On Tour

Did a full tour of South Yell, as I promised myself I would find a good bird today! Unfortunately the 'good bird' didn't want to be found, so I had to make do with 1 Greenshank, 1 Merlin, 15 Bartailed Godwits, 1 Willow Warbler and 2 Otters. So with few migrants about it was quite hard work keeping the momentum up to keep checking. The best bird today was the Greenshank, as it was only the second I've seen on Yell in about 5 years!

(Another handheld shot at 100th/sec shutter... not bad!)

An added bonus today, was the fact that I didn't try for the Brown Flycatcher! As it looks like it's done a runner... I also reckon it's a possible 'escape' anyway! My reasoning for this is;

1, Too early for a 'Sibe' mega!

2, It's not on Shetland!

3, Not a hope in hell of me actually seeing it!

4, Makes me feel better about the whole incident!

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!)

Waders, Warblers.....and Wet!

After dropping my wife in Lerwick this morning, I decided to kill a few hours by trying to find a few birds in the South Mainland.

The weather was truly awful, and heavy rain and mist tried to spoil my best efforts. I still managed a few goodies, though not as good as the three lads on Unst (who found another 'rare' in the form of an Arctic Warbler today!)

2 Green Sandpipers were the best I could manage today. These were on the small pool at Garthsness. Also seen today were 1 Summer plumage Sanderling, 3 Shoveler and 9 Willow Warblers. These were all at various points between Lerwick and Sumburgh, and along with Garry Bell's Wood Warbler at Sumburgh Head that was about it. The fog at Sumburgh Head was awesome, and the pic below of the Wood Warbler shows just how bad it was!

Willow Warbler;

Wood Warbler (in the mist);

Another one bites the dust...

The Plan; Fly to Fair Isle with Jase, for a day trip to see a White-throated Sparrow and a Rustic Bunting.

The Reality; Day trip by ferry, to Out Skerries after all flights were fogged out this morning...

Me and Jase decided to make the most of the situation today, and find our own birds on the Out Skerries. Only the birds had other ideas! and only a few Willow Warblers, a Siskin and a Common Sandpiper were found hanging around around on these wee islands.

The main interest was not till I arrived home, to receive a text telling me of a White-throated Sparrow down in the South Mainland that had been photographed today... This was a different bird to the Fair Isle bird due to it being a White striped bird, as opposed to the Tan striped individual at the obs on Fair Isle. Then the text came through that it had just been taken by the neighbours cat!

Harbour mouth of Skerries;
Some of the 'hot migrant' action today;