A successful night of Storm Petrel ringing North Ronaldsay Bird Observatory! A slow start with just 14 ringed, but just as I was about to close up a Leach’s Petrel started calling and flying around. Absolute beasts!

Three nights and three Leach’s Petrels! We’ve also caught 118 Storm Petrels, a great start to the Stormy sessions

Could just about make out this Curlew Sandpiper in the thick fog today North Ronaldsay Bird Observatory! Couldn’t even see the top of the lighthouse! 😶‍🌫️

Turns out this Epiblema foenella trapped on the night of 21st July was a first for Orkney and a third for Northern Scotland, a second was trapped overnight tonight! Wish birds did the same!

DNA Report: The Eastern Subalpine Warbler trapped on 6th June has come back as C. Cantillans, one of the rarer subspecies.

Ruff day of weather here North Ronaldsay Bird Observatory 🌧️

Franklin’s Gull on North Ronaldsay Bird Observatory!! Fantastic find by Charles Gunn

With gull numbers dropping to double digit counts on the island a 100 strong congregation struck some interest. A dark mantled, black hooded bird caught my attention and after a scramble this Franklin's gull was nailed down!

I’m not sure any of us had a Franklin’s Gull on the cards today, its been a slow start to the autumn and hopefully more birds like this will keep coming! Number 296 for my island list, 300 is creeping closer!

A nice, if all too brief, Buff-breasted Sandpiper on Tor Ness this evening, closely followed by a highly mobile juv Dotterel at Nether Linnay

A few nice island birds recently North Ronaldsay Bird Observatory. Spotted Redshank, Little Gull, Pectoral Sandpiper, and Little Stint

Still some good waders knocking about on the island. The Buff-breasted Sandpiper continues to feed between Tor Ness and the Links. This juv Wood Sandpiper has also spent plenty of time at Gretchen.

Absolutely unreal views of Dotterel today North Ronaldsay Bird Observatory!

A blog update from a migrant-filled few days! northronbirdobs.blogspot.com/2025/09/3rd-se…

Curlew Sandpipers seem to be a daily occurrence on census at the moment, always nice to see, even better when they show well!

Yesterday’s Dotterel weren’t bad either!

Finishing the day in style! Our first Wryneck ringed since 2015!

What an exciting day North Ronaldsay Bird Observatory! An epic time in the field with loads of common migrants, including Rosefinch, Redstarts, Blackcaps, Garden Warblers, Tree Pipits etc. And finishing with ringing this Wryneck!

It was a bit of a surprise to find this Black-headed Bunting at the Beacon today North Ronaldsay Bird Observatory! It gave nice views as it tried its best to fit in with the Rock Pipits!

Nice to bump into this Red-breasted Flycatcher at Dennishill today.