Lazy!

Only out for about 1 hour today, due to being knackered after working last night. Still did not bad on my local patch though, with; 1 Pied Flycatcher, 2 Spotted Flycatcher, 1 Barred Warbler, 2 Willow Warblers and a Chaffinch. Still got to wonder what else I'm missing, by not being able to be out looking...

Unfortunately not a 'Brown Flycatcher'...

Same sh*t, different day!

In gale force Northerly winds, birding isn't going to be at all easy. All the bushes on my patch are blowing about so violently, that small passerines were always going to be hard to see. Trips along the coast showed that 5 Bar-tailed Godwits were still hanging about, and the Ruff puts in an appearance occasionally, along with more Otter sightings, but not a lot else...

One small bird that did show today, was the now 'resident' Pied Fly. This bird is definitely a different bird to the one I photographed on the 19th. As this one has a stonking primary covert bar (on both sides), as opposed to the earlier bird, though unfortunately not large or extensive enough to get too excited over! ..... but the Autumn has only just started!

Perplexing migrant passerines!

The title refers not to the 'identification' of migrant birds, but to the fact that there are migrant birds at all! The fact that we are getting NW winds, and have been for a while now, should mean that very few if any European migrants should be present! So the Common Rosefinch, Wood Warbler, Pied Flycatcher and Willow Warblers I found on Yell this morning, were all a bit of a surprise...

Wood Warbler
Pied Flycatcher (a different bird to last week);

The 2 Ruff and 9 Bar-tailed Godwits also in Burravoe today, are probably the ones present now for a few days, though they are very mobile and well away from where they had been!

Twite numbers are still increasing around my patch too.

Twite;

Back on 'patch'

It's been good to be out on my local patch again. Due to a combination of work and other commitments, I've spent precious little time birding my own area! I just hope that today's good birds weren't a sign of what I've been missing?...

It started off with 2 Otters on my dog walk this morning, and progressed to 1 Barred Warbler, 1 Pied Flycatcher and a Willow Warbler on my first round of the patch! Not bad, but I wanted to see what the rest of South Yell had to offer. The following were found at various stages of my tour; 1 Common Rosefinch, 1 Merlin, another Pied Flycatcher and another 7 Willow Warblers too! Quite a decent haul for a mornings work...

Afternoon update; In Burravoe there seems to have been a clear out of migrants, with just a new Garden Warbler on show during my afternoon patch workout.

Common Rosefinch; (distant and very flighty!)

Pied Flycatcher; (taken at 100th/sec shutter and hand held too!)

Willow Warbler; (The only bird that wanted it's pic taken today!)

It went a bit wrong today...

Arranged for a day trip to the Out Skerries today with Jase, but due to the local Yell ferry running late, all plans had to change!

The day started off well at South Nesting, with a Merlin chasing a GBB Gull, now that's what I call plucky! (what would it have done if it caught it?)

Then a singing Chiffchaff at Scalloway made me think there had to be migrants around somewhere, but after a bird less trip to Lerwick and Kergord I was ready to be proved wrong...

And finally we decided to check Voe, where there was loads of birding action including;

Pied Flycatcher
Swallow
3 Common Sandpipers (singing)
Siskin (c3+)
White & Pied Wagtails
Reed Bunting
and a very vocal 'singing' Redwing...

Also a few Whimbrel and Red-throated Divers for good measure.





Cutest bird of the day went to;