Sadly the fickle winds have moved back around to a northerly, but the sun is still shining and it isn't just myself and Patrick, my residential volunteer, that have taken advantage of the recent spell of warmer weather (some have called it a heatwave) and the southerly winds.

The birds have been busy over the last couple of weeks and nests and chicks have started appearing all over the reserve. A female snipe, flushed…

Last week I was lucky enough to travel to the tiny island of Copinsay with seabird researchers Juliet Lamb and Yvan Satge. To the east of the Orkney mainland, Copinsay is one mile long, half a mile wide and has been uninhabited since 1958. The island is now an RSPB reserve, home in summer to thousands of nesting seabirds. Here is the island seen from Corn Holm, which is reached by a tidal causeway and is home to a colony…

On Wednesday 16th May a Little Egret was located at our Loch of Banks RSPB Reserve, an unusual visitor to Orkney at any time of year. Local photographer Morris Rendall managed to get a superb shot of the Little Egret with a family party of Greylag Geese. This image illustrates two very success bird species in the UK over the last 15 years (perhaps a little longer for Greylags!). Who would have thought in the 1980's Greylags…

This spring has been colder than the whole of last winter with a steady northerly wind recently. Today, while surveying Hen Harriers on the Birsay Moors there were clear signs of spring. I was treated to a pair of Twite getting stuck into a road kill rabbit for nest lining material. Those eggs will sure be cosy... The pair made several visits to the carcass and would then disappear for 20 minutes or so. There could easily…

Hello, a quick introduction first. I’m Izzy and I will be based at Onziebust reserve, on Egilsay, for the next 9 months. I will also be keeping and eye on the Trumland reserve on Rousay. I’m originally from the (very) southern county of Kent – but seem to keep migrating north. I spent the summer of 2010 working at the Loch Garten Osprey Centre and over-wintered at Forsinard Flows, then headed off to experience the midnight…

The hide sessions are back in full swing and the birds are putting a great show. Well, when the wind isn’t hitting gale force!

At The Loons on the 27^th of April visitors to the hide amongst all the displaying waders were treated to great views of water rail including a territorial dispute . The photos below were taken by David Armstrong.

They are still showing regularly, and at the last hide session (11

…

Image: Steven Henderson

The RSPB’s Orkney Local Group and Orkney Camera Club are teaming up to launch a year-long photographic competition - “Wild Orkney: The Way I See It”. The competition aims to inspire residents and visitors to engage with Orkney’s wildlife and birds and record their impressions with their cameras.

Photographs can be entered in four categories: Wild Open Spaces; Wonderful…

Join the warden for a short walk into the heart of our Birsay Moors Reserve.

To book contact the RSPB Orkney Office on 01856 850176

 

It's the time of year when the RSPB in Orkney are asking for public reports of any corncrakes heard around the islands.

In Orkney we are proud of being one of the few remaining places in the UK to have corncrakes, and now even have a beer named after them. Any day, we are expecting to hear the first birds that have returned to breed after spending the winter in central and southern Africa. Although corncrakes are rarely…

Hello All,

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Sarah West, and for the next five months I'm going to be working for the RSPB as their Warden on Papa Westray, known affectionately as Papay, one of the smallest inhabited islands in Orkney! I am responsible for looking after the colonies of seabirds breeding on the North Hill reserve on Papay and on the Noup Cliffs reserve on Westray, the larger island next door. Over…

At the end of March I placed a trail camera in one of the cleared reedbed rides at The Loons reserve, opposite the hide. I set the camera up for a week on a setting that I thought would take a single image every 15minutes or whenever the sensor was triggered by heat / movement. The first image caught on camera was a loon (yes, me!)

However, when I went to retrieve the camera from the site - I was amazed to see that…

A project to encourage local people and visitors to learn about and experience Orkney’s wildlife has been awarded £341,000 by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The Enjoy Wild Orkney project will put in place measures to promote the islands as a top wildlife tourism destination - helping the local economy, generating income for local businesses and improving the visitor experience.

The grant matches funding…

During the weekend of 25^th/26^th February, staff and volunteers attempted to census the number of geese on Orkney at that point in time using the road network and attempting to cover all suitable habitats. The result which were compiled by Eric Meek are shown below.

 

February
  2012

December
  2011

December
  2010

North Ronaldsay

1267

314

1244

Sanday

5326

426…

Orkney Local Group member Ian Cunningham took these stunning photos of a Short-eared Owl out looking for prey:

 

Have you ever been stunned by the sight of a spectacular bird of prey?  An impressive adult Sea Eagle was seen on Tuesday 28th February being mobbed by hoodie crows, a raven and a jackdaw.  Please let us know if you see this bird as it may well be wing-tagged or ringed.  If we can get a close enough look at this, we can possibly find out where it came from.   Phone the RSPB Orkney Office on 01856 850176 if you see it.

…

Last week I had the chance to go on a short visit to Papa Westray to check on the North Hill reserve and buildings we have there. The photo above is fairly irrelevant to the reserve but it was one of three I managed to take on the island before my camera battery ran out!

At this time of year the reserve is very quiet and barren looking, a contrast to the bright flowers of the maritime heath that are a backdrop…

Local Group member Ian Cunningham sent super photos of Reed Buntings. (1) Male; (2) female:

 

To publicise The Big Garden Birdwatch, Orkney Local Group Volunteers were in Tesco, Kirkwall handing out leaflets and encouraging people to take part in the count. The picture below shows (L to r) Sue Whitworth, Pauline Wilson, Doreen Sinclair.

 

 

 

New Local Group Projects should prove popular

Members will now be accustomed to the usual outings which have proved popular over quite a time. However I can now give early details about two new ideas our Committee has come up with.

PHOTO COMPETITION - This is still in the planning stage but the sub-committee of Graham Brown, Kathie Brown and Aileen Meek are very busy pulling various ideas together for a photo competition…

Hi Everybody

 

Ian Cunningham has sent me more great photos - two of a grey phalarope at Newark. It's not too many years ago that there was a grey phalarope in the same spot and I was lucky enough to get photos and a lovely little film of the bird. I'll let Ian explain things:

 

Hi Pauline,
Found this grey Phalarope down at the slip at Newark this afternoon.  These tiny birds are nearly always out at sea and get…

Field Teacher Retires

After working with RSPB Orkney for four-and-a-half years, Field Teacher

Sue Whitworth has now retired and, in recognition of her sterling work

with young people in the county, Sue was presented with gifts of flowers

and bat detector by RSPB Area Manager Eric Meek.

 

The post of Field Teacher has now been filled by Lindsey Taylor.

 

Photo and words by Pauline Wilson

Hi Everybody

I know we are well into January but can I wish you all a belated Happy New Year!

The first thing to mention is the Big Garden Birdwatch which takes place on the weekend of January 28th/29th. Jenny Dewar has the following request:

In order to publicise the Big Garden Birdwatch she and Morag are once again organising a stand at Tescos on Sunday 22nd January and Jenny asks if anybody would be prepared to…