What's about?

Highlights - Month commencing Wed., 1st July 2009

01/07/09
AFTER CAREFUL CONSIDERATION I HAVE DECIDED TO RESURRECT MY 'WHAT'S ABOUT' ARTICLES.
IN ORDER TO REDUCE INPUT, THESE WILL ONLY REFLECT SELECTED 'HIGHLIGHTS' FOR THE PERIOD UNDER REVIEW.
These will be up-dated on a daily basis whenever possible. If you would like more information on any sighting, please send me an e-mail (address on Home Page), or 'phone me if you have no internet connection.




July 2009

Jul. 1st.
Rather a quiet start on the first day, but an interesting one nonetheless. A
Greenshank was in Deerness (a 'hanger-on' from several seen in June). Two Whooper Swans were in the same area.
Two Crossbills flying over Kirkwall were part of an irruption of the species into the Northern Isles.
A Lesser Redpoll was seen in Holm.

Jul. 2nd.
A drake Green-winged Teal in Holm came as a bit of a surprise, after finding a drake American Wigeon at the same site just over a week earlier! - both moulting into eclipse plumage

A fly-over Common Crossbill was at the same site.
.











Jul. 3rd.
A drake Long-tailed Duck in summer plumage was seen off the Holm shore
, but the Green-winged Teal was not showing in the morning.







It did however put in a brief appearance in the evening, as did a Whimbrel.
Two Pochard and a Sanderling were seen in Tankerness.

Jul. 4th.
The Green-winged Teal remains in Holm, but is intermittent in its appearances.

Jul. 5th.
The parish of Holm seems to be the place to be at the moment with a Great White Egret found independently by myself and another observer (Morris Rendall).


Also Green-winged Teal, Whimbrel and Water Rail there.
A Greenshank and a Wood Sandpiper were seen together in Tankerness.

Jul. 6th.
The Great White Egret was still present, along with a GreenSandpiper.

Jul. 7th.
The Great White Egret was seen again, with two Crossbills nearby.
Two Ruffs were seen in Tankerness.

Jul. 8th.
The Great White Egret was still showing well, with a Green Sandpiper nearby.

Jul. 9th.
The Great White Egret was still present, and sheltering from a strong northerly wind.

Jul. 10th.
The Great White Egret was still present, but disappearing in the reed-bed from time to time.
A male Red-necked Phalarope was in Deerness.

Two Whooper Swans were seen again nearby.

Jul. 11th.
The Great White Egret was seen again.
A Whimbrel was seen in Deerness. The Red-necked Phalarope was seen in Deerness by Paul Higson, but I failed to see it later in the evening.

Jul. 12th.
The Great White Egret was still attracting interested observers in Holm. A Franklin's Gull in the same area was a great find for me, and would be a 'county first' if accepted.


Jul. 13th.
Both the Great White Egret and the Franklin's Gull were still present.

Jul. 14th.
Both the Great White Egret and the Franklin's Gull were seen again and both were spending long periods inactive.

Two Water Rails were also seen along with the Egret.

Jul. 15th.
Both the Great White Egret and the Franklin's Gull were seen again.

Jul. 16th.
The Franklin's Gull was more obliging, and allowed rather better views.


Jul. 17th.
The Great White Egret and the Franklin's Gull were still present.
A flock of 12 Bar-tailed Godwits was seen in Tankerness.


Jul. 18th.
The Great White Egret was seen again in Holm, with six Sanderlings and at least 70 juvenile Arctic Terns nearby.

Jul. 19th.
Gull-watching in Holm paid off handsomely again with the discovery of an adult Mediterranean Gull in a mixed flock.








Jul. 20th.
A very obliging female Red-backed Shrike was found in Deerness by Morris Rendall.

Evidence of continuing wader passage was provided by the brief sighting of a Little Stint in Holm.

Jul. 21st.
Both the Franklin's and Mediterranean Gulls were seen in Holm.
A flock of 330 Oystercatchers and a Whimbrel were seen in Tankerness.

Jul. 22nd.
Both the Franklin's and Mediterranean Gulls were seen in the same gull flock in Holm.
A Green Sandpiper was found in Deerness.

Jul. 23rd.
Post-breeding flocks of waders continue to build - a flock of 430 Lapwings had assembled in Holm.

Jul. 24th.
The Franklin's Gull and a Green Sandpiper were found in Holm.
A juvenile female Peregrine Falcon was alarming flocks of gulls and waders in Deerness.

Jul. 25th.
Both the Franklin's and Mediterranean Gulls were seen in Holm.

Jul. 27th.
The Franklin's Gull was seen yet again in Holm, although it is now ranging further afield and becoming more difficult to find.
A Whimbrel and a juvenile Peregrine Falcon were also seen. Hopefully the falcon and the gull will not be coming into close contact.

Jul. 28th.
The Franklin's Gull was found again in Holm.
Two Knots were seen in Tankerness.

Jul. 29th.
Both the Franklin's and Mediterranean Gulls were seen again in Holm.
A Greenshank and 106 Redshanks were seen in Tankerness.

Jul. 30th.
Both the Franklin's and Mediterranean Gulls were found again in large gull flocks on cut silage in Holm.

Jul. 31st.
Both the Franklin's and Mediterranean Gulls were seen again amongst the large gull flocks on cut silage in Holm.
Two Greenshanks and a Whimbrel were seen in Tankerness.