Grutness Bluethroat

This spring has been the best for many years. Lots of common and rare birds making it one to remember

This Bluethroat was a good find down at Grutness pool

 

Shetland Bluethroat

Lots of migrants about these last several days and having already found a Wyrneck at Grutness I came across this superb Male Red Spotted Bluethroat

It is always good to find a good bird and there is plenty og opportunity in Shetland to do this.

I had only just entered the quarry at Quendale when this Bluethroat appeared over to the left and spent 5 mins working away to get to a manure heap but was then chased off by a wheatear.

It quickly came back and started feeding again. This was a well marked bird, always better in spring

 

Shetland comes good- RB Fly and Bluethroat

With easterly winds over the past few days you just knew something special was going to happen

After a day of common migrants , yesterday produced a Red Breasted Flycatcher at Grutness. It was very flighty

It dshed through the bushes a few times before dropping to the ground to feed

With better light it perched for a few seconds on a wall 

Today news came in that five Bluethroats had arrived, one just a few mins away in a garden.

It showed straight away down at the bottom of the garden but then disappeared only to show at the other side of the garden.

It returned to its original spot and came out to feed, collecting several insects and showing well

Its was a cracking bird. The Red Spot Bluethroats are found to the eastern side of Europe, with the White Spot over on the western side of France

This bird may well be heading over to Scandinavia after this brief visit to Shetland

We tend to see more in Autumn but this spring has started well.

 

Red Breasted Flycatcher at Boddam, Shetland

 The wind direction had changed today but still we got some very interesting migrants in Shetland.

Much has been said about the behaviour of this years birders but i haven't seen anything but good things. What with blocked roads with cars abandoned, speeding and dangerous driving, not social distancing and walking on crops they can make it difficult for local birders when they leave.

I headed down to Levenwick  hoping to see the Bluethroat but it wasn't playing ball, only showed for a few seconds in over 1.5 hours but it did pull in a lot of birders.

I only stopped for a short time and then made my way down to Boddam about 5 mins away. A Red Breasted Flycatcher had arrived and apparently was quiet showy.

With only another two birders present we search over the area turning up Blackcap(4) Wheatear, Robin (6) Chiff Chaff and eventually a Hawfinch (the latter flying into a garden and not reappearing.

We did find the RBF which was down in the lower gardens. We flushed it a couple of times so when the others left i made my way down to the Croft House museum and approaching from the south to its favoured feeding spot.

After about 5 mins it appeared on the lower fence before moving up to the bushes where plenty of flies and bees fed.

It was very lively chasing the insects but did come onto the wall close by a couple of times