Archives
Archives - May 2007 sightings
31/05/07
1st May
The Glaucous Gull was seen again in Holm. A very noisy Brambling was found in Tankerness.
2nd May
There are now two drake Garganey in Holm, along with the Marsh Harrier. Later seven Whimbrels flew over, heading north. The Spotted Redshank was seen again in Toab.
3rd May
A Little Stint and a drake Surf Scoter were seen in Tankerness. 66 Velvet Scoters accompanied the amorous Surf Scoter, which (as usual) was making life difficult for the female Velvets. There were also 104 Great Northern Divers in the same area.
In Holm, one of the Garganey was still present along with the Marsh Harrier.
4th May
Two drake Surf Scoters were seen off Tankerness (double trouble for the female Velvets).
A Garganey was again seen in Holm.
5th May
A Little Stint was again seen in Tankerness, and although appearing more reddish on the upper-parts, I suspected it was the bird first found at the end of April.
Both the Garganey drakes showed well mid-evening but, for no apparent reason, later took to flight and headed off low to the south.
A feeding flock of 10 Whimbrels was found in Holm.
6th May
A drake Garganey was again seen in Holm.
7th May
The Marsh Harrier, and a flock of eight Whimbrels were seen in Holm.
8th May
New arrivals of small migrants seem to have all but ceased following a change in the weather to cyclonic westerly.
The Marsh Harrier was again showing well in Holm, along with two House Martins.
9th May
Four Whimbrels were seen in Tankerness. A Carrion Crow accompanied Hooded Crows in Deerness.
10th May
A flock of six Whimbrels was seen in Deerness. 40 Shelducks (a rather high count for this time of year) were in Tankerness.
11th May
A first-summer Glaucous Gull was seen with 116 Great Black-backed Gulls in Tankerness.
12 Gadwalls were counted in Holm.
12th May
A drake Garganey was seen once more in Holm.
13th May
The first-summer Glaucous Gull continued its stay in Tankerness, with seven Whimbrels also there.
14th May
Another lingering white-winged gull was found - a first-summer Iceland Gull in Deerness.
15th May
The first-summer Glaucous Gull remained in Tankerness.
16th May
The dearth of migrant passerines continues. A new Little Stint (in fresh breeding plumage) was found in Tankerness.
17th May
A Carrion Crow, apparently paired to a Hooded Crow, was seen in Deerness.
18th May
Wader passage was conspicuous with a Greenshank, a Little Stint, and a flock of 17 Whimbrels in Tankerness.
20th May
A mixed flock of 142 Dunlins and 148 Ringed Plovers was seen in Tankerness.
21st May
A flock of 46 Swallows was seen in Holm.
22nd May
The mixed Dunlin/Ringed Plover flock in Tankerness had increased in size to 255/170 birds respectively.
23rd May
Yet another Carrion Crow was sighted in Holm.
A singing Whitethroat was found in Tankerness.
24th May
Interestingly, more migrants were found today - Carrion Crow, Chiffchaff and Redwing in Deerness; and Cuckoo in Holm.
25th May
What was probably the same Chiffchaff was seen in Deerness.
A Curlew Sandpiper had joined the
Dunlin/Ringed Plover flock in Tankerness.
26th May
77 Dunlins and 58 Ringed Plovers were seen in Deerness.
27th May
Another Cuckoo was seen in Holm.
A Curlew Sandpiper found at a different site in Tankerness to the bird reported on the 25th, was probably the same bird.
29th May
A rather late Long-tailed Duck was seen in Holm. A Little Stint was still in Tankerness.
30th May
18 Manx Shearwaters were seen heading north off Deerness. Three Grey Plovers, one in resplendent summer plumage, were seen in the same area.
31st May
The pair of Scaup and the Little Stint were still in Tankerness