Tuesday 7th September - Trumland and Onziebust RSPB Reserves

A lovely sunrise seen after being woken up by a milkman. First time that's happened this year. Soon time to catch the ferry to Rousay yet enough time to first seawatch, bonxies and quite a few kittiwakes as well as a dark phase arctic skua; then a thorough search through a flock of about 250 golden plovers but nothing unusual.
There's been quite a few ferries this year, the only 'carbon' transport I've taken on the trip route, but this one was the most interesting from the point of view of the boat rocking rather violently on the large waves. The other people on the ferry weren't overly concerned though.

Once on Rousay walked up towads trumland House and heard a goldcrest in some small sykamore trees. Pished it out and was well chuffed to have found a migrant in the gale. Next it was down to a dug out pool which had a good number of teal and wigeon on it. A few twite and rock/feral doves were here too. looks like a likely spot for a rarer wader to drop in but not today.

Next I was up beside a cairn, Taversoe Tuick and what a wonderful cairn too. A double decker which has a small ladder that allows one to descend down into the lower chamber. 5,000 years old and a neolithic architect was showing off creating this one. Superbly looked after, I spent some time sitting in here, imaging the people who'd lived nearby.

From here a walk along the short, 2 kilometer trail around the RSPB reserve, Trumland. Very few birds, a couple of bonxies, meadow pipits and a raven but quite a few sluggish bumblebees, like the one below.

Can anyone help over this bumblebee's identification please?

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/research-curation/research/projects/bombus/_key_colour_british/ck_local_n.html