Goldfinches aren’t resident on Westray and until last year I saw them very infrequently. They first bred in Orkney in 2009 and last summer they bred here for the first time with the family of five leaving us in November. Today five adults back around last year’s breeding area. #WestrayBirding
1 / 2
Post image
Post image

Comments

So interesting to see so many range extensions of breeding birds in NW Europe. A climate change effect perhaps?
reply
I’m sure you could correlate quite a few species range expansions northwards with changing climate. This is the second new passerine we’ve had as first time breeders in the last few years. Dunnock breeds since 2021 the and bred on neighbouring Papa Westray for first time in 2022.
reply
How are you getting on with the new camera and lens?
reply
Early days still, Mike, but pleased with some of the results so far. Slowly learning the lens's limitations, esp. having reduced reach. Lens is a little noisy and soft at 400mm and shooting anything moderate to far distance, but I knew that and a few tweaks with Topaz AI sorts all but the worst out.
reply
Do you shoot in JPEG or RAW?
reply
I shoot only on JPEG. O don’t have the need for RAW, don’t have the time or patience for all the process and also the increased storage space needed.
reply
Yeah, I've shot digitally in RAW for 20 years but never liked spending hours on processing. I have even less appetite now. I was going to suggest Photolab, which has lens and body specific presets that do a cracking job extracting detail and dealing with soft images. 1/2
reply
2/2 The AI driven auto processing takes away all the normal faff with RAW files. I don't touch 9 out of 10 RAW files at all.
reply
I've been trying it out in different light conditions. Was pleased with how it handled today's Redshank against a bright water behind it. Also yday's Black-headed Gull in flight after the sun had already gone down behind the hills. The digital viewfinder is taking some getting used to.
reply
Sound a good start. I struggled with a digital viewfinder when I considered upgrading my 7Dmk2 a while ago, it's the main reason I stayed with it. They've obviously improved since then as I got used to my Sony RX10 iv fairly quickly.
reply
Lots of Guillemots on the cliffs in this settled weather and Fulmar numbers greatly increased too. Hen Harrier and Peregrine the highlights of a long walk around the south of the isle. A few Blackbirds but I didn't find a single winter thrush or Robin. Always waders to enjoy. #WestrayBirding
Comment image
reply
A busy day (for me!) so only managed a quick squint at one of the lochs late pm. Flushed a Woodcock from the access track and a male Hen Harrier hunting the distant loch edge. Nowt other than the usual waterfowl on the loch itself. Startled to see a bunch of daffs in full bloom! #WestrayBirding
Comment image
reply
I accept I'm a misery, but I hate seeing garden daffodils out in the wild - totally inappropriate bling!
reply
Ditto me! Virtually never see any pollinators visiting them, so I have doubts they have anything worthwhile to offer to the environment either...
reply
Mass planting here in Borders along road verges in the middle of nowhere - something to do with a cancer charity, I think. So wrong!
reply
I’m not a fan of daffs at all. I find them jarring in late winter like this when everything else is still in winter plumage. And this is actually at the back of a wild garden 😉
reply
👍Tragic.
reply
Our resident Starlings are beginning to tune up as they smarten up for their spring shenanigans. These pairs dotted all around the rocky coast and along the stone dykes are in contrast to the large flocks roaming around the isle which I presume are wintering migrant birds. #WestrayBirding
Comment image
reply
Meadow Pipit is a very common breeding summer migrant to the isle. I saw my first winter birds here at the end of November, so two down the east side of the isle today was a surprise and almost certainly new in as this is an area I cover intensively most days. #WestrayBirding
Comment image
reply
🤩
reply
Looking forwards to the squeakers returning!
reply
This evening I gave a talk to the ladies of SWI Westray - Some stuff I know about some of Westray’s wildlife. I talked about the changing status of some of our isle's birds, in particular seabirds, and my #WestrayBirding. Can anyone guess why Goldfinch doesn't have an Orcadian name? 1/4
Comment image
reply
"Can anyone guess why Goldfinch doesn't have an Orcadian name?"

Because it's a recent colonist on Orkney? Spreading north with climate change . . .
reply
I also talked to them about moth trapping on the isle, about Otters and about the ultimate Westray wildlife experience, Orcas. And lots of questions about moths! 2/4
Comment image
reply

Posting Rules

  • Be respectful to others
  • No spam or self-promotion
  • Stay on topic
  • Follow Bluesky's terms of service