Shetland Isles 2011 - Raining alot

Little Bunting, Geosetter
Isabelline Shrike 1w, Levenwick
Isabelline Shrike 1w, Levenwick

Red throated Diver, Voe harbour

Blackcap, most common migrant on the Islands

Sea watching, West Mids. style

3rd October 2011

The weather took a turn for the worst overnight with persistent rain continuing throughout the morning. We tried Kergord, being a more shetered location but we still got wet. The only consolation for me was finding 5 Brambling feeding on the ground and a female Crossbill at Lower Voe. By late afternoon the wind had strengthened but we still managed to get good views of the juvenile Isabelline Shrike back at Levenwick during an isolated sunny spell. The bird was sheltering in a garden and the owner kindly allowed a few birders/photographers in to view.

4th October 2011

The strong winds and intermittant showers continued. We toured South Mainland adding only Peregrine, Little gull and Sanderling to the trip list, but we did see another juvenile Citrine wagtail with a liking for manure heaps. This one in a farmyard at Fleck. At Channerwick we followed up a report of another Olive backed Pipit. We got there just in time to see it fly into cover. The last call of a relatively quiet day was to loch Spiggie where Tom located a pair of Purple Sandpipers.

5th October 2011

A Rustic Bunting reported on Unst and the fact that the low listing member of the team, who will remain anonymous, still needed it had us making a second visit to said island. It was a miserable day, a howling gale and persistent rain. No sign of the single observer reported Rustic Bunting. but we did add Garden warbler and Siskin to the trip list. Wow! The highlight of the day though was undoutedly a confiding Olive backed Pipit at Baltasound school(the 3rd OBP of the trip) which gave great photo opportunities despite the gloomy light. (Images in next post) We stopped for something to eat at Voe on the way back. With no decent draught beers on offer I resorted to trying the only unchilled bottled beer they had in the place from the Valhalla Brewery on Unst. The beer was called White Wife and had a very distinctive peaty flavour. The Valhalla beers were stocked at Tescos in Lerwick, so that was me sorted for the rest of the stay.

Shetland Isles 2011 - still sunny

Citrine Wagtail
Yellow browed warbler
Yellow browed warbler, Quendale
Yellow browed warbler

Yellow browed warbler

Olive backed Pipit, Brake

Alpine Swift with Merlin in hot persuit!

Alpine Swift

Alpine Swift

Pallid Harrier mobbed by Hooded Crow

Pallid Harrier

Pallid Harrier

Pallid Harrier

Pallid Harrier

1st October 2011

It was a late start, watching the first half of England v Scotland. No comment! When we did get out it was clear there had been a significant fall of birds with large numbers of Redwing and Yellow browed warblers at most sites we visited during the morning. There were 3 at Wester Quarff for example, and 4 at Hoswick. At Geosetter we picked up an obliging Little Bunting. After a visit to Sumburgh the pace started to hot up. A Citrine wagtail was seen briefly in the farmyard at Quendale and then an Olive backed pipit was found at Brake, with the Pallid Harrier still performing in the background but getting little attention. A message that there was an Alpine Swift at Cunningsburgh led to a speedy evacuation and a short drive north to watch this rare visitor so far North. The swift flew low around farm buildings until 'attacked' by a Merlin. A sight you dont see every day!
2nd October 2011

We started where we left off the previous day, with news of an Isabelline Shrike at Levenwick. The bird was always difficult to get at and only gave very distant views. Nearby the Alpine Swift was still performing well, watched from the main road. We moved back to the Quendale area where Julian picked out a juvenile Citrine wagtail in a farmyard overlooking the Loch of Hillwell. At Virkie it was my turn to come up with something, a Curlew Sandpiper. At Toab Tom and I had the briefest of views of our one and only Barred warbler of the trip while I struggled to get to grips with Common Rosefinch.

The Shetland Isles 2011- the Sunny bit

Lesser Grey Shrike, Laxo

Lesser grey Shrike
Hen Harrier, nr. Brake

Whinchat, Brake

Whinchat

Black headed Bunting, Belmont House,Unst

Red backed Shrike, Unst

Monday 10th October 2011

On Thursday 29th September Julian Allen, Tom Perrins and myself set off for our now annual pilgrimage to the Shetlands. After a good flight we were soon checking out sites on the South Mainland, no sign of either of the 2 Pallid Harriers around the Loch of Hillwell so we moved north to Laxo in the hope of catching up with a Lesser Grey Shrike, although quite distant we logged our first rarity of the trip. We tried again for the Pallid Harrier but although there was still no sign we were compensated by a Short eared Owl close to the road.

30th September 2011

Late news of a Great Snipe being seen near where we were staying meant an early start the next day, as an organised search had been arranged for just after dawn. About 30 birders made it but alas there was no sign of the bird. After breakfast at the airport we returned to the Quendale/Brake area to watch a Hen Harrier and a rather less active Pallid Harrier. It was now a beautiful day and we drove North to Unst where a juvenile Black headed Bunting had taken up residence not far from the ferry terminal. The bird showed well, basking in the sunshine with local House sparrows. Despite a good search of the Northwick area we only came up with Pied Flycatcher and Red backed Shrike during the rest of our visit to Unst.

A short Stint at Middleton Lakes

Little Stint, Middleton Lakes, Staffs.
Little Stint

Little Stint

Little Stint

Little Stint

Monday 26th Sept. 2011

Having dipped the Long toed Stint at Weir reservoir in Sussex it was back to the local scene with a walk round Middleton Lakes today. Beautiful day with a few waders on the 'new reedbed pool' Maybe 10 Ringed plover, 3 Dunlin and a couple of Little Stints. Having carried my camera round the 'wetland' circuit I took a couple of shots of the waders knowing that the birds we too far away for any reasonable images but what the hell. Anyway after a quick look at Coton and Shustoke and adding only Little Egret,Wigeon and Pochard to the day list it was back home for a much needed cup of Tea. Knowing the insatiable appetite of my Blog followers for news, views and quality snaps I checked out the days images. The odd Fungi, a small Heath Butterfly, something flying by which might have been a Sparrowhawk and loads of shots of a Little Stint with olive green legs. Hum! I pondered. What if ? Better safe than sorry I contacted a few friends, with descriptions, concensus was Little Stint.

A local roundup

Black necked Grebe, Napton Reservoir, Warks.

Black necked Grebe
Monday 19th Sept 2011

After the relative 'excitment' of the previous week it was very much a return to business as usual. I got a decent walk out of it but not much doing birdwise. There was a nice flock of about 40 Skylarks in the stubble on the Caldecote circuit. A Green Sandpiper is still on the river at Kingsbury, a Kingfisher at Broomey Croft, a Little Egret on the river at Fisher's Mill and a few Ringed plover on Fishers Mill north scrape. There were very few migrants about, only the dwindling numbers of Swallows. A Cetti's at Coton was about the only warbler around.

Tuesday 20th Sept 2011

Having decided not to go twitching the Scillies I settled for Brandon Marsh instead. Bad move some would say. Only time will tell, but it wasnt exactly humming with excitement I must admit. A pair of Dunlin on Teal pool was the best on offer. I had the place to myself, perhaps everyone else is heading for the Isles of Scilly. I moved on to Napton Reservoir to see the Black necked Grebe and then back to Draycote. It was now raining quite heavily and again I had the place to myself. There was quite alot of activity on Farborough and Toft banks with flocks of Pied and Yellow Wagtails, a small flock of Meadow pipits, 2 Wheatear and a Grey Wagtail. On Farborough spit were 2 Dunlin, 2 Ringed plovers and a Greenshank while over the centre of the water was a Juvenile Little Gull, an Arctic tern and a juvenile Black tern.

Seabirds in the Strangest places

Shag, Stoneydelph, Tamworth, Staffs.
Shag

Shag

Saturday 17th Sept. 2011

The nearest, or at least the easiest to get to M and S to Jan and I is now at Tamworth. So news that a young Shag had turned up in Stoneydelph fitted in well with Jan's plans for a bit of Saturday afternoon shopping. Finding the shops was easy but finding the pond the Shag had chosen to hold up at was a nightmare. Anyway we got there in the end thanks to to guidance of TP and dozens of locals braving the heavy downpours. The bird was on a grassy bank next to the pond surrounded by Swans and Ducks. As I approached a couple of ladies were bearing down on the bird with armfulls of bread for the ducks. I quicked my step and managed to intercept them before the feeding frenzy began explaining my interest in the unusual visitor. They graciously moved further along the bank to scatter their bread, taking the ducks with them.

Waders at Draycote Water

Little Stint, Draycote Water
Sanderling

Greenshank

Greenshank

Turnstone

Curlew Sandpiper

Wheatear

Wheatear

Friday 16th Sept 2011

Ok, still a bit of a retrospective, I'm afraid I haven't been out today. You dream of autumn days like today searching for Wrynecks and Grey Phals and then spend the day sorting out the TV and your Broadband and kitchen tiles and....... well, no way to top up the old self found list. Having said that I did manage a Redstart at Caldecote on the 5th and a presumed Reed warbler in the most unlikely habitat on the ground near Merevale hall, Atherstone. Hobby are still around with one at Whitacre Heath NR on the 12th along with 40+ Yellow wagtails in the cow field. There were also 10+ Yellow wags at Draycote, as well as Wheatear, Curlew Sand., Little Stint and the Gannet which was found sadly dead this morning. I popped in to Sutton Park on the 14th to find a couple of Common Redstarts but very few willow/chiffs and no sign of any Spotted Flycatchers. I bumped into Steve Haynes who had noted a movement of Meadow pipits, picking out the calls of birds as they flew over. Sadly I was unable to hear the pipits at all, its an age thing you know. I was going to make some witisism about missing a Shag at Draycote but I dont think I'll bother.