Impressive sightings

I never fail to be impressed by Autumn migration, each year it is completely different. One year it can be a massive fall of Goldcrest, Thrush or warblers. With so many people out watching it is no surprise that many rare birds are found.

                             Barnacle geese ready to head south

The experience of migration was typified when a Lanceolated Warbler was found at Boddam the other day. Many people on hands and knees peered through a fence as the warbler moved up and down a few feet away, but on one occasion it was videoed walked over some ones boot then another person's hand. You could only get this happening in Shetland.

While many birds moved on at the beginning of the week leaving a few birders frustrated, new ones started to arrive and i saw a flock of Barnacle geese (77) flying south, always a great sight. Looking over to Scatness seconds later i could see a larger flock (over 407) an impressive number for Shetland.

The Barnacles gathered on short vegetation towards the headland, they were very noisy but i got very close by using a bank to hide behind, even when i stood up to get a photo (200 mm lens) they didn't take off. A passing Merlin spooked them and they all took off joining another flock who must have been feeding higher up near the cliffs

A small flock of 8 Goldcrest's came in off the sea and landed in the cliffs before flying further inland and i saw a further 3 on the road coming out of Scatness

It was good to meet Steve Minton at Scatness who has made this his patch and turns up some impressive birds and moth's. Again it shows the value of looking at an area on a regular basis.

                                                                                            Storm Petrel

Mid week i was in Lerwick when i was asked by the skipper of the Knab - a tug, to come and identify a bird that had landed on the boat just south. It turned out to be a Storm Petrel which breed on nearby Mousa. It looked very tired and had been resting in a bin where it gained some peace and quiet.

It was moving ok and stretched its wings several times, the plan was to see whether it would fly from the boat when it went out again 1/2 hour later. Hope so very impressive bird- note the webbed feet

Back south, in the quarry at Sumburgh , another or the same Garden Warbler gave good views this time supported with a few Goldcrest. A short distance away at Grutness, another Goldcrest and a Yellow Browed Warbler with a flock of 8 Pied Wagtail.

Levenwick quarry held a flighty Little Bunting, it surprising how easily a bird can disappear into a small area of vegetation. Down at Maywick the Red Breasted Fly had gone with only Blackcap, Goldcrest and Chiffchaff present.

At Quendale I met up again with the Welsh birders who yesterday had found a River Warbler up at the dam. No sign today, but Yellow Browed warblers (3) Goldcrest and a Chiffchaff showed with a Grey Wagtail on the burn

I found a stranded Juvenile  Gannet down at the point of Grutness, it didn't seem injured and came to rest on a grassy bank , no doubt waiting for the tide to come in.

More photos at www.amazingshetland.co.uk

Warblers

It was good to see a Garden Warbler out in the open when we discovered one in Sumburgh quarry. Back in Sheffield it would be a question of hearing the warbler not necessarily seeing it.

                                                                                                          Garden Warbler

Here it was about 25 feet away feeding among rocks and deep vegetation but also along the quarry face.

A couple of female and a male Blackcap fed along side of it

Also in the quarry was a Goldcrest, the first seen in a good few months, several Blackbird and a flock of over 30 Twite, as well as the regular Fulmars.

Down at Grutness a Yellow Browed Warbler showed for a short time before flying down into the field beyond as did Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler

                                                                                                           Yellow Browed

Not much else so headed across to Sumburgh gardens where a couple of Yellow Browed Warblers showed very well, while a Lesser Whitethroat kept well under cover.

Lots of Birders flocked to the south mainland with a Lanceolated and Blyth's Reed Warbler and even took time off to see a small pod of 4 Killer Whales which headed up the west side. We didn't see the Whales but had good views of a pod of more than 18 Porpoise

Scatness had a large flock of Skylark and Meadow Pipit, One Lapland Bunting and a number of waders including Redshank, Turnstone, Sanderling, Ringed Plover, Grey Plover and a flock of 30 Greylag flying south.

                                                                                                            Wigeon

                                                                                                   Meadow Pipit
More Shetland photos at www.amazingshetland.co.uk

Rose Coloured Starling & Hoopoe

The weather  turned this week with gale force winds & torrential rain, then towards the end, drier and sunny weather . Good birds have been found all week with the number of birders in the south mainland staying around 30

I caught up with the Rose Coloured Starling that had been in Scalloway for the past 11 days. On the way up to the garden a Grey Wagtail and a Hawfinch showed briefly in a shower and as i arrived a whole host of Starling, House sparrow and Collard Doves fed on the food provided by Liz and Jim who owned the garden

It was in this garden that the Rufus Turtle Dove turned up at the back end of last year, then Liz and Jim happily shared news on the bird and a cup of tea for the few birders that had turned up on that occasion.

Looking on the hill at the back of the house, a spot that it had been seen a number of times, only a few Redshank, Blackbird and a small group of Shetland Starling. I returned to the garden just as Jim was coming out and he mentioned that he had just seen it behind the big plant pots in vegetation.

It soon showed feeding in the middle of the garden and was quiet aggressive with other birds jumping out of the way. It showed for 1/2 hour before heavy rain set in. I  then moved onto to Quarff where earlier I had just missed out seeing the Hoopoe that had been present since a week last Saturday. Originally it was found at Clumliewick, Sandwick the day before

                                                                                                      All in flight

By the time i had parked up the bird had flown again. I started to search other gardens and as I was talking to a couple of visiting birders the bird flew up and followed a fence for about 50 yards before disappearing in vegetation.

Everyone moved across to a viewing point as the Hoopoe showed at a distance but in the open giving good views. It was too windy for photos and it moved again out of view. I saw it again several hundred of yards away on improved pasture.

Saturday the weather was really good, dry, sunny, warm and still, ideal for photographing so we went in search of the Hoopoe again.

Arriving at Easter Quarff i could easily been back in South Yorkshire with Roy Twigg, Paul Garrity and another couple from Sheffield, Russ Haywood from Rotherham but now living in Quarff and a couple originally from Sheffield just down the valley

This time the Hoopoe showed better but still gave us the run around. On one occasion it landed about 20 feet away but in a dip, then flew away to the far side.

The bird finally showed a distance away but in the open so most of us got a good view before it took flight again, it seemed to be making a regular circuit around the school and down to the bottom road.

More photos at www.amazingshetland.co.uk