advantage of the incoming tide. In the sea I spotted a sizeable flock of Mallards.

In spite of it being winter, it won't be long before Ravens are making plans to pair up and raise families. Corvids are among the earliest species to breed. So the cycle begins again - let's hope 2017 is a successful breeding year for our birds.

Starling 480x640

Photograph of a Starling at Sunnybank.

Pauline Wilson

Bird Report - November 2106

After an exciting batch of birds during October, most of these migrants have now passed through, though quite a few lingered into November.

The Barred Warbler stayed at Sunnybank until the 3rd, along with the pretty Lesser Whitethroat.

November 2nd was a notable day for, in addition to the Barred Warbler & Lesser Whitethroat, we also had a Goldfinch, Black Caps and Robin. There have been several Robins paying us a visit, most I believe to be migrants.

Our first Waxwing arrived on the 3rd and I saw this, on and off, until the 18th, attracted by the many apples I had skewered to the bushes.

Waxwing

(photo of Waxwing by Gerry Cannon).

A Wren was a nice sighting on the 4th - I believe we have one roosting in our byre each evening.

Earlier in the month I spotted 3 Redwing in the front field and there has been an increase in Blackbird numbers as migrants join our local birds.

On November 20th I quickly got out the binoculars to confirm that a Woodcock was standing around on our front drive. I was distracted for a short while and when I looked again the bird had flown.

An unusual sighting on the 26th was a group of 14 Jackdaws in the front field.

During my beached birds walk at Sandside there was alarm when 7 Snipe flew past in great haste, followed by a male Hen Harrier.

There were rich pickings among the seaweed down on the beach and, taking advantage, were Starlings, Hooded Crows, Curlews, Oystercatchers and Common Gulls. Off-shore a lone Long-tailed Duck was casually swimming by. There are always Wrens to be seen or heard at Sandside and on this occasion one was perched on a pile of tyres chirruping away. There were 4 Ringed Plovers on the beach. Going around the back of the beach I was rewarded by the sight of 3 Linnets in a bush while a Robin was perched in a tree up the lane. Further up the lane a Song Thrush was nice to see along with another Wren, 2 male Pheasants and several Blackbirds.

The field below Creya seems to be a popular haunt for the goose population and on this day there were 100-plus Greylags.

One of our regular birdwatchers, Ian Cunningham, reported 350 Golden Plover in a field near the Deerness shop.

There is still plenty to see in December - watch out for Redwings, Fieldfare, Golden Plovers, Pink Footed Geese, Greylag Geese, Barnacle Geese (if you are lucky) and of course Whooper Swans.

Pauline Wilson

Bird Report - October 2106

In my last report I said that the wind would be turning to the east soon and, when it did, to get out the binoculars. Well my prophesy was right and we did indeed have strong easterly winds bringing in the migrants so I hope Deerness folk were lucky enough to see some of these rarities.

There were three main stars, beginning with a phone call from Jean Ward telling me she had a Lapland Bunting at Ploverhall. This species had also been seen at the Mull Head Visitor Centre earlier in the day so perhaps it was the same bird. Jean managed to grab her camera and take this photo of the little bird through the window.

Lapland Bunting

Sandside often hosts rarities but it surpassed itself on the 24th when Morris Rendall spotted a Siberian Accentor - a first for Orkney! Not surprisingly, many bird watchers beat a path to Deerness in the hope of seeing the bird (which is small and related to the dunnock family). It has distinctive head markings making it unmistakeable. I was lucky to have a good view of the bird as it pecked around on the ground.

Siberian Accentor

This photo of the Siberian Accentor is by Tim Wootton.

Also on show at Sandside on the same day was a Bluethroat (a bird on my wish list and one that I missed but will be searching for at Sandside during the next few days).

Here at Sunnybank we have our own rarity which has been feeding on apples in the back garden for the past week. This is a juvenile Barred Warbler which is giving us a bit of entertainment.

Barred Warbler 1

Morris Rendall took this photo of the Barred Warbler.

I had another special visitor on the 14th when a female Hawfinch paid a visit but only stayed a short time. With its huge beak this bird is easy to identify.

Other notable birds during October started off on the 1st with 6 Whooper Swans on stubble at Newark - reported by Isobel Gardner.

On the 6th I had a fleeting view of a Ring Ouzel in the back garden before the bird (which resembles a blackbird but with a white band around its neck) flew off. The very same day there was a colourful male Brambling under the bird feeder while a tiny Goldcrest flitted around in the whitebeam tree. There were actually Goldcrests aplenty around the parish with a number of people reporting these - I noted them at Sunnybank on the 18th the 23rd also.

Another species easily seen just now if you skewer apples on bushes or trees are Blackcaps - the male has a distinctive black cap while females and juveniles have brown caps. Since I put out apples I have had the species around all the time. A very small bird, they will also feed on apples on the ground. Of course, Waxwings love apples so worth putting some out to see if they include Deerness in their travels this year.

I expect, like me, people have been seeing Robins as they pass through on their way to their winter quarters - always a bird to bring a smile to the face.

Young Swallows were still around on the 9th - I saw six on the wing (identified as juveniles by their short tails). Hopefully they will be on their way to Africa now if not already there.

During a walk at Newark I had a very small bird in my sights and this turned out to be a juvenile Stonechat which was tricky for me to identify at first as it was minus its white neck marking.

On the same day I saw a Pied Wagtail straggler along the beach also a few Turnstones.

On the 29th I was just quick enough to see a Snipe fly off at the front of the house. It will be a while before we hear this bird's drumming call in the spring.

Other birds to look out for just now are Redwings, Fieldfares, Golden Plovers and, of course, Greylag and Pink-footed Geese.

Reports from bird watchers in Deerness:

RSPB Warden Alan Leitch says:

A nice morning at Deerness produced a nice variety of species and good numbers of thrushes (especially; Blackbird, Redwing and Fieldfare). The highlight was a confiding Lapland Bunting at the Mull Head car park. A couple of Woodcock spooked at East Denwick, while a few Brambling, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Robin and Goldcrests knocked about the plantation. In the Rosa rugosa next to the centre 16 Blackbirds came out! Sandside had a Siskin, a few goldcrests and a couple of Blackcaps. Langskaill plantation had many Goldcrests, Chiffchaff 3, Blackcap 3, Sparrowhawk 2.

Morris Rendall reports:

East Denwick Plantation Yellow-browed Warbler. Sandside there are now 2 Siskins. Lighthouse Quarry Garden produced a few Goldcrest and Robins. Halley a Flock of about 10 Brambling and a few Blackcaps, Chiffchaff, Goldcrest and Robins.

There are still plenty of migrants around so I will repeat my advice from last month to don the binoculars and start searching in the bushes!

Pauline Wilson