All Set for 2013 Season

Hi Everybody

The RSPB Orkney Events Calendar for 2013 is now published. Those with email will be receiving their copies tomorrow while the paper copies should land on doormats tomorrow also. Watch out for this arriving - hope you all enjoy the lovely hen harrier photo which adorns the front.

The programme covers hide sessions, guided walks - both on the mainland and the isles, a reminder about the Nature Festival in May and details of a new project for RSPB Orkney, ie Family Days which will be taking place on Sundays from the end of June to the end of August. This should solve the problem of where to take the children at weekends! Of course, our local group programme is also featured and I hope members will find something of interest there. Bookings are open from this weekend so ring the listed contact to book a place.

Events start this very Sunday 24th March with the WEX outing: Finding Orkney's Big 5 which is highlighted in the email I sent out earlier this week and which appears on the back page of the events calendar arriving tomorrow.

This coming Monday 25th March sees the start of the Bird Hide sessions. Members are invited to the Loons Hide which is off the B-class road between Twatt and Marwick. There may be the chance of singing sedge warbler, reed bunting and perhaps the scream from a water rail! Hunting hen harriers and short-eared owls are also a possibility. Drop in anytime from 9.30 am until 12.30 pm when an RSPB member of staff will be on hand to explain what you are watching and answer questions. Regular hide sessions at The Loons and Burgar Hill will continue on Mondays until August.

Our Local Group outings begin on April 7th with the Durkadale Picnic and continue until September with the ever-popular migrants trips to the north isles.

Once again our Local Group is Bag-Packing at the Kirkwall Co-op on Friday & Saturday 24th/25th May when I hope plenty of our members will volunteer to lend a hand for an hour on either date.

After our successfull fund-raising Bag-Pack at the Tesco Stores last October, I am pleased to report that we have once again been given permission for 2013. This will be on Friday & Saturday 18th/19th October.

These events are a great opportunity to raise funds for conservation here in Orkney and I hope our members and staff will rise to the challenge once more.

Just one other event to point out, ie, our Local Group Spring Meeting is on Friday 12th April when we will be joining members of the Orkney Field Club for an illustrated talk entitled "Orkney's Wild Geese". RSPB warden Alan Leitch will describe the county's population of wild geese and explain his ringing project. It will be at the St. Magnus Centre, Kirkwall starting at 7.30 pm. RSPB members £1. Non- members very welcome at an entry of £2. Full details in the events calendar.

Photo Competition

Just one week to go - please enter NOW before it's too late (see previous emails and Orkney Blog for full details). www.rspb.org.uk/community/placestovisit/orkney/default.aspx

Attached are two photos from Ian, namely a Golden Plover and a Grey Plover so we can see the difference between the two species. Ian writes as follows:

Hi Pauline, This time its a tale of two plovers. The golden variety we see quite regularly in Orkney often in large flocks in autumn and spring. The grey plover is much rarer here and usually you find just a solitary bird or two during the winter. The golden plover photo was taken last autumn and the grey plover I found at Skaill beach earlier this week. It was almost the only bird on the North section of the beach so I was pretty lucky to find it. Cheers, Ian

Golden Plover photo by Ian Cunningham

Grey Plover photo by Ian Cunningham

(Interestingly, I saw what I believe was this very same Grey Plover at Skaill Beach during the bird race).

I had an interesting email from member Sue Casely a couple of weeks ago:

Hi Pauline, Many thanks for your news as always. Just like to add that I heard a skylark yesterday on the moor road above Ireland Road Stenness. Also the blackbird has returned to our garden singing his heart out in a song that is completely different from Edinburgh blackbirds - is it an Orkney dialect? Chris and I have often wondered about this as blackbirds seem to have so many variations to their songs. We had one in Edinburgh who sang the first few notes of the Indiana Jones theme - none of the others did. Best wishes Sue

Do any of our 'experts' know if there is an Orkney dialect for blackbirds? Sue and I would be interested to know.

I also had an email from member Kate Flockhart who writes:

I saw the photo of the Gyr Falcon in the Orcadian and must say that it looked very impressive and what a great sight for Kate on Hoy.

Best wishes

Pauline W/RSPB Local Group Sec