No change

Monday started cool again but improved by the afternoon so we went down to the corncrake site in the hope of getting a view but no appearance in an hour although it did call close by only once.

A car pulled up and a birder talked about the crake which he had seen briefly earlier that morning, he introduced himself as Robbie Brookes, someone who i had been following on his blog for a long time. He was out of his usual range spending most of his time up in Unst.

At Helendale mid week only a Chiffchaff sang, on Clickimin Mute swan(3) Tufted (28) Mallard (4) and several Arctic tern provided the entertainment

This weekend the weather was mixed so we made the most of our trip down to the south mainland. Resisting the urge to go and look for the Corncrake was a mistake as Dougie Preston managed superb views on Saturday morning.

We did however manage three Gt Northern Divers in summer plumage and several close up Sanderling and a few Turnstones in great summer plumage, they do look stunning at this time of year.

Starlings are all displaying and many bringing back food to young. Blackbirds seem everywhere with the white tailed male seen again at Sumburgh. A few swallows have made it to Shetland unlike many other migrants that would normally have been here had the wind direction been from the east. The weather on Friday was not spring like at all with snow falling in Yell and north mainland.

A barrier seems to have been set north of Orkney where many more migrants have been seen. Its possibly the poorest spring migration for years and even the breeding birds seem to be here in lower numbers. terns especially seem to be here in smaller numbers.

Of course there is still a few weeks for late migrants such as Marsh Warbler, the odd Egret or Heron lets hope for a few days of easterly winds very soon.