The Shetland Isles - 2013

Monday 30th September 2013
With strong S.E. winds continuing the prospects for more 'good' birds looked promising and anticipation of something Mega was high. We took ourselves off to Yell and Unst for the day and it was clear birds were coming in. As well as flights of Barnacles and Pink footed Geese overhead there were good numbers of Snow Buntings and Bramblings as well as more common migrants such as Robin, Meadow pipit and Goldcrest. At Mid Yell we saw an Eastern Sub-Alpine warbler before moving on to Unst. It was now a beautiful sunny day and a joy to stroll around Haroldswick where we failed to connect with an O.B.Pipit but saw Merlin and a large flock of Snow Buntings and Norwick where we saw Common Redpoll, Common Redstart and Lesser Whitethroat. A few Swallows were making the most of the weather to 'stock up' at the most northerly point of the British Isles before starting their long journey south.

'Eastern' Sub-Alpine warbler, Mid Yell

Eastern Sub-Alpine Warbler

Brambling, Unst

Snow Bunting

Merlin, Unst

Common Redpoll, Norwick, Unst

Common Redpoll

Lesser Whitethroat, (PEF), Norwick

Lesser Whitethroat