Spring migration in Shetland.

 Good to see lots of Wheatear about and a few other common migrants such as Chiffchaff. There has 

been a few scarce migrants as well including Ring Necked Ducks, American wigeon, Queen Eider, Common Crane and Little Tern

Chiffchaff are more common up here than Willow Warblers and one or two have been singing which is always a good sign.

The weather has not been good for migrants with strong northerly winds and even some snow.

Unlike down in England we don't have a dawn chorus as such, which i do miss. Perhaps Blackbird, Wren and Starling are good enough.

Shetland- Virkie

 The Pool of Virkie always produces a lot of birds but depends on the tide. There are always lots of gulls as well as waders. Yesterday 34 Bar Tailed Godwit, 38 Ringed Plover, 56 Dunlin, 6 Sanderling, 18 Curlew, 12 oystercatcher, 58 Turnstone

The Red Necked Grebe continues to provide excellent views in the marina 

a few migrants have arrived including Pied Wagtails, Chiffchaff and Wheatear as well as a Swallow over

Lerwick Snow Bunting

Finally caught up with the snow buntings that have been -present in Lerwick for about a month. These have been feeding on seed put out by birders at the quarry above Clickimin.

The conditions were sunny but cold with ice and snow on the ground. At first the buntings didn't show, then a tractor came for a hay bale just as the snow buntings arrived, peering over the edge of a rock.

As usual for this species they were noisy and chattered until the tractor left then flew down to feed for a short time before taking off and flying off

Ten minutes later they were back and came to feed again for a short time then flew up to the highest point in the quarry.

The OM1-2 150-400mm was good at tracking using the settings previously showed. 

Migrants galore- Shetland

 

Rare Blue Winged Teal- Shetland

 It was good to hear that a male Blue Winged Teal had turned up at Scatness in the south mainland

after about 1/2 hour it disappeared but turned up again about an hour later. When i arrived there was 10 birders (all locals) and found the bird had moved onto the sea but with the sun direct ahead it was difficult getting a good view

With a few minutes in flew onto the loch and joined six Tufted then it swam to the bank where two Wigeon were feeding.

It quickly moved inland and started feeding, joined by a female teal (common). Although distant it was very distinctive.

This North American bird joins another teal, a Green Winged Teal which has been at Spiggie for several days

One of the other birds said it might be 30 years since the last one

Female Long Tailed Duck in flight -Shetland

 Photographing birds in flight is always challenging but well worth it. Long Tailed Ducks came close in at Grutness at high tide and because they were in mating mode there was a lot of activity

Seeing them close up is great, round at West Voe there are still well over 100 birds but very distant.

They will soon be heading north to gather at Bluemull sound near Unst and it is a spectacular sight to see several hundred birds before they head to breeding grounds further north