Monday 31 October 2016

Scary Veg Day

The day started with 3 Goldfinch in the garden, obviously new birds, so I thrashed the patch once again and there were indeed birds on the move - 10 Whooper Swans (7 flying south and 3 on the Loch), a female Chaffinch on West Voe beach of all places, 1 Merlin, 4 Robins, 1 Blackcap (on Moast Beach), 40 Redwing, 1 Song Thrush and the Slav Grebe was still in West Voe along with 2 Great Northern Divers and 45 Long-tailed Ducks.
Goldfinches
Redwing
Slavonian Grebe
Whooper Swans

Sunday 30 October 2016

Scraps

Still a few bits moving through the patch - 4 Robin, 1 Merlin, 2 Song Thrush, 40 Redwing, 1 Woodcock, 2 Chiffchaffs and a Brambling. 3 Pink-footed Geese were in front of the house first thing but soon moved on.
Brambling
Chiffchaff

Saturday 29 October 2016

Another year tick

I thought the patch might have another year tick in it before the autumn was through, and it did - a Slavonian Grebe in West Voe. Still a few migrants around the patch, surprising really after the westerly gales of the last few days - 2 Blackcaps, 2 Robins and a Chiffchaff still kicking about and 3 Pink-footed Geese in front of the house.
Slavonian Grebe
Robin
And a few more close ups -
Lichens
Raindrops
Rosehip seeds
More raindrops

Macro and stuff

A few of the macro pics I took this year
Crocosmia - with solar filter, plain and close up of bud
Dock seed
Red Campion
Stinging Nettle
Rosa Rugosa
Daisy
Calendula
Rush Veneer
Shells

Tuesday 25 October 2016

Nearly over

Today it really felt like the autumn was coming to an end, the winds have swung round to the south west and bird numbers had plummeted - 1 Woodcock, 1 Goldcrest, 1 Pink-footed Goose, 1 Barnacle Goose, 2 Robin, 1 Song Thrush, 1 Fieldfare, 30 Redwing and 3 Red-breasted Merganser. It looks like the Pied Wheatear has finally moved on.
Red-breasted Mergansers
The neep field where the Hawfinch was on Sunday
A day of sunshine and showers

Monday 24 October 2016

Still there

Amazingly the Pied Wheatear is still here (11th day) and remaining faithful to Stink Geo. Still a few bits and pieces around the rest of the patch - 5 Robin, 5 Chiffchaff, 2 Song Thrush, 2 Goldcrest, 1 Pink-footed Goose, 1 Barnacle Goose, 60 Redwing, 19 Fieldfare, 85 Twite, 2 Wheatear and a Blackcap.
Pied Wheatear
Goldcrest

Sunday 23 October 2016

At last !!!

A last a Hawfinch on the patch! A long overdue record, I flushed the bird from the edge of the large neep field by West Voe, it the circled the field twice and promptly dropped down right in the middle, despite my trying, it just never came out again. The odd thing about Hawfinches in South Mainland is that north of the runway (Toab/Exnaboe area) they are virtually annual, south of the runway (Scatness/Sumburgh) - 3 records in 14 years, and 2 of those have been this year!
Still not much other movement on the patch - Pied Wheatear (11th day), 2  Northern Wheatear, 2 Goldcrest, 2 Robin, 2 Chiffchaff, 1 Song Thrush, 1 Grey Wagtail, 30 Fieldfare, 50 Redwing, 80 Twite and 19 Carrion Crow (heading east towards Sumburgh).
Goldcrest
Grey Wagtail
Pied Wheatear

Saturday 22 October 2016

Clear Out

Quite a bit of a clear out at Scatness, migrants decidedly thin on the ground (thin in the air too!). totals for the day - 1 Blackcap, 3 Robins, 2 Goldcrest (one of which was very grey headed), 2 Song Thrush, 1 Barnacle Goose, 1 Pink-footed Goose, 1 Merlin, 1 Northern Wheatear, Pied Wheatear still in Stinky Geo, 1 Chiffchaff, 50 Twite, 40 Fieldfare and 30 Redwing.
'Grey-headed' Goldcrest
Chiffchaff
Northern Wheatear
Pied Wheatear
Song Thrush

Friday 21 October 2016

Waxwings and.... one of them things

Out on the patch again and the Pied Wheatear is still present along with 2 Northern Wheatears, Barnacle Goose, Pink-footed Goose and 17 Tufted Ducks on the Loch, 3 Song Thrush, 120 Twite and 3 Siskins out on the headland, 3 Robins and a Blackcap were in the gardens, 80 Fieldfare and 60 Redwings were scattered throughout the patch, 2 Waxwing and a Blackcap were in my garden, another Waxwing and a Water Rail was by the bus stop. And the other thing.... a mad looking Lesser Whitethroat on bunker hill, so brown looking that I initially thought it was an Acro! It also had a lot of white in the tail, noticeably short wings and no contrast between the mask and the crown.
Waxwings
Pied Wheatear
Northern Wheatear
Lesser Whitethroat