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Birdwatching Trip to Orkney (1 Viewer)

Goldfinch101

New member
Hello, my first post here. I have recently returned from a holiday on Orkney staying with a friend there. (6th to 14th february) We visited all the rspb reserves on the Orkney Mainland as well as Rousay and Egilsay. This is a list of species seen in roughly the order spotted.

Collard Dove, Starling, Herring Gull, LBB Gull, Redshank, Oystercatcher, Red Breasted merganser, Great Northern Diver, Black Guillemot, Black Headed Gull, Fulmar, Shag, Pied Wagtail, Rock Pipit, Eider, Mute swan, Greylag Goose, Hooded Crow, Turnstone, Goldeneye, Curlew, Raven, Whooper Swan, Wigeon, Sanderling, Ringed Plover, Tufted Duck, Purple Sandpiper, Grey Heron, Golden Plover, Snipe, GBB Gull, Shoveler, Rook, Long Tailed Duck, Mallard, Hen Harrier, Merlin, Stonechat, Blackbird, House Sparrow, Lapwing, Common Gull, Pochard, Little Grebe, Coot, Glaucous Gull, Pheasant, Wood Pigeon, Feral Pigeon, Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Twite, Linnet, Brambling, Pink Footed Goose, Dunlin, wren, Skylark, Iceland Gull, Teal, Robin, Buzzard, Woodcock, Scaup, Shellduck, Pintail, Gadwall, Barnacle Goose, Slavonian Grebe, Snow Bunting, Jackdaw, Meadow Pipit and White Fronted Goose.

Highlights were getting my best ever views of Merlin and GN Diver and also watching 13 Hen Harriers coming in to roost in the space of under an hour one evening. Slav grebe, Glaucous and Iceland gulls were lifers too.
 
Hi Goldfinch101 and welcome to Birdforum. That sounds like a great trip. 13 Hen Harriers must have been an impressive sight.

Rich
 
Cor!!! What a great time you must have had Goldfinch! I've wanted to go to Orkney for donkey's years..... been to Shetland, the outer and inner Hebrides, Islay and Jura.... you'd think Orkney would be easy, wouldn't you LOL.

One day.

A warm welcome to you from a still very white Perthshire.

All things Scottish can be found here. Also, keep an eye on threads titled something like Scottish Bashes; we try to meet up occasionally and they're always great fun. You'd be most welcome to join us on another if you can manage.

We have quite a few members from your area, I'm sure you'll come across some of them soon.
 
Thanks for the welcome Delia and Rich, Yes seeing so many Harriers is amazing, a sight we should be seeing down here too! I saw at least one harrier just about every day. It helps having local knowledge to show you all the good places to go and I intend to return in the summer.

I would definitely be up for meets, time permitting, thanks!
 
Welcome to the forum! Glad you had such a lovely holiday. You certainly saw lots of different birds! ;)
 
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