Puffins at Sumburgh, Shetland

Very few Puffins about so far, i was lucky with a few after 45 mins with only seeing one about 50 appeared flying in to their nest holes

It was a windy day so difficult photographing the flying birds. Others have seen none or few birds, just hope this is not a bad year for them. Only one Gt Skua patrolling cliffs

 

Blyth Reed Warbler- Shetland

I headed round to Sumburgh hotel gardens as part of my patch routine. I noted a BRW had been seen at 7am that morning but not seen since

I arrived finding no one else present which wasn't a surprise as it was now 2.20pm. I saw a few starlings visiting young with food but little else.

But this is Shetland and you have to expect the unexpected. A warbler gave very brief views near the gate at the top end of the sycamores

It then came into view very briefly, this was the BRW and i was the only one there. 

It showed several times before another birder, staying at the hotel came for a look round and was just about to come through the gate but i managed to attract his attention and he came round the west side

The bird was now working back up towards the gate as he arrived and it took him a few mins to get onto the bird as it kept deep and behind the leaves

It then flew across to the north side and was seen closer

I was pleased to get onto the bird that was moving about alot. I then put word out just as the bird headed back across to the bushes on the eastside

It quickly moved along and then flew across to the pool just as another three people arrived.

It showed again a couple of hours later along with a  Red Rumped Swallow

The BRW should have been a lot further east, either in Finland or eastern Russia. a nice bird to find having had no good migrants for the past few days due to cold northerly winds

 

American wigeon- Shetland

An American Wigeon was present from the 22 May until yesterday at Spiggie, then Hillwell and then down at Scatness

I manage to see it a couple of times but it was very windy and difficult to photograph as it was very distant.

It was also joined by a male Garganey which was good to see

Lots of waders about as well, this Turnstone on the grass in front of the loch

 

Shetland common birds

Always good numbers of Twite in Shetland as well as 100's of noisy Starlings

Seems to be good numbers of Oystercatcher now breeding and they returned on January, normally not seen in numbers until March

This could be another bad year for bird flu, already about 5,000 Black Headed Gulls have been found dead, as they have migrated through infected areas in Europe. Also two people confirmed with bird flu this week in separate incidents. When we do beach surveys we now spray the birds to inform others that they have already been counted as they could well be infected. 
 

Black Headed gulls already hard hit with bird flu, which species will be next

In the past few days had distant views of American Wigeon, Garganey and White Tailed Eagle but northerly winds have halted migration