1st October

October started off with perfect calm and overcast conditiions - an ideal opportunity for a day of mist-netting at Holland House. Plenty of Redwings and Blackcaps were ringed, but the clear highlight of the day was North Ronaldsay's third Pechora Pipit found hanging in one of the nets.

A lighthouse attraction during the night had drawn a good number of Redwings to the island, and a day-total of 872 included 300 in the fields next to the beacon. Single Common Rosefinches were at Bewan and Gravity, the Hawfinch was ringed in the gardens and other finch sightings included 5 Redpolls, 4 Chaffinches and 7 Bramblings. Blackcaps remained much the most numerous warbler, with 46 logged around the island, while other species included 7 Yellow-browed Warblers, 1 Barred Warbler, 2 Lesser Whitethroats, 1 Garden Warbler, 1 Sedge Warbler and 5 Goldcrests. A Yellow Wagtail was the first for a few weeks, and 2 House Martins, a Tree Pipit, 3 Robins, 4 Whinchats, 17 Song Thrushes and the long-staying Short-toed Lark made up the rest of the noteworthy passerines.

A White-fronted Goose was a new species for the autumn; 2 Curlew Sandpipers, a Grey Plover and a Whimbrel were the best of the waders; and a Sparrowhawk and a Kestrel were the only raptors.

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

27th September

Again, the highlights consisted mostly of rarities that had been present for a few days: the Pallid Harrier was still hunting around the middle of the island, the Buff-breasted Sandpiper had moved to the golf course, the Pectoral Sandpiper was at Kirbest Mire and the Short-toed Lark was at Bewan. There was little change in passerine numbers, but a Barred Warbler, 3 Yellow-browed Warblers, a Pied Flycatcher, a Chaffinch, a Siskin and a Redpoll were all seen, and the first 2 House Martins for a while roosted at the observatory.

Buff-breasted Sandpiper

26th September

Although fresh migrants were few, a nice line-up of lingering rarities comprised the Pallid Harrier, a Buff-bellied Pipit, a Citrine Wagtail, the Short-toed Lark, the Buff-breasted Sandpiper and the Pectoral Sandpiper. Other long-staying birds included a Curlew Sandpiper, a Barred Warbler and 2 Yellow-browed Warblers.

The best of the new arrivals were a Collared Dove, a Spotted Flycatcher, a Pied Flycatcher and a Siskin.

25th September

It seemed to be a long time in coming, but the influx of Pallid Harriers into Britain finally reached North Ronaldsay, with an eagerly awaited juvenile bird quartering the east side of the island all day. This is a new species for the island, and species number 202 on the year-list - a list that now includes an impressive 13 different raptors!

Such was the excitement of the harrier, and the ensuing high speed pursuit all over the island, that we never really got round to checking if any of the long-staying rarities were still around. A Pectoral Sandpiper deep in the morasses of Hooking Loch was perhaps the bird from 6 days previously, although it has not been seen in the interim. The Curlew Sandpiper and a Grey Plover were still around, while the day's common raptors were 2 Hen Harriers, a Merlin and a Kestrel.

There were few new passerines, although an unringed Yellow-browed Warbler was seen in Holland garden. A Barred Warbler was also still in the gardens, and counts of other songbirds came to 5 Whinchats, 2 Robins, 1 Song Thrush, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 13 Blackcaps, a ringed Yellow-browed Warbler, 3 Willow Warblers, 1 Chiffchaff, 5 Goldcrests, 19 Lapland Buntings and a Redpoll.

24th September

After a brief hiatus, the daily rarities resumed. A brace of new Nearctic waders were the day's highlights - not an entirely unexpected event after recent weather systems across the Atlantic. Firstly, our second Buff-breasted Sandpiper of the year dropped into the current rarity hotspot at Bewan Loch in the morning, spending a while in the company of its compatriot BUFF-BELLIED PIPIT and a Citrine Wagtail before relocating to the west coast of the island. A short time later, a juvenile American Golden Plover - a new species for the rapidly advancing year-list - joined one of the large flocks of its European counterparts near Gretchen Loch.

American Golden Plover

The other Citrine Wagtail was also still present in the southern half of the island, and the other BUFF-BELLIED PIPIT had opted for a change of scenery at Bridesness Point. A new Barred Warbler was ringed at Holland House, where 3 Yellow-browed Warblers all bore rings from earlier in the week. At least 1 Common Rosefinch was seen, and other passerines included the first Chaffinch of the autumn, 3 Robins, 5 Whinchats, 4 Song Thrushes, a Lesser Whitethroat, a Garden Warbler, 14 Blackcaps, 34 Lapland Buntings and 60 Snow Buntings.

The Curlew Sandpiper and a Grey Plover were still around, and the day's selection of raptors comprised 2 Hen Harriers, 2 Merlins, 2 Peregrines and a Kestrel.

A Merlin was a surprise highlight of the evening's mist-netting session. Given the numbers of transatlantic vagrants currently appearing on European coasts, it is prudent to check any Merlins for the American subspecies. The bird featured on this blog on the 13th of September showed some interesting features, but appears to be just a dark European Merlin, possibly of the Icelandic form. Today's bird is a straightforward European one, with too many pale tail bars to arouse hopes of a Nearctic vagrant; but it was nice to study it up close all the same.

23rd September

With such a run of good birds in the preceding week, it felt slightly disappointing to go an entire day without finding a single new rarity; but we could hardly complain when we still had 2 BUFF-BELLIED PIPITS, 2 Citrine Wagtails and a Short-toed Lark to enjoy. There were still plenty of the more routine migrants around too, including a Barred Warbler, 3 Yellow-browed Warblers, a Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Garden Warblers, 16 Blackcaps, 2 Chiffchaffs, 3 Willow Warblers, 4 Goldcrests, 3 Robins, 2 Whinchats, 3 Song Thrushes, a Redpoll and 30 Lapland Buntings.

A Curlew Sandpiper and 2 Grey Plovers were the only noteworthy waders. A movement of wildfowl involved a couple of Whooper Swans and 418 Pink-footed Geese.

The Kirbest Citrine Wagtail