orkney birding (1 Viewer)

My destination this morning was Rerwick Head. This is rocky point backed by permenent grazing and studded with ww2 concrete gun emplacements the grass is pretty rank at the moment but still it provides a lot of cover for birds and voles. My intention was to see velvet scoters. Its a bright sunny morning with sw3 breesing away. Unfortunately wind and tide are putting up a bit of chop but never mind. Before i even have my crash hat off i count thirty curlew whitch take flight do a big loop and land again by the time i have my scope sorted.Dead right a quick count and theres thirty one with six or more red shank.The path to the shore leads to a short cliff with a 10 ft drop the shore below being out of sight.I aproach slowly as several commen gulls are slowly padlling away from me out to sea. I have the low sun behind me and its working to my advantage because 30 or so widgeon start heading out as well wondering whats going on. Standing still i get greatviews as thay call to oneanother wisteling away untill inebitably there off heading west. I head that way myself and put up two snipe from under foot. The viewing place is just 200yds along the shore. Settling down out the sun i see nothing in the bins but two gulls floating in the extreem distance. However around the bay the farm at Heatherhouse is hooching with life. A raptor must have put them up. Looking across i see 3 seprate flocks of golden plover 150 strong, a large flock of curlew and lapwing 2to300 strong, a big ball of starlings,and hundreds of greaylag and gulls .Thay are all boiling about in chaos but the danger passes and that settle once more and swiftly return to feeding. My atention returns to the sea where i finaly find 3 velvets whitch provide a nice view but there soon up n away with flash of white wing thay head east. I head this way as well to check out Rerwick point putting up the same two snipe, Sheltering in the gun emplacement gives a look out over 55commen gull with six red leged bh guls'a few lesser bbs and herring three cormerant and six shag.Cool i think as i scope up on a black back but within three seconds every thing is up and three more seconds thay are all gone all that remain are a few turnstones on the shore.Undaunted i head off to Redgee rock a good spot for purple sandpiper but thats not to be the tides to high and the swells to big. Then a wee lbj takes off at my feet heading up a ditch and lands its not a rock or medow pippit the chase is on i get close for another look and it seems to be a dunnock. I just cant be shure and iv moved it three times Thats more than enough as it might have come in from over the sea.Stopping for a seat on the cliff edge i count twenty nine shags along the cliff edge and rocks and am about to give it up when a great northen diver flys past me no more than twenty feet away. Now my heart is pumping but its not over yet fifty yards away three oyster catchers are displaying thay instantly scatter as a merlin passes close by.thats enough for me and i head back to the bike and home but that is still not that. With in a mile a sky lark is flying parralel to me and crosses my path. Must be some sort of lucky day round the next corner there is a raptor sitting on a fence post i stop get my gear out and shoot my best merlin photos i am in seventh heaven. On other posts i can see four or five medow pipits and in the air i hear two skylarks singing its the middle of febuary what is going on. This is a sunny and sureal kind of end to the morning BRILL

Great Day dafi
Can you post the Merlin pics. A bit of a bogey bird for me, only ever had fleeting Glances.

kas said:

Great Day dafi
Can you post the Merlin pics. A bit of a bogey bird for me, only ever had fleeting Glances.

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Hi Kas i will put it in my gallery in a mo. Its not the greatest pic just my best one. Im just a snapper realy. see them regulary about but have been lucky around tankerness this last while. You should come over for the day to see whats about and have a laugh.

harray Loch Barnhouse hide

Managed to get a fast half hour between jobs today and went out to Barnhouse hide. This hide is situated at the back of the standing stones of stenness beside Barnhouse neolithic village and looks out over the south end of Harray loch. The whole area is now a world heritage site and is older than the pyramids. any way parked up looking over stenness loch to the west and there are thirty or so mute swans driven along the shore by the fresh breeze. Three golden eye and two tuffted duck can be seen bobing sporadicaly in the chop.
I head through the stone circle over to the opposit corner and over the style where i see my first spot as nice big hair takes off heading in the opposit direction. In the adjasent field a dead swan is lying with a hoodie crow standing on top pecking away[must think its christmas]. However theres nothing else to see in the fields as i aproach the hide. In side i get my hi vis off and settle down for a scan about.
Only a few birds are in close a pair of wigeon stay close together and mute swans lurk about upending. To the right widgeon oyester catcher and mallard are roosting. South to the island 2to3 hundred gulls are sitting to far to tell what thay are wi bins but i guess comon gull. In the middle distance three g eye drakes are making a fuss over three femails and another three mails are watching and shadowing from a distance. A count of mute swans gives forty.
On the far bank two flocks of oyster catcher 150 and 120 strong are nervously feeding. Past them another flock of gulls 2to 3 hundred strong sit quietly thay look mostly common judging by the three lesser black backs amongst them. after counting them my bins lite on a pair of incoming wigeon . Thay cause a panic and briefly put every thing up witch then settles along the shore.
Along the shore opposit is a hidden bay and from this starts to emerge a mix of greaylag and wigeon after five mins thay are all out heading south 82 geese 50 ducks the few tufteds moving out the way.Over the hide i hear a reed bunting but dont see it. but do see the seventy odd rooks heading up the loch coming from the direction of Binscarth woods. Below the farm of Overbigging 60 pluss greaylag are grazing away thats about it for a fast look about im suprised there arent more lapwing and curlew to be seen. but if this game was predictable then it wouldnt be mutch of a game

Loch of banks

After a day and half of rain the weather started to dry up a bit so we took a quick spin out to the hide at the Loch of banks .This area is situated west of the village of Dounby on the west mainland and is an area of lochans and wetland with the wetland of the loons and the loch of Isbister just behind it. On ariving the field opposit has a hundred or so Greylag and thirty eight Whooper Swans grazing away ,in fact on the journey here there have been litraly thousands of Graylag grazing in the road side fields. The hide is looking a bit ramshackle but the view is cracking,watter levels are quite high but its not detering the Lapwings from displaying. These are the first i have seen display this year with six or more tumbling about plus thay are not alone as a few Curlew are also bubling away. What a welcome sound it is filling the air. Soon the whole of the isles will reverbrate with it. Seting up the scope for a count of whats about pickings look a bit thin. I can see twenty five Lapwing, thirty six Coot, three hundred Curlew and one hundred and fifty mixed gulls, mostly comon with a few newly arived LBG and a smatering of black headed. there are quite a few ducks about but thay are only visable as you drive further along the road not from the hide. We saw Pied wagtail when we arived with a total of eight all day,nice to see them ariving back one of my faves. All in all its quite quiet species wise. On departing we take a quick spin up the Bigging road opposit to have a spy over the Sabiston loch this produces Kates first good view of a Perigrine over Greeny hill. On the loch there are several hundred wild foul and a massive gull roost on the shore and i mean massive. Unfortunately the low sun is directly in our eyes so about all we can see is silloueted. The near bank has five dozen Oyster catcher and twenty Curlew. But with a few spits of rain we are off to do some visiting and get warm all in all not its not to bad for a quick spin out.

Marwick Head RSPB Sea Scapes

As you may know its been a wee bit windy this weekend so i took a spin out to the cliffs at Marwick to check out the state of the sea never thinking about seeing birds as things didnt look to promising. However as i arrived and was taking my helmet off a hoodie flew across my field of vew. So that was a start. I was heading up the memorial path. It heads straight up a gentle quarter mile slope to the high cliffs. In the field to the left there are a good flock of oyster catchers feeding away. thay dont fly till im almost on them and even then thay dont go to far. Taken off with them were a few stock doves but thay dissapear in the direction of marwick bay. almost at the end of the last grazing field a skylark flys a little in to the field and lands shows well on a tussuock for about ten seconds thinks better of it and dissapears to cover.Got more scence than me i think. Out of the end of the path and the wind is whiping up and over the cliff edge .Along the cliff to the right there is a natural bowl where your out the wind and get a great view south. I sit here for a while taking photos and watching a few fulmars dancing in the updraught and gliding away on straight stiff wings. Moving to thse south end for some more shots the first rock pippet appears. bouncing about in the mass of vilolent air thats pouring over the cliff top seemingly unbothered , unlike me concentrating on every step in places. At the south end there is a good spot with a small stone sticking out the ground i head for this but its beeing guarded by an agressive raven. The raven is about the only bird breeding at the moment and thay tend to chase and harrie pepole and birds near the nest site . As there is only one about i hope this means the other is sitting on a nest. i approach it and off it gos taking its aggresion out on the next passing fulmar with a winding chase before it peels off to land a hundred yards away above the nest sight. Looking out to sea there is nothing at all on the water. [apart from a six meter swell]. Two or three comongull pass. and fifteen or more fulmar cruise around ,one gannet heading north and a few shag fly low level. On the rock only three fulmars are in view. Loads of rock doves are dotted about. Thats about it for me. This place will soon be transformed in to a huge sea bird collony with drama smell bussle and noise but for now its wind swept and barren even the fulmas dont want to sit on the cliffs and niether do i so with the horizon looking nasty i leg it to the bike and home to a nice big fire .So long till next time.

shore walking for Wheatears

The Brig Of Waithe
The Brig Of Waithe is a bridge that spans the tidal outfall from the Loch of Steness to the sea and the east shore of this channel would be my first wheatear hunting ground of the day. this is new ground for me and i am told its not often visited. As I set out from the parking i see three Reed Buntings. One singing its heart out the other two chasing each other about hell for leather. As i start the tide is three quarters up and falling; conditions are dry and bright with a light breeze[lovely].
On the far bank the first birds are a group of twenty or so Oyster Catchers one or two are sleeping, it looks like the others are just hanging out digesting. Moving along, the crys and excitable flights from the red shanks put up the Curlews which in turn put up the Wigeon. Out on the water Eider and Mallard head into the safety of the falling tide. All along the shore fields Medow Pippits are displaying, flying up singing then parachuting down to land on fence posts. Skylarks are competing for their territories and mates. What a difference two weeks can make to the landscape.
The next bay is called Dead Sand and is in fact a small mud flat which is any thing but dead. The opposite side is a spit of ground that rises up called Cummi Ness; to the left of that is the remains of Cummi Howe Broch. This is a good spot because it gives a hidden approach to the next section of shore and looking over it to the sea beyond i can already see at least six Goosander. Creeping along to the raised ground of the broch i cautiously look over the top to the shore and am amazed. Before me i count fifty three Goosander spread out. Some are chasing about displaying, one or two are diving although thay arent actively feeding. then inevitably one of the closer birds spooks and up they go, heading off low for a half mile and settle again.

I move on to the last vantage point, looking across Cumminess Bay. Edging round the point, looking into the bay reveals a good flock of Widgeon,a dozen or more Curlew and Redshank,Oyster Catchers, two Ringed Plover on the strand line. An exellent view. I withdraw and return to Cummi Ness Where i can approach Dead Sand hidden from view. the game is almost up as i surprise a Heron four foot from me. I should say he suprised me. and boy my heart thumped for a second. After waiting ten minutes i crested the rise to find the mud exposed. A flock of Curlew fed in one area. Thirty Redshank were picking away and Oyster Catcher were dotted about all over. Turnstone flew along the far shore in a small flock disappearing in the distance and out on the open water a few Gooseander and Mallard paddled about. I cross the mud and on the opposite shore put up a Snipe; the third of the morning. After scanning every dyke and fence post and hummock there is still no sign of Wheatear so mayby a change of scene is needed.
Bay of Skaill. Marwick Head.
Heading off to the East coast might give me a chance, lots of nice maritime heath, a great habitat for breeding Wheatears. I park up at skaill and walk along the beach below the ancient settlement of Skara Brae. The beach is bare of birds and full of dogs. Leaving the beach is a pleasure and I immediately start scanning the dykes and posts and folds in the ground for tell tale movement. The only small birds i see are Meadow Pippits and Pied Wagtails. Moving along the shore path toward the Hole o' Row [a rock arch in the cliff], Oyster Catchers are noisily displaying in the field. Back toward Skail Farm, Lapwings are also giving it some when suddenly all the starlings around the farm are up in a ball then every thing rises over Skail Loch. I look and look but cant find a protagonist. Another sweep of the posts as everything starts to settle. No wheatears. Having a look at the Hole o' Row i decide to move further upthe cliffs. Looking out to sea, i put the bins on the birds on the sea and boy oh boy they are Guillimots. two rafts of Guillimots! this is great, a return of Auks. Things are getting under way. Scoping them i start seeing Razorbills. To the north, thirty or more Eider bob about in the current heading slowly north. With this i move up the cliff line to Yettna Geo to see if anything is on the cliffs. Bingo! two Razorbills low down and a few ledges of Guillimots all standing facing inward side by side. I find it amazing that thay manage to incubate such a large egg with no nest on such narrow ledges, crowded together [the eggs are huge in relation to the bird - like a nine stone woman giving birtth to an eighteen pound baby]. Counting the birds on the sea gives a hundred and fifty this is great. I head back for the bike, scanning for Wheatears as i go, still nothing, but over the farm everything is up in front of me, the gulls and jackdaws rise in panic as a female Perigrine passes heading south.[im so chuffed with my new bins] The rest of the walk back is uneventful and i shoot up the coast to Marwick Head for a look before home.
Marwick Head.
Walking up from the beach is the favoured approach to this spectacular breeding colony. As the path rises there are a couple of little side paths to wee geos that give good close views of Kittywake, Guillimot and Razorbill, so checking here i find Kittywakes sitting on the remnants of last years nests, Guillimots and more Razorbills. As you put yor head toward the cliff edge you suddenly hear the Kittywakes and breath in the smell, its exhilarating. pushing on to the cliff top proper, its fantastic, the cliffs are studded with Auks, Kittywakes and Fulmars, Rock Dove, Jackdaws. Disturbingly, there's no sign of the Ravens all the time im here. On the sea its mobbed with Auks; two thousand or more in sight and more than that on the cliffs .One Gannet heads north. A few Black Backs lurk but for now the Auks have a Bonxie-free life. It wont be long before the skuas arrive back and the daily drama of life and death recommences.
Two weeks ago i was up here after a 120mph wind and it was quite different, two weeks is a long time in bird watching. Roll on the next two weeks -i might even see a Wheatear. For now though im quite content with the inevitable progression of spring.
Just a word on the Great Egret it was on the Loch of Banks but i didnt find it again the next day. i had a spy about today but no luck,but it may still be out there, who knows.

Wonderful!

I discovered this thread almost by accident and I think its brilliant! Dafi has a way with words that takes you to the spot he's at. You're there with him peering over a bank and feeling the wind and cold, as well as the exhilaration of the sighting. Thanks Dafi - I'll join you again!
Timedrifter

any body else out there

If your birding out and about Orkney why not post up here .Lets see if we cant get a bit more info and intrest going.

Island Of Shapinsay with OFC/RSPB.

Just returned from a trip over to the island of Shapinsay orgnised by The Orkney fField Club/RSPB. Ably led by the ever informative Dick Matson nine of us trooped over. Im intending to write this one difrently this time,not one long ramble but three short ones and sightings lists bear with me.

The Boat.
We met up at the shap slip 9.30 for the 9.45 sailing. a mixture of old and new faces. the sailing is a short one and Shapnsay is the nearest of the northern isles. We have three destinations on the island however thats later and now we have birds to see. So from pier to pier in no particular order we saw..
Sparrow
Jackdaw
Starling
Rock pippit
Comon gull
LBG
Shag
Cormrant
Greaylag
Black guillimot
Shellduck
Rook
Raven
Oyster catcher
BH gull
Herring gull
Hoodie
Fullmar

We wander through the village to the start the woods. These half surround Balfour castle an old baronial style house and provides one of the best woodland habitats in the isles.This is something quite rare in orkney as trees dont get much of a chance with the constant winds. Strait away the sound of wrens was every where as we moved in for our circuit. Above the first clearing a femail Sparrowhawk circled displaying then was joined by another, but thay were soon harrased away by the gulls. Chafinch and Green finch showed well and we had nice views of Goldcrests. But it was over all to soon.
Wren
Chafinch
Greenfinch
Linnit
Blackbird
RL Partrige
Goldcrest
Robin
Blackcap
Wood pidjeon
Rockdove
BH Gull
Sparrowhawk

Next we head for the RSPB hide that over looks the Mill Dam reserve. the hide over looks a vally with water and wetland with a BH Gull colony at one end and wetland where large numbers of redshank will breed at the other. there were dissapointingly few ducks to be seen but still there was a variety. there also seemed to be quite a few Greaylag geese about with no intention of leaving.
Oystercatcher
Curlew
Redshank
Widgon
Tuffted duck
Shovler
Pintail
Ruddy duck
Gadwall
Shellduck
Teal
Mallard
Potchard
Graylag
BH Gull
Moorhen
Coot
Phesant
LBG

We now split in to two groups to visit The Ouze. This is an area of shore with a large tidal lagoon that empties at low watter to provide an exelent larder for wading birds. The wet holes on the way down the track offer up nesting Coot, moorhen. pintail and mallard just twenty yards from the car. Moving further down the track we have comanding views over the exposed sands. all parts are scanned in search of Godwits but disapointingly none are to be seen. Shellduck feed with a few Curlew ringed plover come and go.All around us skylark and Meddow pipitt display. A good flock of Dunlin take to the air once or twice before moving off along the shore. Two Sanwich terns are down on the sands [a nice spot]. We head down to turn at the shore[dont try this in a low slung car]. Taking the oppertunity to scan the sea and west side of the shore. Far out is a raft of Long tailed duck about 100-150. Looking west below the farm of Garth two Red throated divers are expertly picked out a Great northen was also seen.A pair of Red breasted meganser padled away with the tide and as we turn a Wheatear lands in front of us pleasing every body. With that we turn to the 3.15 ferry.
Pintail
Mallard
Moorhen
Coot
Skylark
Medow pippit
Curlew
Ringed plover
Green plover
Oyster catcher
Dunlin
LT Duck
Shovler
Redshank
GN Diver
RT Diver
Common Gull
LBG
Sanwich tern
Wheatear

All in all its been a good trip out. Fifty or sixty spiecies and a bonus of sunny weather. its nice to get out to a bit of the patch i only get to visit a few times a year and the Goldcrests just made my day.
laters everyboby
Daf

What a day Dafi! So many birds and in such an idyllic spot! I want to go!

Hi Dafi,

That was absolutely fascinating! I've just read the entire lot of the reports....I HAD to as I was spellbound by it all. You have such a way with writing that you have the ability to literally take the reader to all the places that you go to and all that I "saw" with you was absolutely brilliant.

The way you described the GND flying SO close to you had to be about one of the best encounters with any Bird that a person could have wished for. To see them and RTDs in summer plumage too has to be terrific! My friend in British Columbia (Canada) has them (GNDs) on their lake and she's totally fascinated by them and their haunting song/calls.

The way you describe the Kittiwakes, Gullimots, Razorbills and so many Cliff Birds alone is from the viewpoint of a passionate Birder and I now feel as though I've been up there with you Dafi, surveying it all as well as creeping up on so much wonderful Birdlife, especially THAT many Goosanders!!!

Fantastic reading Dafi, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thank you.

Sue.

Hi there Sue and Kristina thanks for your kind words. its verry encouraging. but i feel iv gone as far as im going to go with local patch there dont seem a lot of point if theres no one localy to share information with. i think i might concentrate my effots in exbeebs and come back to this if i find any local intrest.

Shame that no Orcadians are posting, but please, please, continue to share your beautiful narratives, no matter where. I look forward to the next installment...!

Kristina

Oh Please keep going Dafi, it's really interesting to read what's happening up there

D

Oh i dont know Delia theres not mutch point if im the only one posting from here, you can still find my stuff at exbeeb its just that it wont be strung together. Its been a strange sort of day with all this kicking off like this. i will have to think about it. But i would rather be posting where i get some interaction and feed back be it positive or negative.

Well after all the messages of suport it would be churlish of me to let the thread sink so i will keep posting in one fashion or another and if anybody from the isles wants to jump in please do. Thats what its here for.

dafi said:

Well after all the messages of suport it would be churlish of me to let the thread sink so i will keep posting in one fashion or another and if anybody from the isles wants to jump in please do. Thats what its here for.

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I'm so thrilled you're sticking with it Dafi, after all it is in it's rightful place here, especially for those intending to visit. Having said that I can quite see why you had become despondent, but onward and upward!

Sue.

Still want to tag along, but alas, passport issues... vicarious for now.

-Kristina

Hi Dafi, Good call. I for one have enjoyed your orkney thread. I've been over there a few times and always enjoyed my visits. Must come back some time soon, it's only a short ferry journey from Thurso.
Cheers,
Iain