News From The North Ronaldsay Bird Observatory……Steve Drury’s Earthlogs……From ‘Emergence’ Magazine….
by Bernie Bell - 08:26 on 13 June 2025
News From The North Ronaldsay Bird Observatory……
“Recent Island Events
It has been a fairly quiet winter season here on North Ronaldsay. With staff away to sunnier climes from December to February, the 2025 season at the observatory didn’t really kick off until the arrival of the Science Festival in mid-March. The festival this year saw a variety of workshops and talks take place across the island, with highlights including beach art, scientific construction activities, marine litter survey findings, and a natural history walk at Tor Ness. There were talks on Space, the Berlin Airlift, Sanderling movements in Orkney, and the History of the North Isles Sports. As always, the festival was a great success, and we must thank Alex Wright for organising such a fantastic event.
Visitors and islanders arriving off the plane in the coming months will notice the massive improvements that have been made to Trebb and the new Wool Mill at the airfield. Both buildings are looking very smart and will become great community assets for years to come. Work on the New Kirk has been completed, with roof repairs, lime harling, refurbished stained-glass windows, insulation, and heating. The New Kirk is open to visitors and is the home of the island’s archives, definitely worth a visit if you are planning a trip to North Ronaldsay! The New Kirk was the venue for a big island wedding recently, when Heather Woodbridge and Tim Ross were married on 11th April – a busy time at the observatory with many friends and family staying. In other exciting news, Alice and Jorge from Holland House welcomed new baby Hera at the beginning of March. We wish the family many congratulations and happiness during this exciting time.
Obs News
Staff remain mostly unchanged so far for the 2025 season, with Craig Forysth returning for his second year volunteering at the observatory, and Charles Gunn also returning, this time as part-time housekeeper whilst continuing his birding obligations. Again for 2025, Warden Alison Duncan, Principal Ornithological Warden George Gay, and Assistant Warden Maddy Hine all continue their roles. Islander Lucy’s help has been invaluable during the winter in keeping the Observatory running and the shop open, and she continues to help for 2025.
Whilst weather over the winter was predictably harsh, the Observatory sustained rather minimal damage compared to previous years. The compost heap wall blew over which was a quick fix, as was net ride damage in Holland Garden. A leaky fire escape caused the ceiling in the staff bedroom below it to collapse in one corner which was a bit more of a job to fix! Once the weather began to feel a bit more spring-like, the mist nets were re-erected in Holland producing some good catches during their first few sessions. Highlights include one Merlin, one Hooded Crow, one Sparrowhawk, and a Twite. As always, our Heligoland traps required a bit of TLC after the winter, but they are all now up and running again after T1 was sewn up, T2 got a new roof and side panel, T4 got a new roof, and the gull trap (now called the Harrier trap after a whopping six adults were trapped last year!) got its catching box fixed.
Over the winter we were generously donated some fantastic bird books by Jenny and Paul Butterworth at Flamborough Bird Observatory. If you are visiting the Observatory in 2025 and would like to browse these and our existing collection, please feel free to ask!
Bird News
With staff away during the first couple of months of the year, it took until the beginning of March before sightings were more frequently logged. The most notable sightings before this period included a Kestrel knocking about the north end of the island, a Sparrowhawk in Holland, and a Black-throated Diver in Nouster.
A brief trip round the island in the van on 2nd March produced our first 'white-winger' of the year, although not in the condition we would have liked; an adult Glaucous Gull was found dead on the bank of Bewan. The first Pink-footed Goose of the year was logged at Howar. The following day saw more of the island covered, despite the howling south-westerly wind, with two Pink-feet now at Howar, and 18 Snow Bunting close by on the coast. A further two Snow Bunting were at the beacon, and a Chaffinch frequented the obs' traps. However, bird of the day was a Long-billed Dowitcher on Ancum. This is presumably the same returning bird, now present for its second consecutive winter. The Long-billed Dowitcher was seen sporadically on Ancum Loch until the end of March.
On 5th March, notably more Skylark were present on the island, with a total of 177 recorded in just two census areas. A Lesser Black-backed Gull on Gretchen was the first of the year. The 6th produced the first Stonechat of the year; a male at Brigg, and 7th saw the first Pied Wagtails return to the island. Flat calm conditions gave way to fog early on 8th but a few birds were logged. At the north end of the island a total of seven Stonechat were recorded, with a further two present in Ancum Willows. A Reed Bunting in the pund at Rue was the first of the year to be seen after one was sound recorded on 7th. Also on 8th, a single Pink-footed Goose was near Antabreck and a Merlin flew south down the island. The fog continued into 9th and gave way to rain in the early afternoon. Census efforts in the morning were rewarded with a 'redhead' Smew that was flushed off Brides as the island plane flew over. The bird appeared to fly off over South Ness and towards Hooking, but despite extensive searches could not be relocated.
Elsewhere good numbers of Stonechat were still present, with three still in the Bewan garden, two at the War Memorial, and one at Verracott. The first Redpoll of the year was at North Gravity, and the first arrival of Linnet came at various points across the island. Cold northerly winds pushed through on 10th, with much of the same about from the previous day. A Stonechat was in the obs crop, with two more at Cursitter and another couple at Rue. Chaffinch numbers around the south end of the island increased to three. Nouster Bay held a Black-throated Diver, and Loch Park was the brief hunting ground for a very smart male Hen Harrier. The wind switched more to the west on 11th, and with it came brief but frequent cold rain showers. Census in the morning produced our first Whooper Swan of the year on Hooking. Seven more Whooper Swan were seen flying over Cruesbreck on 14th. A couple of corvid year ticks came on 15th, with two Rook at the Old Mill and a Carrion Crow on the Links. The 17th produced the first Chiffchaff of the year at Lochend. A total of four Jackdaw flying out south over the Lurn on 18th started the day off well, but it got even better when an islander sent a message about a Snow Goose at Cursitter. A mad dash from the north end and a White-billed Diver hunt abandoned proved there was in fact a white morph Snow Goose feeding in the field with Greylags! This is just the third island record, with the last genuine bird present in May 1971. The Snow Goose remained in fields around Holland and the airfield into the beginning of April. The first Twite of the year was trapped in Holland in the evening. The 19th March saw Goldcrest added to the year list, and only the second Lesser Black-backed Gull of the year was on the coast by Howar, as was a Black-throated Diver.
The first Wheatear of the year arrived on 22nd in the Nether Linnay stubble field, with the first Dunnock of the year coming on the day after. An evening nets session on 23rd produced Siskin and Woodcock. On 24th Sandwich Tern was added to the year list with a bird over Nouster, and an evening dazzling saw a Jack Snipe trapped and ringed. The earliest ever island record of Swallow was over Hooking on 25th. A couple of year ticks came the following day when Puffin were seen from a sea watch at Dennishead, and a Grey Plover was at Howar. Census area ‘C’ produced the most year ticks on 27th, with a Woodpigeon at Peckhole and a Knot on the Links. A Pink-footed Goose and four Rook were also at Peckhole, and two Sandwich Tern were heard to fly over the obs. On 28th, the first Yellowhammer of the year was seen briefly on the road up to Holland.
The last few days in March saw more Wheatear arrive across the island, and an increase in Meadow Pipit, Skylark, and Pied Wagtail were also noted. A couple of days of good corvid passage on 29th and 31st saw a total of one Jackdaw, four Rook, and seven Carrion Crow logged. The final day of the month also produced a Grey Plover over Brides, a Jack Snipe at Viggay, a Pink-footed Goose at Greenwall, and 17 Black-tailed Godwits on Ancum.
If you’d like to get a piece of the North Ronaldsay birding action for yourself, then we still have room availability in 2025 – contact us at enquiries@nrbo.org.uk or phone 01857 633200 or check out the online bookings through the link on the accommodation page on our website at www.nrbo.org.uk.
Keep up to date with recent sightings by visiting our blog: www.northronbirdobs.blogspot.com
Follow us on Twitter @NRonBirdObs and Facebook @North Ronaldsay Bird Observatory”
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Good memories of our visit to North Ronaldsay – I strongly recommend it….….
https://theorkneynews.scot/2017/09/11/bernie-bell-a-visit-to-north-ronaldsay/
https://theorkneynews.scot/2021/11/19/north-ronaldsay-bird-observatory/
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Steve Drury’s Earthlogs……
https://earthlogs.org/2025/06/09/detecting-oxygenic-photosynthesis-in-the-archaean-earth-system/
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From ‘Emergence’ Magazine…….
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A Conversation with David James Duncan
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