Off to a Flying start - Shetlands 2013

The 'team' - Dave H. the photographer, Julian A. the fixer, Adam A. the lodger and myself arrived on the Shetland Isles late Saturday morning and headed north for Wester Quarff, where we we got good if  bit distant views of a Brown Shrike, a rather more obliging Little Bunting and at least 5 Yellow browed Warblers. News of a Thrush Nightingale and Pechora Pipit sharing the same garden had us heading for Levenwick. The Thrush Nightingale refused to show but the Pechora could be seen through gaps in the bushes and then on the roadside verge. We would have to wait until the following morning to get better views. After revisiting the Pechora the rest of the day was spent birding various sites around the South Mainland. Best birds were probably Common Rosefinch at Grutness and Long-eared Owl at Quendale.

Little Bunting, Wester Quarff

Little Bunting

Pechora pipit, Levenwick

Pechora pipit

Pechora pipit

Common Rosefinch, Grutness

Long eared Owl, Quendale