All moving east, or east north east

2661692
21.07.2011 ENR
20.08.2011 Copinsay. Orkney 20days, 103km, 69degrees (ENE)
23.08.2011 Tres Ness, Sanday, Orkney 23days, 129km, 55degrees (NE)

2661709
01.08.2011 ENR
16.08.2011 Birsay, Orkney 15days 88km 46degrees (NE)

2659306
02.08.2011 ENR
20.08.2011 Copinsay, Orkney 18days, 103km, 69degrees (ENE)

a few more recoveries

...only four, and all of birds ringed and controlled in 2011 - three from Sule Skerry.

2657692
15.07.2011. Sule Skerry, Orkney
01.08.2011. ENR - 17days, 60km 177d

2294777
29.07.2011. Sule Skerry, Orkney
02.08.2011. ENR - 4days, 60km 177d

2294790
29.07.2011. Sule Skerry, Orkney
04.08.2011. ENR - 6days, 60km 177d

2674185
21.07.2011. Rona, Outer Hebrides, Western Isles
01.08.2011. ENR - 11days, 107km 127d

Photo of the bonxie trap

This is the portable fire-guard that we carried around for a week before we actually set it in an attempt to catch some bonxies. We set it on top of a mound that was frequented by watching and resting birds. After several failed fires it eventually caught.

Recently notified recoveries

New recoveries...

...with thanks to Hugh Insley (for recapturing them all).

2611803
ENR 24.07.2007.
Priest Island, Highland 19.06.2011.
1426days 97km 227degrees.

2629142
ENR 28.07.2008.
Priest Island, Highland 18.06.2011
1055days 97km 227degrees.

2629858
ENR 30.07.2008.
Eilean Hoan, Durness, Highland 22.06.2011.
1057days 21km 276degrees.

2641334
ENR 28.07.2009.
Priest Island, Highland 17.06.2011.
689days 97km 227degrees

2658103
ENR 30.07.2009.
Priest Island, Highland 18.06.2011.
688days 97km 227degrees

2658248
Ringed Port Vasco 08.07.2010 (this was the other 'un-island' trip of 2010)
Eilean Hoan, Durness, Highland 22.06.2011.
349days 21km 276degrees.

2011 Trip report.

Having now returned to civilisation and a normal 'day-time' here is the report of this year's trip.
In the end a team of seven made the journey, with two newbies. The travel up was uneventful and the customary combined Saturday night evening meal was well received - as usual. The crossing required two trips and the wait witnessed the only outside rain - a spell of rain a day or so later was 'inside-rain' as shelter was available.

Sunday night we worked the maze, a section of gently sloping grassland above the cliffs, which is easy on both the eyes and legs. 160 foot of net produced 396 new birds, 18 controls and 13 retraps, although this total was made with a price - it was a warm and windless night and midges were into full-time party mode.

Monday night saw us more hazardly placed on 'the slabs' - a section of undulating, hole ridden, leg sapping rock. Although darker (in terms of light available) than the maze the off-sea breeze keeping biting midges at bay was very welcome. This site, near a breeding colony, produced 343 new birds on one 60 foot net with 15 retraps including four controls.


Tuesday we were back over near the maze in what we call the maze gully. This is a site on steepish ground near a rocky headland cliff - which houses another breeding colony. The night started slowly as it was a case of island-mist rolling into the sea followed by sea-fog enveloping the island (see photo). It was a damp start - literally. At some point this all dissipated to reveal a wonderfully starry night with Saturn like a beacon, the Milky Way resplendent and a host of intermittent shooting stars. On 100 feet of net we caught 279 new birds, and 31 retraps (14 controls).

On Wednesday, for an easy night, we pitched 120 foot of net at the lower-campsite venue. Ringing on this night is always governed by many things - drivers wanting to get to bed early, others generally tired, and totals providing some sort of target. Targets won, very closly followed by the weather. We called a halt to ringing at about 2am when we had reached a visit total of 1116 new birds, 56 retraps and 24 controls (all British). The weather nearly won as, although eyes were open, the amount of available light made it appear as if they weren't! It was a very very dark night.

Elsewhere during our stay we ringed one new Bonxie and retrapped three others - their breeding season was very poor this year. The island was the driest it had been for years and this probably resulted in little evidence of breeding within other species too - no swallows, no wagtails, and virtually no other passerines present except for Rock Pipits. Fulmars appeared to have done poorly too, although the terns had nested well, as had the shags, and their was evidence of breeding Kittiwakes.





Back home and analysis of the retraps indicated:
2011 - 31; 2010 - 10; 2009 - 6; 2008 - 3; 2007 - 2; 2006 - 1.
2002 - 1; and 1996 - 2 (birds at least 12 years old).

Andy, Bob, Emily, Jedda, Kenny, Liz and Tony.


P.S. This photo is the 'old-man's face' after his trap (looking much like a fire-guard and baited with fish, eventually caught by Andy and Jedda) suceeded in catching a bonxie.

The 2011 Trip Approaches

Planning is now beginning to occur. First count has a group of nine this year, with two visiting the island for the first time. As with last year some of us are booked into The Cloisters (which I must mention as an excellent B&B) with others in the YHA and the last two elsewhere. Due to massively soaring petrol prices and the 950 mile round trip we've structered vehicles to keep these costs low - so two cars and one van. This year we have planned to go on a new moon to get the nights as dark as possible which, for those of you that know, is difficult this far north in July (night is only about 4 hours). Expectation is rising.

The Norwegian two, and one

5E06107 STOPE, controlled ENR 19.07.2010
Ringed Lindesnes Fyr, Vest-Agder, NORWAY 25.08.2007.

5E06871 STOPE, controlled ENR 21.07.2010
Ringed Lindesnes, NORWAY 04.08.2007.

2641308 STOPE ringed ENR 28.07.2009
Controlled Lunga, Treshnish Isles, Argyll & Bute 29.06.2010.