Back on the Patch.

After being in Lerwick all week, it was good to be out at Scatness again, quite a few birds still kicking around - 6 Jack Snipe still in the 'wet bit', along with 2 Woodcock, a first year Glaucous Gull around Moast Beach and 2 Snow Buntings out on the headland. Other stuff included - 3 Robins, 40+ Redwing, 60+ Fieldfare, around 25 Blackbirds and 3 Song Thrushes.


Song Thrush.

Snow Buntings.

Purple Sandpiper.

Glaucous Gull.

Fieldfares.

Lerwick.

In Lerwick all week, so the only things of note were - 7 Jackdaws over Holmesgarth on Wednesday (plus 2 over there on Thursday) and a Robin in the garden on most mornings.

Y Fronts.

A text from Rob saying that there were 2 White-fronted Geese in the field behind his house and, after a quick walk up the steps in the garden to the garage, these were then added to the garden year-list - now on 124 ! I don't think that Rob realised, at the time, that I can 'scope that field from the garden.

White-fronted Geese.

Fog.

Fog all day ! 1 Robin in the garden and a Woodcock flushed from by the garden gate were the only birds of any note (the Woodcock brings the garden year-list up to 123).

Cheers to PK for the very humorous video below.

Thrushes.

Hundreds of Redwing, Blackbird and Fieldfares moving south through Scatness today - a pretty awesome spectacle. Also at Scatness were - 3 Robins, 4 Woodcock, 3 Song Thrush and a Mistle Thrush. A Yellow-browed Warbler was in the garden for a while this morning.

Yellow-browed Warbler.

Fieldfares.

Purps.

Something of a clear out last night, but still the odd bird around - Dunnock in the garden, Swallow around Sanblister Beach, 2 Jack Snipe in the wet bit and a Snow Bunting on Scord Beach. Spent a good while photographing the tame Purple Sandpipers near to Moast Beach.

Purple Sandpipers.

Great Black-backed Gull (with Plaice sp).

Bullfinch.

Now that the weather has calmed down (now a light northerly), birds were emerging from where ever they'd been sheltering all week. In Toab there were 9 Robins, a male Black Redstart, a Jack Snipe, a Chiffchaff and 4 Song Thrushes. At Scatness - 6 Robins, a single Snow Bunting and a fantastic count of 8 Jack Snipe (flushed from the tiniest boggy bit of the thistle field).
A Blackcap and 2 Robins were in the garden along with a female Bullfinch (the first record for the garden since the big Bullfinch invasion of 2004, and the 122nd species on the 2009 garden list). Thrushes were everywhere today e.g. 176 Blackbirds at Scatness and 300+ Fieldfares around Toab.
An Otter showed well hunting off the end of the runway.
On a slightly stranger note - how weird is this ? -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NltmFRYN9os


Bullfinch.

Blackbird.

Jack Snipe.

The 'wet bit', where 8 Jack Snipe were flushed.

Otter.

Garden.

As the SE gales continued, birding was restricted to checking the sheltered bits in the garden every now and then (mainly through the window) - 2 Blackcaps, a Robin, a Brambling and 2 Song Thrushes sheltering in the roses were the only birds of any note.


Song Thrush.

Brambling.

Blackcap.

Lerwick.

Had a few hours in Lerwick, so a quick look in Helendale - 3 Robin, 2 Chiffchaff, 2 Goldcrest, 2 Song Thrush, a Blackcap and a Robin.
2 Stonechats around Clickimin.
Didn't even bother doing Scatness as SE winds now force 8-9 - birding impossible !

Stonechat.

Olive-backed Pipit.

A good thrash around south mainland before the wind picked up - Merlin, 50+ Blackbird and a Silver Y in the Grutness crop, 2 Ring Ouzel, 2 Snow Bunting and a late Pied Flycatcher at Sumburgh Head, the day ended on a high note with a very elusive Olive-backed Pipit at Geosetter along with 2 Chiffchaffs and a fly-by Bluethroat.

Chiffchaff.

Waiting for the big one...

Not much around Scatness - the 2 Pink-footed Geese are still there and so is the Pec Sand, though it's now in with the Redshank and flies off straight away, a Merlin knocking around and a male Blackcap in the garden. The weather is set to change this evening (currently a light SSE wind and sunny) to strong SE gales for the rest of the week ! Hopefully by tomorrow there should be birds everywhere (a few Skylarks and Thrushes in already).

If these winds don't bring anything in then nothing will !

Skylark.

Pec.

In a northerly wind, Scatness had a proper wintry feel about the place, and the birds made it feel even more so, with 10 Whooper Swans and 38 Wigeon on the Loch, 30+ Snow Buntings out on the headland and 2 Pink-footed Geese still in one of the fields. The Pectoral Sandpiper was on the Loch shore for a while until flying off towards Moast beach (though no sign of it there, when checked later). Female Blackcap in the garden.


Pectoral Sandpiper.

Common Gull.

Pink-footed Goose.

Whooper Swans.