North Ronaldsay September 2018

We set out at about 6am from Bristol and arrived at North Ronaldsay at 11am, after 3 flights. Unfortunately we were still too late to catch up with the Lanceolated Warbler which had been caught earlier that morning. We went out for a walk and came upon a Willow Warbler and a Greenish Warbler in a garden up near the lighthouse. Unfortunately the Greenish Warbler had, as we later discovered, been there for a while. The strong winds made observations difficult but in subsequent days we enjoyed spending some time getting some photos. Aselection here, below:

 We were hammered day after day by westerly winds punctuated by showery squalls but even though we struggled for the hoped-for eastern goodies, nevertheless there were birds to see. We found Yellow-browed Warbler, Common Rosefinch and Barred Warbler as well as seeing others of the same species picked up elsewhere. Whooper Swans and Pink-footed Geese moved through in what seemed early winter conditions at times. The only other real rarity was a wet and bedraggled American Golden Plover in the fields at the centre of the Island.