First sighting of ivory gull since 1949
(April , 2007)

Great northern divers were poorly reported during the month, the largest concentration being of only 11 off Deerness on 28th.

However, their very rare relative, the white-billed diver was to the fore off North Ronaldsay with one on 26th and no fewer than three the next day, suggesting that the spring passage detected in the Western Isles in recent years also passes Orkney.

The only Manx shearwater of the month passed North Ronaldsay on 27th. Last month’s great white egret remained at the Loch of Banks until at least 1st.

Most whooper swans moved on and peak counts during April were only 16 on North Ronaldsay on 14th and ten near Dounby on 21st. Likewise, the great majority of greylag geese left mid-month, leaving behind the ever-growing breeding population.

More unusual geese involved 100 pink-footed geese roosting on Shapinsay on 6th, 66 Greenland white-fronted geese at The Loons, Birsay, also on 6th, and a pale-bellied brent goose on North Ronaldsay from 14th-17th.

The largest shelduck concentrations were of 25 in Widewall Bay on 2nd and 17 at Brodgar on 27th.

A mandarin duck on North Ronaldsay on 16th had obviously originated in a wildfowl collection but ducks with much better wild credentials included an American wigeon on Shapinsay’s Mill Dam until 17th and no fewer than three green-winged teal — at Brodgar on 14th/15th, on North Ronaldsay from 15th-17th and at the Mill Dam on 19th.

A drake garganey was at Graemeshall Loch, Holm, on 28th while 126 scaup remained on the Harray Loch at Brodgar on 27th.

North Ronaldsay hosted a king eider from 3rd-14th and up to three common scoters during the month.

The Rerwick Head surf scoter was found again on 24th while goosanders were reported from the Loch of Tankerness (six on 23rd) and Graemeshall Loch (two on 28th). One-two drake ruddy ducks were on the Mill Dam mid-month.

Unusual raptors included an osprey fishing at The Loons on 26th, a goshawk on North Ronaldsay on 17th and two different marsh harriers in the East Mainland from 23rd.

While our local breeding golden plovers were all on territory in the hills, large flocks of northern race birds were passing through lower ground — numbers on Shapinsay peaked at 1,000 on 22nd while there had been up to 800 in Twatt the day before and 600 in both Deerness and North Ronaldsay mid-month.

The largest purple sandpiper concentration was on North Ronaldsay with 170 on 21st, a locality that also held a ruff on 23rd.

The first black-tailed godwit was at the Mill Dam on 11th, increasing to 16 by 17th while eight were at Brodgar and six at The Loons on 22nd with one-two at three other sites.

The first whimbrels were two on North Ronaldsay on 14th, numbers peaking at 20 there on 26th; elsewhere there were singles at Marwick on 22nd and Swannay on 26th and 29th.

A jack snipe at Ottersgill, Stenness, on 2nd was the only one of the month while the only woodcocks were singles on North Ronaldsay on 9th, 12th and 13th and on Shapinsay on 11th.

Summer plumaged spotted redshanks are super birds and one was on North Ronaldsay on 23rd and another, singing, at the Bay of Suckquoy, Toab, on 30th.

North Ronaldsay also recorded a greenshank on 23rd.

The first Arctic skua of the spring was on Shapinsay on 9th and at least ten were on Papay’s North Hill by the end of the month, but the main arrivals are still to come.

Single Iceland gulls were reported from four localities up to 22nd but the only glaucous gull was one at the Stromness waterworks on 11th. However, potentially the rarest gull reported was an immature ivory gull seen at Marwick on 15th, the first Orkney record since 1949, if confirmed.

Sandwich terns were first seen on Papay on 9th with 20 there by 20th; they were regular on North Ronaldsay after 4th.

The only common terns reported were two at Finstown on 22nd while three-four Arctic terns were on North Ronaldsay on 24th and 29th and at Herston and Stromness’s Outer Holm on 27th.

Very light wood pigeon and collared dove passage was witnessed on North Ronaldsay during the month, while the same locality also recorded a turtle dove on 13th and a stock dove on 30th.

A cuckoo at Twatt on 22nd may well be the earliest ever record for Orkney.

The only long-eared owl was one on North Ronaldsay on 13th. The first swallow was at Herston on 12th with one-two at Burwick and Mull Head next day and seven on North Ronaldsay on 14th; they were widespread by the third week of the month.

Sand martins, however, were seen only at Mull Head on 13th and North Ronaldsay on 27th and house martins in Kirkwall on 24th and on North Ronaldsay on 27th and 30th.

Meadow pipit passage was apparent in several localities; for example, 300 passed westwards over Burgar Hill on the evening of 12th, a peak of 104 occurred on North Ronaldsay on 15th and a marked influx was experienced in Swannay from 17th with a peak of 45 on 21st.

A wheatear was on Shapinsay on 7th with four on North Ronaldsay on 9th and a maximum of 41 there on 14th.

The only whinchat was also on North Ronaldsay, on 30th. Small numbers of redwings were on the move; North Ronaldsay’s peak was 56 on 14th while 10-15 were also noted on Westray and Papay and one-two elsewhere.

Fieldfares were decidedly scarcer, with only up to 13 on North Ronaldsay (on 14th) and one-two on Papay and in Deerness. North Ronaldsay also recorded a mistle thrush on 14th and two ring ouzels on 26th.

A blackcap was at Herston on 25th and another on North Ronaldsay 27th-30th.

North Ronaldsay also logged a whitethroat on 29th and, next day, what was undoubtedly the bird of the month, a lovely male subalpine warbler of the eastern race albistriata, a form that has been identified in Britain on only about a dozen previous occasions.

One-two chiffchaffs were noted on North Ronaldsay up to 12th and then from 26th-30th while another was at Swannay after 20th.

The first willow warblers appeared in Finstown and on North Ronaldsay on 14th, the latter locality going on to record a peak of 13 on 27th.

North Ronaldsay also produced a wood warbler on 30th.

One-two goldcrests were also on North Ronaldsay on a number of dates, the only other report away from a breeding site being one at Scows, Orphir, on 13th.

The Hammars Hill, Evie, raven roost held 135 birds on 11th. South Ronaldsay jackdaw flocks numbered 41 at Newark Bay and 24 at Burwick on 2nd while light passage mid-month on North Ronaldsay peaked at five on 13th.

Very light rook passage was also noted in both North Ronaldsay and South Ronaldsay between 2nd and 22nd, a maximum of eight being seen at Herston on 19th.

Small numbers of carrion crows were likewise on the move with a peak of ten on North Ronaldsay on 21st, five there on 27th and birds reported from three other sites, a bird at Heddle being paired with a hooded crow.

One-two bramblings were on North Ronaldsay and in Kirkwall and Finstown between 6th and 25th.

Single goldfinches were seen in three localities while only two siskins were reported, at Herston on 24th and 26th and at Mull Head, Deerness, on 28th.

A common redpoll was on North Ronaldsay on 27th. Hawfinches are often a feature of early spring migration and single birds attracted attention in Birsay village on 1st, Finstown on 4th/5th and again on 29th and on North Ronaldsay on 15th/16th and 21st.

A small number of snow buntings lingered on North Ronaldsay until 21st while there were two on Westray on 12th.

A Lapland bunting was at the Brough of Deerness on 5th and another, less unusually, on North Ronaldsay on 17th. Finally, a yellowhammer at Folsetter, Birsay, was a most unusual record.

On Sanday, while a big flock of winter snow buntings was still searching the Scuthvie dunes on the first of the month and hundreds of sanderling were chasing the waves, a single, prospecting Bonxie sailed over to an indignant welcome from the lapwings.

In the same week, the rocks on the Start sheltered dozens of purple sandpiper mixed with the ever-twittering turnstine and a silent flock of at least 700 golden plover, with barely a black breast between them, stood motionless in the fields below Coo Road.

By the 11th, however, a huge overflying flock at Toftsness were fully lined out in black and white.

In these first weeks of April, most of our wigeon and greylag left us but pairs of pintail and shoveller lingered on the small lochs — each year there is the hope that they might breed.

Tiny numbers of the winter thrushes, redwing and fieldfare dropped in on us in the middle of the month on their journey north, but the lovely wheatear came to Boloquoyon the 9th and soon the whole island saw them flitting along the walls and fences. They are not going anywhere .

A great gathering of teal at Whitemill on the 16th must surely indicate intent to stay and nest among the calls of curlew, oystercatcher, redshank and lapwing.

It was the last week of the month before our most familiar visitors got to us — sandmartins heading north over Scuthvie, a single swallow following the North road and house martins balanced on the fence wire at Lopness.