The Patch

In preparation for a new patch year-list starting tomorrow, here are a few pics showing a few of the choice areas on my patch and the patch boundaries - even though it's quite a small patch, it's surrounded by plenty of sea, which is always good for boosting the tally.

The patch boundary

The main areas on the patch - the area that is missing off the map is mainly just rocks and also Horse Island

17 Year Grip Back

After dipping a Mourning Dove on the Hebs in 1999, managed to jam in on the one currently in Lerwick today.

Aurora

A few pics from last night's aurora, it wasn't really up to much here in south Mainland, but visible enough between cloudy spells.

And a couple more from 8th October...

Pegger

Just sat at home having a lazy Sunday afternoon, when this Peregrine whacks a Lapwing out of the sky right outside the living room window.

OTD

Having been away south for a week, I thought I may as well get something out of the autumn, so headed off to Scalloway for the Oriental Turtle Dove - no effort required as it was perched up in a spruce tree about 5 feet away at head height. Apart from doing not very much in the tree, it did have a brief jaunt down for a quick drink, before heading back up into the tree to sit around again.

Questions

So after 2 days of south-easterly gales and loads of rain, how come there are so few birds about? All that was at Scatness was a load of Redwing and Song Thrushes, a few Blackcaps, a flock of Barnacle Geese and a Kestrel.

Barnacle Geese

Kestrel

Waders

A few of the waders from Moast Beach.

Bar-tailed Godwit

Lots of Knot

Icterine

Icterine Warbler in the garden today

Ketchapuri Lake

Last day in the field before heading back to the UK, so a quick visit to  Ketchapuri Lake about 15 miles away from Yuksom. 2 Vivid Niltava, 3 Black-throated Sunbird, 1 Himalayan Blue Flycatcher, 1 Large Niltava, 2 Oriental Turtle Doves, 2 Fire-breasted Flowerpecker, 2 Chestnut-crowned Warbler, 2 Grey Treepie, 1 Eastern Black Redstart and a Stripe-breasted Woodpecker.

Black-throated Sunbird

Large Niltava

Stripe-breasted Woodpecker

Eastern Black Redstart

Yuksom Day Four

Another day on the forest trail out of Yuksom - 2 Great Barbet, 2 Oriental Turtle Dove, 6 Spot-winged Grosbeak, 1 White-capped Water Redstart, 2 Little Pied Flycatcher, 1 Black-winged Cuckoo-shrike, 2 Small Niltava, 1 Black-capped Monarch, 1 Himalayan Bulbul, 7 Verditer Flycatcher, 2 Mountain Tailorbird, 1 Pygmy Wren-babbler, 2 Black-throated Sunbird, 1 Golden Spectacled Warbler, 1 Slaty-blue Flycatcher, 2 Broad-billed Warblers, 2 Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike, 4 Oriental White-eye, 6 Short-billed Minivet, 1 Asian Barred Owlet, 1 Large Niltava, 1 Blyth's Leaf Warbler, 1 Long-tailed Thrush, 1 Black Eagle and 4 Robin Accentor - not a bad day, after 13 hours in the field.

Blyth's Leaf Warbler

Black-winged Cuckoo-shrike

Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike

Little Pied Flycatcher

Blue-tailed Jester

Common Leopard

Yuksom Day Three

Another day around Yuksom - highlights were 1 Hill Blue Flycatcher, 2 Red-flanked Bluetail, 1 Large Niltava, 2 Small Niltava, 1 Golden-spectacled Warbler, 2 Blue-winged Minla, 10 Chestnut-tailed Minla, 2 Red-tailed Minla, 4 Olive-backed Pipit, 5 Oriental Turtle Dove, 6 Red-billed Leiotherix, 6 Verditer Flycatcher, 1 Siberian Stonechat, 1 Little Pied Flycatcher, 2 White-crowned Water Redstart, 2 Nepal Fulvetta and most stunning of all - a tricolor Long-tailed Shrike.

 

Chestnut-tailed Minla

Little Pied Flycatcher

'tricolor' Long-tailed Shrike

Red-billed Leiotherix

Red-flanked Bluetail

Small Niltava

Siberian Stonechat