Shetland - Pallas's and Booted Warblers

With easterly winds at last birds started to turn up at the weekend , rare and common migrants. Our first stop was down at Grutness where a Pallas's Warbler had been found.

I walked up to the wall and the bird showed immediately flitting between the sycamores. The bird performed well for an hour for just six birders. Anywhere else there would have been a hundred or so people on site.

Pallas's Warbler

A Chiffchaff and Robin were also seen in the garden

Up at the Quarry a good number of common migrants, Redstart, Goldcrest (6) Chaffinch(12) Blackcap(2), Robin (2) Twite(12) , Blackbird(5)Wren (2) and lots of Fulmar, sparrow and Starling.

Opposite, in the field Barnacle Geese (65) were very noisy and these increased to 110 the next day.

Barnacle Geese

A flock of Chaffinch arrived and started to feed allowing a close approach

 Chaffinch

I tried without luck for the Booted Warbler down at West Voe but it didn't show on Saturday but was later seen in a different spot. The following day i located the Booted warbler in the garden but then it flew down onto the tide line and started to feed on flies , darting among the seaweed

 I spent about an hour with the warbler before it flew off again into the garden area and didn't reappear in the 1/2 hour i waited.

Booted Warbler on the beach

 The garden held the usual, Redwing, Brambling, Chaffinch, Wren, Sparrow and Starling.

The Pallas's Warbler showed well at Grutness  and although i didn't see it a White Rumped Sandpiper flew from the pool across the beach. I went to the quarry where a Long Eared Owl was reported but no one could find it.

Common Migrants were not as numerous as yesterday but the Redstart showed again.

 Redstart

News came in that a River Warbler had turned up at Wester Quarff so most of the birders left. We returned to Sandwick where a large flock of Greylag and Pinkfoot fed up near the Wart, lots of Golden Plover , Curlew, Turnstone, Lapwing, Redshank and Ringed Plover

Contact me if you want any further information on the above course. You can book now with Shetland Adult Education