Today on the Birsay shore

Today’s efforts have taken us to the north western corner of the mainland. We started with a walk along the Birsay shore from below the Kirk yard to the village and on to Buckquoy point. The walk down to the shore was fringed with the stubby blooms of Butterburr. One of the first flowers of spring it arrival seems to be part of the avalanche of signs that herald the arrival of the growing season. The clocks going forward last night, the boat race, the Grand National it’s a sure thing that we are in the inevitable slippery slope towards the better weather…last nights snow not withstanding!!
The sea had a bit of a chop on but nothing to fierce. There wasn’t a lot doing at first glance though. A few Eiders in loose groups ,a couple of Shags and a flock of Widgeon and a GBB Gull here and there was about it. In the air a couple of Gannets were circling and dropping to feed. It is impossible to tell if these birds have returned from the Mediterranean latitudes or if they are local wintering birds. But the return will be well under way soon enough. Along the waters edge was where the action was to be found. We were here for the higher side of the tide. This way the birds are concentrated on the higher strand line rather than spread over the rocky reaches of the Birsay bay. This bay has some of the more favoured storm shore on the west mainland and was being well hunted over by a variety of waders. Good amounts of Redshanks along with Turnstones and Ringed Plovers ran back and fro before the waves. Shag and Cormorants both sat on the sands preening. The real jewel in the crown tho was the Purple Sandpipers. There were 150 or more along the shore. Strange to say there were no Dunlin today or any sign of Sanderling which is a shame as this is one of the more reliable places to see them.
Walking the links above the beach We find a flock of a dozen or more Snow Bunting feeding on seeds and debris left over from the resident cattle’s silage feed. Snow Buntings are one of those delightful birds like Purps that have little fear of man so with a little patience they are soon foraging less than fifteen feet away. That was until every thing about hands was put up by a briefly seen raptor. So moving on to the burn beside the village for our next target bird we start to look for a Grey Wagtail that had been here the day before. There were plenty of Pieds kicking about wit their chirping song and bounding flight but try as we might there was no sign of a Grey. We wandered up the burn towards the mill but found little but a Heron, a couple of male Reed Buntings and a few Mallard. We did find a nice Otter latrine with spraint. This one was well out in the open rather than the usual places of under or along side bridges or the culverts that run under the roads. From the burn we pass the old palace and return to the shores edge. The shore line is still festooned with waders whilst out on the water Tim’s eagle eye spots a Gadwall in amongst a flock of Widgeon. Quite what a fresh water duck is doing in such mixed company out on the sea is I suppose any ones guess tho. The rocks along the end of the bay are festooned with Purple Sandpipers and we all have a good last look before we head over to the leeward side of Buckquoy point for a seat and dinner.
Dinner is taken in the company of Eider, Shag, Black Guillemot and Gannets before we head west along the coast to Skipi Geo. A Geo is what we call a rocky inlet and Skipi Geo is one of the most scenic around. The south westerly wind is blowing over our heads at this point and all along the world is a different place for birds. Little is to be seen and we move along past the Hesta Geo. This is the place that my blog originated with its first report on a night spent ringing Stormies here. I wont tell you about it here but you can go to the other end of the blog to read more. I would say tho that if you come here on a summer evening with a full moon and sit out on the lower rocks a bit of patience may well be rewarded with a fluttery pass of one of these elusive wee birds. Another small flock of Snow Bunting is a delightful find here. Beyond this point the path rises with the cliffs until we reach Whitaloo Point. Although there are none to day this is one of the most reliable places to see Puffins on the mainland. With a short walk along the steep sides of long Geo past the hanging valley and the many Fulmars that have staked out their favoured places we are all to soon back at the cars we deposited earlier.
It is only three in the afternoon and no one wants to give it up for the day so we have a choice we could go to the Broch of Birsay for a sea watch now that the tide is falling and it is accessible of we could try for the Greenland White Fronted Geese that gather some what elusively on Yonbell hill just beyond the RSPB hide at the Loons. Megan has lucked out each time she has been out to look for them so it is decided to have a bash there. After a bit of a convoy along the back roads looking for flocks of Golden Plover that will be passing through hopefully in their summer livery we arrive at the loons and our luck is in. there are Grey Lags in the fore ground…one with a collar that was fitted to trace the movement of local breeding birds. Further up the hill there are several pink feet and beyond them the Greenland White Fronts. With a count done we get nearly seventy. A nice tick for Megan. Other interest was provided by splendid looking Teal in good number, noisy Coots and argumentative Mallards. The sound of displaying Sky Larks continued over head as it has done all day accompanied by the whistling calls of displaying Lapwings. A large Peregrine was spotted sitting probably finishing a meal. As all binoculars zeroed in on it the Poor bird thought better of the attention and took to the wing disappearing swiftly from view. With this the rain that had held off all day began to fall and we decided to call it a day…and not a bad day it was.