Out of luck

 On Sunday i too a trip down to Quendale to look for the Glossy Ibis that had been present since Monday. The weather conditions was near perfect as ii walked along the beach to the Eel burn about 1/2 way along. Another new location, birdwatching gets you around

I walked up to near the loch before seeing a dog walker coming towards me. I had not seen the bird and knew that the dog would put the bird up if it was about. Others had noted that it been very nervous taking off at if anyone approached.

With no bird present i returned to the road and walked to the farm building above the loch where two other locals had started to look for the bird but had no success.

Oystercatcher with white winter neck collar

It a crop a flock of around 200 Twite flew up onto the wires a few times and in the next field 10 fieldfare and 6 Redwing had been joined by 6 Blackbird. Lots of Oystercatcher had return to Shetland early and a flock of 25 fed near flood water. Lots of Ravens passed over and 40 Curlew took to the air when disturbed by a tractor.

Part of the Twite flock

On Tuesday the weather was better than expected so i had another try but no luck again, i met two other birder who had no luck either. 

There is currently 125 Glossy Ibis in the uk. The first three that turned up in shetland all died after a week, all keeping to ditches

Tried again Friday in calm weather and no sign again although i walked the burn a couple of times, although i did flush Snipe(8) Chaffinch and 4 very early Skylark. Also 34 Oystercatcher on flooded field with a number of Common and Gt BB Gulls

Down at Spiggie, Mute (8) Whooper (16) Goldeneye (12) Cormorant (4) .

First ever doubled headed swan 😀

No sign of Phalarope on the sea at Ireland but a close up Common Guillemot, Red Breasted merganser (4) and further out Long Tailed Duck (32) , 

Turnstone (34) Curlew (12) and Greylag (36) flew over.

Along the road back to Bigton Ravens and then a juvenile GT BB Gull fed on a dead rabbit. This gull did not want to move as i slow edged up to it and then passed it. Flocks of Starling, Redwing and Fieldfare roamed the fields.

Further along the road and feeding among sheep was a flock of at least 60 Rock Dove