Red flanked Bluetail at Geosetter.

Red flanked Bluetail, Geosetter, Shetland Isles

Red flanked Bluetail

Red flanked Bluetail

Pallas's warbler

Pallas's warbler

Friday 8th October 2010

Our last full day on Shetland began with a search round Sandwick, Hoswick, Channerwick and Loch Spiggie. We didnt add any species to the trip list until we got word that a Red flanked Bluetail had been found at Geosetter by Rob Brookes, an Unst birder who had found the Lanceolated warbler. We were on site within 5 minutes with some impressive navigation from Julian. The bird had been seen in the steep sided Burn but was not showing at all when we got there. A bit of clambering up and down the grassy slopes was called for before the bird was refound. It showed really well often coming on to the grassy banks. It was a bit frustrating if you were on the wrong side of the burn but everybody got good views eventually. Another highlight of the day was the sight of 3 Long tailed ducks at Grutness, 2 drakes and a female, superb birds. We also added Lesser Whitethroat to our trip list back at Channerwick to complete another excellent days birding.

Saturday 9th October

Our last day began as every other; Bran flakes, toast and Marmalade and Coffee, very civilised. even sat at the table. What made this breakfast a little different though was a Ring tailed Hen Harrier which flew across the field in front of us. I shouted to Julian who was doing something personal in the toilet. In true birder tradition he nipped his ablutions in the bud and scrambled into the lounge to get a look at the bird before it disappeared.

We had time to add Pallas' warbler to the list at Sumburgh farm and have one last scan of Grutness bay, where Julian picked up a Grey Plover, before we headed for the airport. We had noticed a definte movement of Redwing coming in off the sea and with Easterly winds forecast prospects for the coming week looked good. It had been a great week, seen some special birds, met some nice people, seen the Autumn Watch Otters and many wonderful views.

Unst revisited

Lanceolated Warbler, Skaw, Unst

Lanceolated warbler

Lanceolated warbler

Lanceolated warbler

Blyth's Reed Warbler, Fetlar

Blyth's reed warbler

I'm no good without me lunch, even if I have just ticked Lancy

Thursday 7th October 2010

The domestics had gone quite well, the accommodation was comfortable and well situated and Julian and I had similar ideas about what we wanted to see and do and how to go about it. My supply of Pork pies and Pasties was holding up well, the weather was generally good and getting better, so morale was high. It came as a bit of a surprise then on Wednesday night when Julian came into the lounge with a face like 4 pence. He looked like a bloke who'd lost a shilling and found 10p. 'They've found a Lancy..............at Skaw'. Where we'd almost been that afternoon. Somehow the thought of going to the most northerly point in the British Isles you can get to by car didnt seem to fill Julian with much excitement. Me, the chance of a lifetime opportunity to see a Lanceolated warbler, one of my must see birds and one of the reasons for going to the Shetland Isles in the first place WAS exciting. Of course it might not be there in the morning etc. etc.

We made a reasonably early start next morning and as we arrived at Skaw we could see about a douzen folk milling about. My usual pessimism kicked in, they were looking for it, it hadnt been seen. Getting out of the car my fears were alayed. Yes it had been seen that morning but was in a patch of reeds and long grass. It was just a question of waiting for it to emerge - and emerge it did, showing well on the short grass before scurrying back into cover. Wow! I've been lucky to have a few unforgettable birding moments but that ranked with the best. Quite emotional.

We moved on but not before seeing a flock of 17 Lapland Buntings and our first Fieldfare of the trip. The weather was beautiful with warm sunshine and light winds, but birds were clearly coming in with a noticable increase in numbers of Redwings and Song Thrushes.

Moving on again we popped on to Fetlar. It was only slightly out of our way and had the attraction of having a Blyth's Reed warbler. The bird had favoured a Dock plantation otherwise known as the garden of a Bod, which we were told was some kind of Hostel. Anyway it provided suitable habitat for the Blyth's reed warbler which we duly saw with the help of a local birder.Now I have to say at this point I was getting seriously dehydrated and to make matters worse there had been a cock up on catering front as my supplies of pies various, but mainly pork, had been exhausted AND, would you believe it, the only shop on Fetlar was closed on Thursdays.
Arghh! Still couldn't complain, It isnt every day you get to see Lanceolated warbler and a Blyth's Reed warbler.

Snowball at Unst

Arctic Redpoll, Carduelis hornemanni - Norwick, Unst

Little Bunting, Norwick Unst

Presumed 'Greenland' Redpoll

Lapland Bunting

Lapland Bunting, through the car windscreen. From this image its easy to see where the name Longspur comes from.

More Lapland Buntings

Brambling Fest. - part of a flock of eighty or so.

Wednesday 6th October 2010

A trip to one of the other islands was long overdue and with the prospect of seeing a real Arctic Redpoll we headed North for the ferry to Unst via Yell. We arrived at Norwick in the North of Unst to find a handful of birders searching some weedy strips of cultivated land. We soon found a pair of Little Buntings but the Arctic Redpoll proved to be far more difficult. As the search widened a presumed Greenland Redpoll landed on the track next to us and more Redpolls were found near the Graveyard but not the 'Snowball' we wanted. As we split up to look round the cottages I came across a Barred warbler which showed briefly in a ditch. The same ditch the Arctic Redpoll was eventually found in by another team on the case.

We had heard there were a flock of Lapland Buntings at Skaw but as we set off we found 4 Lapland Buntings on the road in front of us. So time for a long overdue coffee but not before we had checked out fields around the Heritage Centre near Baltasound where there was a small flock of Barnacle Geese. We also found a Ring Ouzel which had been in the area for a while and a large, 80+ flock of Bramblings around a potato field which held Blackcap and Yellow browed warbler. It was non-stop birding but Julian, who thinks coffee breaks are for wimps, finally relented and I got some much needed refreshment before we set off back.

What's in a name?

Red breasted Flycatcher, Channerwick, Shetland

Sykes' warbler, Channerwick

Yellow browed Warbler, Channerwick

Shag, Grutness

Eider, Grutness

4th and 5th October 2010

Again we spent the day checking out sites on South Mainland. The wind was still South to South East but the low cloud soon cleared. Migrants were still about but not particularly abundant. Pied and Spotted Flycatcher were seen, a few Swallows moved through, even a Turtle Dove at Grutness and the odd Arctic tern battled against the fresh Southerly winds. One Arctic tern had to contend with the attentions of a Peregrine at Voxter, but there was only ever going to be one winner. Back at Channerwick the 'Booted' warbler was officially renamed as Sykes warbler and immediately became an A list celebrity. B list birds or scarcities, included Red breasted Flycatcher and Yellow browed Warbler. At Levenwick the Leicester boys were at it again finding another A list Shetland speciality, a Pallas' Grasshopper warbler. The bird was in several Iris beds and flew from one patch to another. Various people claimed to have seen various key features of the bird in flight. In the event it emerged they hadn't, and the bird was later deemed to be a Grasshopper warbler. At least a tick for the trip list.

A visit to Grutness produced a pair of Red throated Divers, a female Eider and the memorable sight of a Northern Wheatear flying out 150 metres over the sea to take an insect and fly back to its original perch. Birds just never fail to amaze me.

Day 4

We added a few more birds to the trip list with the first skeins of Pink footed Geese coming in plus Knot, Sanderling and a 1w Little Gull but generally a quite day.

Swainson's Thrush nailed

Typical Shetland scene - Bonxie over Sumburgh Airport

Siskin, a confiding bird on Shetland

Great grey Shrike(honest), Virkie

Sunday 3rd October 2010

The strong S.S.East wind continued to bend the Irises in the field in front of our chalet. The view extended across more fields out to the sea. We could watch Redshank, Dunlin, Curlew, Greylag geese and even saw a Ringtail Hen Harrier and Merlin as we were eating Breakfast. We started our first full day with a stroll round the tracks in Gord and we were almost immediately rewarded with our own Yellow browed warbler in garden bushes.

After our walk it was back to Levenwick to get better views of the Swainson's Thrush. The bird never showed well but I did manage to watch it on the ground for a few seconds at close range. Spent the rest of the day exploring sites on the South Mainland. At Channerwick we got brief glimpses of an elusive 'Booted' warbler but we were advised to take the opportunity to get a good look at the bird while there were only a few observers as it was being suggested that the bird might well be a Sykes' warbler. The advise was duly heeded.

Day 1, just got better.

Radde's warbler, Sumburgh Farm

Radde's warbler

Radde's warbler

Saturday 2nd October 2010 - Part 2

After a great start to the week things got even better when a Radde's warbler was found at Sumburgh and then my friends from Leicester' John Hague and Dave Gray and the rest of their crew found a Swainson's Thrush in the quarry at Levenwick. By the time we got there the bird had relocated to a garden and had become extremely elusive. We got some very unsatisfactory flight views so it was clearly a case of having another go next morning. It had been a memorable first day on Mainland Shetland and with continuing strong winds from the S.E. the prospects for further excitement looked good.

A note of caution though, when I saw my first Swainson's on Fetlar in 2007 there were 3 people watching the bird with Julian, Tom and myself. In 2010 there were maybe 50+ running around the garden. Their behaviour was exemplary and the locals were curious and friendly, long may it remain so.

Shetland Chronicles - Day 1

American Buff bellied Pipit, Eshaness Shetland Isles

Buff bellied Pipit

Buff bellied Pipit

The cliffs, Eshaness

Buff bellied Pipit

Buff bellied Pipit

Buff breasted Sandpiper, Eshaness

Buff breasted Sandpiper

Buff breasted Sandpiper

Buff breasted Sandpiper

Buff breasted Sandpiper

Buff breasted Sandpiper

Snow Bunting, Eshaness

Saturday 2nd October - Part 1

I travelled up to the Shetland Isles with Julian Allen for a week's birding based at Gord just outside Cunningsburgh, South Mainland. We touched down at midday and headed off to Eshaness on the North west tip of the Mainland where a tick awaited Julian in the form of an American Buff bellied Pipit. We faffed about looking through fields full of Meadow pipits until we noticed a guy 50 yards behind us taking photos. He eventually drove up to us to say the pipit we were looking for was on its own right next to the road. Sure enough there it was, tick 1 for JA. I took a few shots from the car before we stretched our legs and had a wander around near the Lighthouse. It wasn't long before we came across a couple of very confiding Buff breasted Sandpipers, a photo opportunity not to be missed. There was also a flock of 19 Snow Buntings in the vicinity and a lone House Martin flew around the nearby cliffs. We also saw a Whinchat.