October

That's it ! work, work, work and no time for birding. As is shown by the accompanying photos, I managed to do the patch on very few occasions.

Common Stonechat

Blackcap

Brambling

Barnacle Geese

Reed Bunting

Wheatear

Whinchat

Sibe Chat ?

Wimped out and only went out on the patch after the rain had stopped, though it was still blowing a gale, but the place was crawling with migrants - mainly Song Thrushes (87) and Robins (29). In addition to this - 1 Short-eared Owl, 3 Chaffinch, 1 Brambling, 1 Siskin, 7 Wheatear, a Jack Snipe, 5 Grey Herons, 31 Wood Pigeons, 5 Blackcap, 2 Chiffchaff (inc 1 'sibe' type), a male Redstart, 1 Black Redstart, 2 Reed Buntings and 6 Redwing. Still quite a few geese around too - 110 Barnacle Geese and 320 Pinkies. So after seeing that lot, as I was heading home past Colonial Place, up popped at Stonechat onto a nearby fence, on first views I was thinking it was a bit colourful for a Sibe, but the bird had an unmarked apricot coloured rump and seemed to have dark underwings, I managed to get a few crap shots of it before it flew off into the gardens. Despite quite a bit of searching, I couldn't relocate it, but by then it was nearly dark. Less wind forecast for tomorrow, so will have another look in the morning.

Blackcap

Brambling

Short-eared Owl

Siberian ? Stonechat

Song Thrush

Geese

Out on the patch in the first south-easterly that has coincided with my time off work, I managed to get a good couple of hours patching before the rain came in. Although birding was difficult at times in the 50mph winds, there were still quite a few migrants about - 11 Song Thrush, 3 Goldcrest, 7 Blackcap, 4 Wheatear, 1 Brambling, 1 Swallow and a Woodcock. A bit of a surprise was 295 Pink-footed Geese and 131 Barnacle Geese all on the deck at the back of the Loch, also a bit unusual was a Black-tailed Godwit in front of the house.

Blackcap

Black-tailed Godwit

Barnacle Geese

Pink-footed Geese

Wheatear

Ruby Four

Just back from Levenwick and my fourth Siberian Rubythroat, I couldn't manage any photos as viewing was pretty restricted and by the time I'd found a better place to view from it was nearly dark. Even though the bird is a first winter male, it didn't look that much dissimilar to this one (photographed in India)

Barnies

Try as I might, I just can't seem to get anything out of the patch, especially in South-westerly winds. Twice today I've done all the areas with any cover and all I got was a Song Thrush and a Blackcap, 2 Barnacle Geese were in the stubble field but still no Lapland Buntings there.

Barnacle Geese

White's Number Eight

After thrashing the patch and getting just a Yellow-browed Warbler, I had nothing better to do, so I went along to have a look at my seventh White's Thrush (1 St Agnes, 1 Lewis and now 5 on Shetland - Old Scatness, Sumburgh Farm, Swinning, 2 Kergord and this one ).

White's Thrush

Yellow-browed Warbler