Monday 29 August 2016

Clear out

It looks like everything has cleared out from the patch, all I could manage today was 2 Willow Warbler, a Merlin, a Kestrel and 28 Black-tailed Godwits.
Merlin

Sunday 28 August 2016

Arctic Day 2

The Arctic Warbler in the garden was even more elusive than yesterday, it showed only twice during the day, once at about 1pm then again at 6pm. At 6pm it showed stupidly well in the willow outside the kitchen window, elsewhere on the patch I could only manage 6 Willow Warblers.
Arctic Warbler
Last night's sunset

Saturday 27 August 2016

Arctic Warbler

Got home from work this morning to find an Arctic Warbler calling in the garden, I've never known an Arctic to be as elusive as this fella - 4 to 5 half decent views in 5 hours!!!

Thursday 25 August 2016

Still Happening

Still quite a few migrants about the patch - 1 Pied Flycatcher, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 7 Swallows, 1 Sand Martin, 2 Whinchat, 3 Willow Warbler, 2 Ruff, 1 Whimbrel and 2 Knot.
Pied Flycatcher
Whinchats
A fine afternoon at Scatness

Wednesday 24 August 2016

New Birds

A few new birds on the patch today - 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Whinchat and a Reed Warbler. 2 Pied Flycatchers and a Restart remained in the garden and 6 Willow Warblers were also around the patch. A bit of a surprise was a Polecat at the bottom end of Spring Field.
Lesser Whitethroat
Whinchat
Willow Warbler
Polecat

Tuesday 23 August 2016

Garden Birds

Now 2 Pied Flycatchers in the garden plus a Common Redstart.
Redstart

Monday 22 August 2016

Still Arriving

More migrants on the patch today - 1 Pied Flycatcher (still in the garden), 3 Common Redpoll, 1 Kestrel, 6 Ruff, 1 Grey Heron, 23 Knot, 1 Little Stint, 30 Sanderling, 20 Dunlin, 1 Garden Warbler and 2 Willow Warblers.
Kestrel
Knot
Little Stint
Ruff

Sunday 21 August 2016

More Migrants

Around the patch today were - 1 Pied Flycatcher, 7 Willow Warblers, 1 Garden Warbler, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Common Whitethroat, 1 Swift and a Knot. There was probably more, but it was really foggy for most of the day. A new moth for the garden trapped last night - Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing.
Swift
Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing

Saturday 20 August 2016

Migrants at last

Easterlies and rain! On the patch today - 12 Willow Warblers, 1 Pied Flycatcher, 1 Swallow, 3 Knot, 1 Grey Heron and a Little Stint.
Pied Flycatcher
Willow Warbler

Tuesday 9 August 2016

After the storm

After a few days of gale force westerlies, checked the patch for any waders - Little Stint and 2 Ruff on the Loch and a Black-tailed Godwit in one of the fields.
Black-tailed Godwit

Friday 5 August 2016

Moast Beach

A load of Waders on Moast Beach, nothing unusual, the best being a Common Sandpiper.
Dunlin
Ringed Plover
Common Sandpiper
Shetland Bumblebee

Thursday 4 August 2016

Autumn begins

Definitely the start of the autumn today with a Curlew Sandpiper on Moast Beach and 2 Ruff, a Green Sandpiper and a Little Stint on Loch of Gards.
Curlew Sandpiper
Green Sandpiper
Ruff