Sunday 30 April 2017

Passing Birds

Ritchie Dinnes reports this group of curlews which he spotted on the north coast passing through on their annual migration.

He also sends this picture. He says, "I was enjoying the birdlife on Orkney two weeks ago when I captured this image of a bird which I could not identify." He thinks he may now know what it is, but can anyone help?

And I am rather at a loss as to what this is, seen bobbing around in the waves off the Ormsaigbeg shore this evening.

Many thanks to Ritchie for the pictures.

11 comments:

  1. Hi Jon,
    The first bird is a male Lapland bunting in summer plumage(very envious) and second one is a winter plumaged guillemot hope that helps.
    Kev.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Pretty sure the Orkney bird is a Lapland Bunting.
    Dave K.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Is Ritchie's Orcadian Bunting perhaps from Lapland?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Lapland Bunting. My other half (one of the nations' experts!)is currently there enjoying the Red- Winged Blackbird, first for Britain. Second one looks like a juvenile Guillemot.

    ReplyDelete
  5. By 'there' I mean on Orkney!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Jon looks like a Lapland Bunting and juvenile Guillemot

    ReplyDelete
  7. Is the little bird a Lapland Longspur?
    JPS

    ReplyDelete
  8. Steve Suttill1 May 2017 at 10:46

    Ritchie's Orkney bird is a male Lapland Bunting - a scarce winter migrant from Scandinavia or Greenland - quite a find!

    Your bird on the sea is a Guillemot, still in winter plumage - not quite such a find!

    Fingers crossed for the thrush nestlings!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I think the little bird is a Lapland Bunting. Nice one , Ritchie.
    Sheila Houston

    ReplyDelete
  10. I think the little bird is a Lapland Bunting. Well done, Ritchie.

    ReplyDelete
  11. The suggestions for Ritchie's small bird range from Lapland longspur through to Lapland bunting, which is the identification that came from Ritchie's researches. And my sea bird seems to be a guillemot which is still in its winter plumage. Many thanks to all those who emailed me. Jon

    ReplyDelete