30th September

A sunny morning of visible migration produced good numbers of passerines streaming south off Twingness and Stromness Point. Counts of the most numerous species came to 690 Redwings, 278 Meadow Pipits and 114 Skylarks, most of which continued straight on towards Sanday and the other Orkney Islands. The year's first 2 Richard's Pipits also passed overhead, along with 6 Crossbills, a Sand Martin, 15 Swallows, a House Martin and 10 Woodpigeons.

The rarest bird of the day was a Red-throated Pipit that was flushed from the crop field at Lurand, promptly vanishing never to be seen again. Another new species for the year was a Hawfinch at Holland House, while a new Buff-breasted Sandpiper on Tor Ness was (at least) the third one of the autumn.

Other migrants included a Stonechat, the first 4 Bramblings of the autumn, 10 Chaffinches and 3 Siskins. Counts of other landbirds came to 5 Yellow-browed Warblers, 11 Blackcaps, 3 Chiffchaffs, 1 Willow Warbler, 1 Spotted Flycatcher, 1 Tree Pipit, 3 Robins, 1 Whinchat, 6 Song Thrushes and 14 Lapland Buntings.

Lapland Bunting