birds - seabirds nature and environment

27

Marwick, in Deerness and inSouth Ronaldsay. ManyPuffins also nest onCopinsay, Swona, thePentland Skerries, the Hoycliffs and Westray.

The main Gannet colony ison Sule Stack, near SuleSkerry, with 5,000 pairs, but afew pairs have been breedingat Noup Head on Westray forthe last few years, and theyalso may eventually nest onthe Horse of Copinsay.Gannets can often be seenfishing around the coast, andare regularly observed fromthe ferries on the PentlandFirth and in waters around theNorth Isles.

Maritime Heath is a habitatunique to Orkney whichforms much of the westernside of Rousay, and theNorth Hill of Papay, is afavourite nesting place formany of Orkney's 13,476pairs of Arctic Terns, aspecies which is currentlyhaving problems due to lackof Sand Eels. These are thefurthest travelling of allbirds, doing a return trip of15,000 miles to the SouthernOcean each year. ArcticSkuas also nest in theseareas, and harry the terns inacrobatic displays to getthem to drop their food.About 720 pairs of this skua,Britain's rarest breeding

seabird, nest in Orkney.They are perhaps the mostgraceful flyers and exist intwo plumage patterns orphases, a light and a dark.

Fulmar Petrel (Mallimack) Guillemot (Aak, Skout, Lungi)

Great Skua (Bonxie)

BREEDING SEABIRDSNumbers in estimated pairs unless stated

Fulmar Petrel (91,000)Storm Petrel (1,870)Leach’s Petrel (??)Manx Shearwater (50?)Black Guillemot (5,579) adultsGuillemot (181,000)Razorbill (10,190)Puffin (61,532)Greater Black-backed Gull (5,560)Herring Gull (1,924)Lesser Black-backed Gull (1,042)Common Gull (11,208)Black-headed Gull (2,853)Kittiwake (57,668)Arctic Tern (13476)Common Tern (116)Sandwich Tern (215)Little Tern (5)Gannet (5,000)Cormorant (500)Shag (1,865)Great Skua (2,209)Arctic Skua (720)Eider Duck ()

WHERE TO SEE BREEDING SEABIRDS

Mainland - Marwick Head; Broughof Birsay; Yesnaby; Mull Head,DeernessIslands - Noup Head, Westray; NorthHill, Papay; Hoy Reserve; Copinsay

NATURE AND ENVIRONMENT

26

BIRDS - SEABIRDS

"Nowhere in Britain isthere such a range of birdhabitats - cliffs, marshes,moors and maritime heath -and all within a few miles.So far we've counted 385species, 116 of which breedhere," Eric Meek,Orkney's RSPB Officer.

Besides having the biggestcollection of archaeologicalremains, excellent trout fish-ing and the best beef inWestern Europe, Orkney isalso one of the finest placesfor birds. The fertile soilssupport large populations ofinvertebrates, which are themain food supply for manybirds. The horizontally-bed-

ded flagstone rocks alsoweather to ledges on thecliffs which are very attrac-tive to many types ofseabird. The islands' posi-tion at the confluence of theAtlantic Ocean and theNorth Sea, where warm,saline, oceanic water mixeswith colder, less saline,nutrient-laden coastal water,means that the sea is rich inplankton and therefore fish.

Cliffs Orkney is one of themost important areas in thewhole temperate NorthAtlantic for seabird breedingand supports nearly a mil-lion seabirds, about the sameas the Western Isles, but

more than Shetland. Thethree main bird cliffs are allRSPB reserves. The RSPBis the biggest land-owner inOrkney, with 13 reservescovering about 8,000ha intotal. Noup Head in Westrayhosts one of the largestcolonies of seabirds in theUK, while Marwick Headand the Copinsay cliffs holdonly slightly smaller num-bers of Guillemot, Kittiwakeand Razorbill. The cliffs arealso home to several pairs ofPeregrine, Raven andJackdaw, as well as manyFulmar and Rock Dove.

Atlantic Puffin Everyone'sfavourite seabird, is surpris-ingly hard to see on theMainland. They only comeashore to breed in May andleave as soon as the young arefledged, in late July or earlyAugust. They prefer grassybanks where they can burrowinto the soil. Most OrkneyAtlantic Puffins are on SuleSkerry (59,471 pairs) whichis 40 miles out into theAtlantic, but on the Mainlandthey can be seen at theBrough of Birsay, near

Arctic Skua (Scooty Allan) Arctic Tern (Pickieterno)

Atlantic Puffin (Tammy Norie)

ogb 3 collated.qxp 26/10/2005 19:46 Page 26

Short-eared Owl, both ofwhich prey on voles. Thedashing Merlin, recoveringfrom a decline in the mid-1980s, hunts Meadow Pipitand Skylark but is usuallyflying so fast that you hardlysee it before it is gone.Luckily fence posts are acommon perch, where it canbe observed for longer.

The sounds which especiallydominate Orkney during thespring and summer are thecalls of Curlew andOystercatcher. Both speciesbreed in large numbers,while lesser numbers ofSnipe, Dunlin and GoldenPlover together with someWhimbrel also breed onmoorland. Other birds of

moorland and small hilllochs are Mallard, Teal,Red-breasted Merganser,Eider, and Red-throatedDiver, the eerie calls ofwhich are often heard asthey return from fishing atsea.

The Great Skua nests mostlyin Hoy. This fierce pirateonly arrived as a breeder inOrkney in 1915 and most ofthe world population nowlives in Orkney andShetland. Although aggres-sive, and often seen attack-ing other birds until they dis-

gorge their food, in fact 80%of the Bonxie's food is fishcaught by splash-diving.

29

Corncrake

Rock Pipit (Shore or Tang Sparrow)

Twite (Heather Lintie)

PLACES TO SEELANDBIRDS

Hobbister, OrphirBinscarth Plantation, FirthCottascarth, RendallBirsay Moors, BirsayThe Loons, BirsayCopinsayEgilsayRousayHoy

SOME COMMON LANDBIRDS WHICHBREED IN ORKNEY

Hen HarrierKestrelSparrowhawkMerlinShort-eared OwlRavenHoodie CrowMeadow PipitRock PipitPied WagtailWheatearSkylarkTwiteStonechatLinnetBlackbirdRobinWrenSong ThrushHouse SparrowStarlingWood PigeonCorncrake (scarce)

Skylark (Laveroo)

Wheatear (Chuckie, Stinkie Buil)

Raven (Corbie, Hrafn)


Moorland Much of uplandOrkney remains covered inheather moorland despite thelarge amount of agriculturalreclamation in the last 40years. This habitat is very

important to many birdspecies, which feed off therich invertebrate faunawhich is present. The WestMainland and Rousay havethe best moorland, while the

poorer soil of Hoy supportsfewer species, but in largenumbers.

Orkney is well known for itsHen Harrier population, andwith about 70 nests mostyears this attractive raptor isoften seen. The beautifulgrey male is smaller than thefemale, and the species ispolygamous, with each malehaving several “wives”. TheHen Harrier’s favouritefood is the Orkney Vole, butthey will also take otherprey. They are frequentlyobserved quartering ditches,field margins and marsheslooking for prey.

The Kestrel nests on theground in Orkney, amongthe heather, as does the

28

Hen Harrier (Katabelly)

Short-eared Owl (Cattie-face, Cattie-ogle)

Kestrel (Moosiehaak)

Merlin (Smyril, Peerie Hawk)

Peregrine

BIRDS - MOORLAND AND HILL LOCHS

RSPB

RSPB

ogb 3 collated.qxp 26/10/2005 19:46 8

and it is very important thatthe oil companies maintaintheir good records regardingoil spills. Since mostspecies are near the top ofthe food chain, build-up ofchemical pollutants in theocean may also be a problemeither with availability ofprey or its toxicity.

Seabirds are also affected byshortages of food species,such as Sand Eels, whethercaused by natural fluctua-tions in ocean circulation,

climate or manmade influ-ence. Commercial fisher-men also suffer from suchshortages. Industrial fishingof various species includingSand Eels still occurs on alarge scale in the North Sea,and, especially in times offood shortage, may affectseabirds, which are reck-oned to take less than 1% offish production from theNorth Sea. Thus if they aresuffering this must be awarning sign to the fishingindustry as well.

31

Ringed Plover (Sinloo, Sandy Laverock)

Lapwing (Teeick, Teeoo, Peewit)

Snipe (Horsegowk, Water Pleep)

Redshank (Watery Pleep)

Dunlin (Boondie)

PLACES TO SEEBREEDING WADERS

Lochs of Stenness & HarrayBurgar Hill, EvieLoons & Loch of Banks, BirsayLoch of Isbister, BirsayEchnaloch, BurrayMill Loch, EdayMill Dam, Shapinsay

BREEDING WADERSTO SEE IN ORKNEYNumbers are in estimated breeding pairs

Oystercatcher (10,000)Ringed Plover (500)Golden Plover (100)Lapwing (5,000)Dunlin (100)Snipe (3,000)Black-tailed Godwit (5)Whimbrel (10)Curlew (5,000)Redshank (1,700)Common Sandpiper (15)Woodcock (occasional)


30

Marshes and LochsAlthough the major lochshave not changed in recentyears, there has been amarked decline in marshlandand reduction in size of thesmaller lochs due todrainage. The RSPB hasestablished several Reservesto help counter this decline,including the Loons inBirsay and the Mill Dam in

Shapinsay. Many species ofwaders and waterfowl breedin these areas and notablyseveral pairs of the rarePintail breed in the WestMainland, Stronsay, NorthRonaldsay and Shapinsay.

Coast The low banks andcliffs of much of Orkney'scoastline are used as breed-ing sites by many Fulmar

Petrel. Eider nearly alwaysnest near the shore whileShelduck use sandy banks.Many Black Guillemotsbreed among the bouldersand in disused rabbit holes,while Storm Petrels nest onmany of the offshore islandsin old walls and amongrocks. Ringed Plover, andOystercatcher as well asArctic, Common, Sandwichand (a few) Little Terns alsolay in scrapes along shingleshorelines, and care must betaken when walking to avoidstanding on the superblycamouflaged eggs andyoung.

Threats The proximity offertile farmland to the othertypes of habitat is veryimportant in the overallecosystem in Orkney. Thissystem is finely balanced,and if further large-scaledrainage or reclamationwere to take place, sustain-able populations of manyspecies could fall. Equally asubstantial decline in stockfarming would also threatenmany species.

Seabirds are sensitive to pol-lution, especially from oil,

Oystercatcher (Chaldro, Shaalder, Skeldro)

Whimbrel (Summer or Peedie Whaup) Golden Plover (Hill Laverock, Plever Pliver)

Curlew (Whaup)

BIRDS - MARSHES, LOCHS & COASTS

Laur

ieC

ampb

ell

ogb 3 collated.qxp 26/10/2005 19:46 0

raised numbers which nowbreed here. Greylags fromthe native Scottish popula-tion in Sutherland are alsoknown to have bred here.

Although wildfowl are sen-sitive to loss of habitat,efforts to retain or reinstatesuitable marshy areas havehad considerable success.During the breeding seasonthe common species mayoften be seen in burns, ditch-es and lochsides.

Summer numbers of water-fowl are small comparedwith the the huge numbersof winter visitors, but thevariety and opportunities tosee rare breeders more thanmake up for quantity.

33

Red-breasted Merganser (Herald)Mallard (Stock Duck)

Pintail breed on several lochs and marshes

Eider Duck (Dunter)

Mute Swan with young on Loch of Harray

PLACES TO SEEBREEDING WATER-

FOWLThe Loons, BirsayLoch of Isbister, BirsayBurgar Hill, EvieMill Loch, EdayMill Dam, ShapinsayLochs of Stenness & HarrayEchnaloch, Burray

BREEDINGWATERFOWL TO SEE

Red-throated Diver (130)Red-breasted Merganser (150)Shelduck (100)Pintail (25)EiderMallardTufted DuckGadwall (5-6)WigeonShovellerPochardGarganeyMute Swan ()Grey Heron (10-12)Greylag Goose ()


Waterfowl find Orkneyattractive at all seasons. Atleast 11 species of duckbreed on the many lochsscattered across the islands.Mallard, Teal and Wigeonare the commonest species.The hides at the Loons inBirsay and the Mill Dam inShapinsay are probably thebest place to watch thesespecies close-up without dis-turbance, including national-ly rare species such as the

Pintail. In many otherplaces the car can be used asa hide, or a telescope used.

Red-breasted Merganser,Shelduck and Eider all nestin coastal locations and arequite common. They arefrequently seen with theirfamilies once hatched.Red-throated Divers nest onHoy, Rousay, Eday and theMainland, often on smalllochs called Loomachun

(ON Looma tjorn, DiverLoch). These lochs are usu-ally too small to providemuch food, so the adultsnormally fish at sea or on thelarger lochs. Their mournfulcalls have given them thename “Rain Goose”. Diversmay be closely observedfrom hides at Lowrie’sWater on Burgar Hill in Evie(near the aerogenerators) orthe Mill Loch on Eday.

There was until recently asmall colony of Grey Heronin a tree plantation, but mostof this species seen inOrkney are migrants fromScandinavia. They maycommonly be seen fishing atthe margins of lochs, and inburns and ditches, or at estu-aries such as the BrigO’Waithe or the Ouse inFinstown.

Mute Swans breeds on manyof the larger lochs, and isespecially prominent on theLochs of Harray andStenness. Adults and youngmay frequently be observedfrom very close distancesfrom the Bridge of Brodgar.

Greylag Geese first bred in1985 and now there is a sub-stantial local population,breeding on small islands aswell as the Mainland,Rousay and Shapinsay. Thispopulation may have origi-nated Icelandic birds whichstayed for the summer.Many birds, bred onShapinsay from Scottishstock, have been released forshooting, which has also

32

Tufted Duck

Red-throated Diver (Loom, Loon, Rain Goose)

The hide at the Mill Loch on Shapinsay

BIRDS - WATERFOWL

RSPB


are resident around thecoast, they are joined overthe winter by Great NorthernDiver, Velvet Scoter, Long-tailed Duck, Goldeneye,Slavonian Grebe and others.

Iceland and Glaucous Gullsare regular visitors and maysometimes be seen atKirkwall or StromnessHarbour in winter, particu-larly at sewage outfalls. Theoccasional Ring-billed Gullalso puts in an appearance.

35

Whooper Swan

Great Northern Diver (Immer Goose)

Snow Bunting (Oatfowl, Snowfowl)

Long-eared Owl

MIGRATION TIMESFrom mid-March to earlyJune - May/start June bestFrom end July to earlyOctober - September best

SOME MIGRANTSWHICH MAY BE SEENTurnstone (common)Red-necked Phalarope (scarce)Purple Sandpiper (common)Sanderling (common)Knot (common)Ruff 9scarce)Snow Bunting (common)Wheatear (common)Robin (common)Great Northern Diver (common)Long-tailed Duck (common)Bluethroat Scarce)Redwing (common)Fieldfare (common)Greylag Goose (common)Pink-footed Goose (common)Greenland White-front Goose (common)Barnacle Goose (scarce)Pochard (common)Tufted Duck(common)Wigeon (common)Goldeneye (common)Velvet Scoter (scarce)Slavonian Grebe (scarce)Iceland Gull (scarce)Glaucous Gull (scarce)Ring-billed Gull (rare)Little Auk (scarce)Whooper Swan (common)Swallow (common)Long-eared Owl (scarce)Waxwing (eruptive)Crossbill (eruptive)

BEST MIGRANT SITESIslands - North Ronaldsay,Sanday, StronsayMainland - Kirkwall andStromness Harbours, ScapaBeach, East Mainland beach-es, South Ronaldsay,Graemeshall Loch, old quar-ries, areas of scrub and wood-land, gardens

Robin


Migration After the breed-ing season many birdsmigrate southwards or out tosea for the winter, but thisdoes not mean that Orkneyis a poor place to see birds atother times of year. On thecontrary, the migration peri-ods in autumn and springbring interesting and unusu-al vagrants every year, whilespecies which breed furthernorth migrate annually,some passing through ontheir way south in autumn

and again on their way northin spring. Many Arcticbreeders overwinter inOrkney. Thus a range of

species can be observed atdifferent times of year.

Lochs In particular, thelochs are internationallyimportant for winteringwaterfowl, with over 17,000being counted in December1990 on the Loch of Harrayalone. Large numbers ofPochard, Tufted Duck,Goldeneye and WhooperSwans arrive each autumn.The latter used to stop for afew days before continuingsouth, but some now stay onthe loch all winter and feedon barley stubble fields.

The many geese which passthrough or stay all winteralso roost on the lochs andgraze on the surroundingfarmland. Greylag, Pink-footed and GreenlandWhite-front are the com-monest types of geese, butthere is a flock of BarnacleGeese in the South Isleseach winter.

The Sea The large areas ofsheltered shallow sea waterand many gently shelvingbeaches provide good feed-ing and overwintering areasfor many species. WhileShag, Cormorant and Eider

34

BIRDS - MIGRANTS AND WINTER VISITORS

Greylag Geese

Greenland White-fronted Geese

Iceland Gull

Pochard on loch - winter sunset

Laur

ieC

ampb

ell


Osprey or Gyrfalcon mayappear on passage andWhite-tailed Sea Eagles arealso sometimes seen. Long-eared Owls arrive everywinter from Norway androost among the few treesavailable.

Migration Time Theislands of North Ronaldsay,Sanday and Stronsay tend tobe the best places for unusu-al Continental migrantsblown in on easterly winds.During the Spring especial-ly, east winds can blow forsome days, due to the devel-opment of a Baltic Highpressure and often bring"falls" of interesting birds.While very exciting for thetwitcher, one cannot butspeculate on the fate ofmany of these birds, whichare often many thousands ofmiles away from their nor-mal destination!

North American speciesalso get caught up in weath-er systems, and are seen onthe islands on occasion. Inaddition to the eastern NorthIsles the eastern parishes ofthe Mainland can also begood for migrant hunting,particularly in foggy weath-er, and Holm, Deerness andSouth Ronaldsay all havegood spots.

The local enthusiasts soonhear what is about. To find

out what is on the grapevine,or for information on visit-ing its reserves, telephonethe local RSPB office on(01856) 850176.

37

Little Auk (Rotchie)

Velvet Scoter

Great Crested GrebeTeal, Bay of Firth

Long-tailed Duck (Caloo)Goldeneye (Gowdy Duck, Kwink)


Little Auks appear in winter.Particularly after an extend-ed period of strong easter-lies, there is often a “wreck”of Auks, mostly youngGuillemots, presumably

caused by exposure andinexperience.

The Shore The intertidalzones provide rich feedingground for the many waders,

both resident and migrant.Estimates suggest that morethan 60,000 waders winterin Orkney, especially PurpleSandpiper (28% of UK pop-ulation) and Curlew (25% ofUK population). RingedPlover, Turnstone,Sanderling, Redshank, Bar-tailed Godwit, GoldenPlover, Lapwing and Dunlinare also present in consider-able numbers. The beacheson Sanday are particularlyattractive to waders

Raptors Many HenHarriers are resident and inwinter tend to roost commu-nally among reeds in marsh-es, particularly at the Lochof Banks (HY275235), andat Durkadale (HY373200).Merlin are more common inwinter, as adults fromShetland and Iceland movesouth and the previous sum-mer's young are still linger-ing about. The occasional

36

Sanderling

Bar-tailed Godwit in summer plumage (Tang Whaup)

Red-necked Phalarope (Half-web)

Turnstone (Stone Putter)

Dotterel

Dunlin in winter plumage (Boondie)

BIRDS - MIGRANTS & WINTER VISITORS


39

English Orkney Systematic

Knot Ebb Cock Calidris canutusDunlin Boondie Calidris alpinaSnipe Horsegowk, Water Pleep Gallinago galliganoBar-tailed Godwit Tang Whaup Limosa lapponicaWhimbrel Summer or Peedie Whaup Numenius phaeopusCurlew Whaup Numenius arquataRedshank Watery Pleeps Tringa totanusCommon Sandpiper Steenie Pouter, Water Pleep Actitis hypoleucosTurnstone Stone Putter Arenaria interpresRed-necked Phalarope Half-web Phalaropus lobatusGreat Skua Bonxie, Allan, Herdsman Stercorarius skuaArctic Skua Scootie Allan Stercorarius parasiticusBlack-headed Gull Rittock, Swarfarro Larus ridibundusCommon Gull Whitemaa, Cullya Larus canusHerring Gull Whitemaa Larus argentatusGreat Black-backed Gull Baakie, Swaabie, Swart Back Larus marinusKittiwake Kittick, Kittiwaako Rissa tridactylaArctic Tern Pickieterno, Rittock, Ritto, Tirrick Sterna paradisaeaGuillemot Aak, Skout, Lungi Uria aalgeRazorbill Cooter-neb, Baukie Alca tordaBlack Guillemot Tyste, Tystie Cepphus grylleLittle Auk Rotchie Alle alleAtlantic Puffin Tammie Norie, Sea Coulter Fratercula arcticaRock Dove Doo Columba liviaCuckoo Gauk Cuculus canorusShort-eared Owl Cattie-face, Cattie-ogle Asio flammeusSkylark Laverock, Laveroo Alauda arvensisSand Martin Witchuk Riparia ripariaMeadow Pipit Teeting, Titlark Anthus pratensisRock Pipit Tang or Shore Sparrow Anthus spinolettaPied Wagtail Willie Wagtail Motacilla albaWren Wirran, Wrannock Troglodytes troglodytesDunnock Hemplie, Titling Prunella modularisWheatear Chuckie, Stinkie-buil Oenanthe oenantheRing Ouzel Flitterchack Turdus torquatusBlackbird Chucket Turdus merulaYellow Hammer Yellow Yarling Emberiza citrinellaSnow Bunting Oatfowl, Snowbird, Snowflake Plextrophenax nivalisCorn Bunting Skitterbroltie Miliaria calandraLinnet Lintie, Lintick Carduelis cannabinaTwite Heather Lintie Carduelis flavirostrisHouse Sparrow Sprog Passer domesticusStarling Scootie, Stare Sturnus vulgarisJackdaw Jackie, Kae Corvus monedulaRook Corbie Corvus frugilegusHooded Crow Craa, Hoodie Corvus cornixRaven Hrafn, Corbie Corvus corax

NATURE AND ENVIRONMENTTammy Norie o’ the Baas,Canna kiss a bonny lass.

38

The Whaup, or Curlew, is omnipresent on Orkney’s farmland and moorland

ORKNEY BIRD NAMES

English Orkney Systematic

Red-throated Diver Loom, Loon, Rain Goose Gavia stellataGreat Northern Diver Immer Goose Gavia immerLittle Grebe or Dabchick Little Footy Arse Tachybaptus ruficollisManx Shearwater Lyre or Lyrie Puffinus puffinusFulmar Petrel Mallimack Fulmarus glacialisStorm Petrel Alamonti, Mootie, Gourder Hydrobates pelagicusGannet Sula, Solan Goose Sula bassanaCormorant Scarf, Hibling, Lerblade, Palmer Phalacrocorax carboShag Skart, Tappie Whaesie Phalacorax aristotelisGrey Heron Hegrie, Skiop Herie Ardea cinereaBarnacle Goose Claik, Rotherock, Horra Goose Branta leucopsisBrent Goose Quink, Horra Goose Branta berniclaShelduck Sly or Ringer Goose Tadorna tadornaMallard Stock Duck Anas platyrhynchosTeal Ateal Anas creccaGoldeneye Gowdy Duck, Kwink Bucephala clangulaLong-tailed Duck Caloo Clangula hyemalisEider Dunter Somateria mollissimaGoosander Rantock Mergus merganserRed-breasted Merganser Sawbill, Herald, Harle Mergus serratorWhite-tailed Eagle Erne Haliaeetus albicillaGolden Eagle Ainie-onyoo Aquila chrysaetosHen Harrier Kattabelly Circus cyaneusBuzzard Gled Buteo buteoKestrel Moosiehaak, Wind Cuffer Falco tinnunculusMerlin Smyril Falco columbariusRed Grouse Muirhen, Muir Pout Lagopus lagopusCoot Snythe, Snaith Fulica atraOystercatcher Skeldro, Chaldro, Shaalder Haematopus ostralegusRinged Plover Sinloo, Sandy Laverock Charadrius hiaticulaGolden Plover Hill Laverock, Plever Pliver Pluvialis apricariaLapwing Teeick, Teeoo, Peewit Vanellus vannellus

Many of the birds whichoccur in Orkney have localnames. These are frequent-ly derived from Old Norse,but may also refer to theappearance, behaviour orhabitat of the species. Mostof these names are still incurrent usage, which under-lines the place that birdshave always played in theOrcadian psyche. Whilesome of the names are clear-ly of Scottish derivation,most are unique to Orkney.


birds - seabirds nature and environment

Documents