3rd May

Arriving from the south and not deigning to hang around for long, the bird of the day, a young White-tailed Eagle, made a brief aerial tour of the island just before midday, soon returning back across the water towards Sanday. This is a typical date for the species here, and White-tailed Eagles have arrived in late April or early May in several recent years.

Other additions to the year-list were a Lesser Redpoll ringed at Holland House and 5 Arctic Terns in Linklet Bay. Also notable was the number of waders present, with counts of 459 Sanderlings, 116 Ringed Plovers and 16 Dunlins showing a clear increase.

Other sightings included 2 Lapland Buntings, 10 Siskins, 2 Common Redpolls, a Brambling, 5 Blackcaps, 2 Willow Warblers, 2 Chiffchaffs, a Peregrine and the same Scaup.

White-tailed Eagle

Lesser Redpoll