Sumburgh Spring birds

Finally managed to get out after lots of bad weather and being ill round Christmas. It was an excellent day on Sunday with lots of sun and a lack of wind

We stopped off at Sumburgh and straight away heard the song of Starlings, Twite, Meadow Pipit, Curlew and Oystercatcher - a good sign of spring

The three Twite sang away unconcerned by my close approach. They were joined by around 20 Starling who started singing immediately, what a tonic

Making my way over the West Voe I saw a small bird on a fence post which turned out to be a male Stonechat then the female jumped up near by. This pair has now been present for a week with the odd bird a bit further north

They constantly dropped down into the dunes picking up insects and looked settle, who knows if they will stay to breed

At Grutness only a few Shag could be seen on the incoming tide

This one surfaced just in front of me as I stood on the pier.

Several Red Throated Divers could be seen but only one showed any sign's of Summer plumage

Also good to see a group of 18 Long Tailed ducks in the bay

West Voe
Gt Northern Diver (2) Eider (6) Long Tailed Duck (66) Common Gull (22) Turnstone (18) Gt BB(2) Rock Pipit (4) Herring Gull (8) LBB (1)

Winter Birding

Very quiet at the moment, even after severe gales and torential rain

This Bar Tailed Godwit was on Grutness beach feeding for a few minutes before flying off south

Lots of Fulmar long the cliffs and in Sumburgh quarries, all very noisy 

Lots of Curlew around on the moor with a flock of 76 in one field with at least 35 Redshank

Hope for more next week but still been a very good year

Cranes at Sandwick

Went out on another Otter watch a few days ago, this time no luck despite a 4 hour search. Similar for someone else who had been to three other sites before arriving at my spot.

Arriving back in Sandwick I received a message the cranes had moved from near Leebotton up to a field near the Social club

The Common Cranes have now moved to a stubble field just down the road from us and in fact we can see then from our garden without binoculars.

They are still very wary but I managed better photos in good light. Lots of Rock Doves and gulls in the field.

Down at Sumburgh, one of the Stonechats popped up on a wall, while  several Greenland Wheatear and White Wagtails fed on insects above the single tracked road leading to the farm. A flock of around 20 Swallows still feeding over the crop

Only one Dunlin on the pool at Grutness and several Turnstone and Ringed Plover on the beach. Nothing on the sea either at Grutness or West Voe.

A few American waders arrived on the west side and the Snowy Owl has been seen again on Ronas Hill

 Cranes love to eat seed, grain roots and insects and they seem to find lots of food in the stubble field

No sign of the Cranes the last couple of days so they may well be heading south on migration. These two Common Crane are more likely be from the Scandinavian population than the resident English flock

Migration trickle

It was good to see that 4 Two Barred Crossbills are still down at Clickimin. These birds tend to be quiet so you can easily walk past them.

 Family party of Whooper swan at Spiggie, they might be local breeders

As we set off last Saturday morning news came in that a Great Snipe had been flushed down at Dalsetter but had flown south. and up in Unst a Blyth Reed Warbler was seen . Things are picking up and as well arrived at Sumburgh Hotel a flock of Swallow (26) flew over while Greenland Wheatears (12)flittered about down the east side.

Greenland  Wheatear

This is a good number of Greenland Wheatears and on Friday there seemed a lot at Burra, I flushed 18 down one side road.

On the pool at Grutness, a Knot and Dunlin(5) fed down one of the channels but generally it was quiet as the terns and gulls have left their nesting area in the boulders.

 Knot

On the beach at Grutness- Turnstone (12), but on East Voe beach , Turnstone (84) Sanderling (5) Ringed Plover (6) Redshank (3) all feeding in the seaweed along the shore line

 Dunlin

 Turnstone

 Knot

 Dunlin

 Golden Plover - Virkie

 Knot

A good variety of waders gathered at Virkie, including Ringed Plover (97) Turnstone (45) Bar Tailed Godwit (2) Black Tailed Godwit (6) Curlew (10) Redshank (15) Dunlin(23) Golden Plover, Knot (12), Sanderling (6)

Bar Tailed Godwit

Yesterday the Crossbills seemed to have disappeared but a few good birds have started to move through with Barred warbler, Quail, Spotted Redshank, Common Rosefinch & Short Eared Owl