Pectoral Sandpiper - Shetland

 I was down at the south end of Shetland, when the news broke of a Pectoral Sandpiper just a few minutes away from home.

As there was no migrants about i headed up to find a small group watching the Sandpiper feeding among seaweed.

It was feeding with Turnstone and Starlings and finding plenty of insects to keep it there for another day, even though the weather has changed again, back to gales.

All my previous sightings have been distant but this didn't seem too bothered coming close.

This is a scarce bird from America or Siberia, as we have had northerly winds if could well have come from the latter.

Shetland Bluethroat

Lots of migrants about these last several days and having already found a Wyrneck at Grutness I came across this superb Male Red Spotted Bluethroat

It is always good to find a good bird and there is plenty og opportunity in Shetland to do this.

I had only just entered the quarry at Quendale when this Bluethroat appeared over to the left and spent 5 mins working away to get to a manure heap but was then chased off by a wheatear.

It quickly came back and started feeding again. This was a well marked bird, always better in spring