Winding Down

Spring is not far off coming to an end, with only a week or so to go. And so it is on the patch, with only 1 Reed Warbler, 1 Chiffchaff, 2 Shoveler, 5 Swallow and 2 Golden Plover being seen today. Put the moth trap out last night for the first time this year - 2 Angle Shades, 2 Netted Pugs and a Shears.

Chiffchaff

Angle Shades

Shears

Shove

At long last, finally managed to get Shoveler on the patch yearlist (2 on the Loch), not only that but a fly over Grey Wagtail as a bonus, I'm not sure quite why a Grey Wag would be passing through this late as all my previous records at Scatness have been in either April or October. Elsewhere on the patch - 2 Swallow (around Loch), Reed Warbler (still in the garden) and male Scaup and male Velvet Scoter (West Voe).

Shoveler

Reed Warbler

An extremely pale Reed Warbler in the garden caused a bit of a headache, but it is just a Reed albeit a very pale one. Also on the patch today were 2 Spotted Flycatchers and a Chiffchaff. The Velvet Scoter in West Voe was showing a bit closer.

Reed Warbler

Spotted Flycatcher

Velvet Scoter

Sandwich Tern

A Sandwich Tern on the Loch was an overdue addition to the patch yearlist, elsewhere around the patch there was 1 Chiffchaff, 2 Swallow, 1 House Martin and a calling fly-over Tree Pipit.

Sandwich Tern

V Scot

A male Velvet Scoter was in West Voe this evening, managed to get a record shot before the fog rolled in, it's about time West Voe produced something as throughout the winter it was pretty well birdless.

Sedgie

A Sedge Warbler in the garden this afternoon was a most welcome addition to the patch year list.

Little Stint

A fine summer plumaged Little Stint on the Loch this afternoon, elsewhere just 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 4 Swallows, 1 Whimbrel, 1 Goldeneye and a Brent Goose.

Little Stint

Shortie

Definitely a clear out on the patch with just 2 Whimbrel, 4 Swallows, 20 Purple Sandpiper, 33 Sanderling, 1 Brent Goose, 1 Short-eared Owl and a Chiffchaff.

Purple Sandpiper

Short-eared Owl

Bluethroat

Still a good few birds on the patch - 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 7 Chiffchaff, 4 Whimbrel, 30 Swallow, 4 Reed Buntings, 4 Gadwall, 1 Willow Warbler, 2 Whitethroat, 2 Swifts, 1 Brent Goose and a female Bluethroat - could have been yesterday's bird as it was only 300 yards away, but today's bird looked more well marked, so on balance is probably a different bird. Amazingly a bird race team today saw an adult male in the same place a few hours earlier!

Bluethroat

Swift

Rain

A bit of rain in the morning and the patch was covered with migrants by late afternoon - 4 Lesser Whitethroat, 12 Chiffchaffs, 1 Willow Warbler, 8 Swallow, 2 Grey Heron, 1 Whitethroat, 2 Song Thrush, 1 Brent Goose, 1 Spotted Flycatcher, 1 Garden Warbler, 4 House Martin, 3 Reed Bunting, 1 Whimbrel, 1 Wood Sandpiper, 2 White Wagtail, 1 Short-eared Owl and, bird of the day, a female Bluethroat - not showing very well at all as it was on the cliffs.

Lesser Whitethroat

Short-eared Owl

Wood Sandpiper

Still coming in

Still more migrants coming in to the patch - 10 Swallow, 1 House Martin, 8 Chiffchaffs, 1 Willow Warbler, 1 Grey Heron, 4 Whimbrel, 1 Brent Goose, 1 Whitethroat and a Reed Bunting. A Buff-tailed Bumblebee was a first for the patch.

Buff-tailed Bumblebee

Swallow and House Martin

Whitethroat

More Migrants

Quite a few more migrants on the patch today, though there was no sign of yesterday's Subalp. Totals for the day - 7 Whimbrel, 16 Knot, 5 Sanderling, 1 Bar-tailed Godwit, 1 Brent Goose, 2 Gadwall, 1 Grey Heron, 19 Arctic Tern, 1 Willow Warbler, 2 Chiffchaffs, 1 Whinchat, 1 Robin and 1 Reed Bunting.

Bar-tailed Godwit (with Oycs)

Brent Goose

Knot

Whinchat

Swallow

Eastern Subalp number two!

A few migrants around the patch today - 4 White Wagtails,1 Grey Heron, 2 Gadwall, 3 Pintail and 7 Barnacle Geese around the Loch, 6 Sanderling and a Whimbrel on Moast Beach, 6 Chiffchaffs in the docks, and then it all kicked off in the garden, starting with a Robin, 2 Chiffchaffs and a brief Wood Warbler, trhen, in trying to re-find the Wood Warbler, stumbled across a female Subalpine Warbler which turned out to be another eastern when eventually trapped and ringed.

Eastern Subalpine Warbler

Barnacle Geese

Grey Heron

Wood Sand

The first Arctic Terns of the year appeared on the patch today with 12 in West Voe and 18 off Moast Beach. Elsewhere there was a Kestrel over the house, 3 Reed Buntings by the Loch, 5 Swallow and 4 willow Warbler by Moast Beach and 5 Whimbrel and 4 Black-tailed Godwit headed North in the evening, and a Wood Sandpiper was on the marsh at the back of the Loch.

Arctic Terns

Reed Bunting

Wood Sandpiper

Sub Alp Still

The male Eastern Subalp was back in the docks by Moast Beach again this morning, also on the patch - 1 Blackcap, 1 Robin, 7 Willow Warbler, 2 Chiffchaff, 1 House Martin, 9 Swallow, 2 Gadwall and a Common Tern.

Eastern Subalpine Warbler

House Martin

Still Birds

Still a few birds kicking around - the Eastern Subalp is still in the dock and has been seen up by the road, 6 Willow Warblers still in the docks, Blackcap, Robin and Lesser Whitethroat in the garden and 5 Pintail, 4 Gadwall and a Swallow at Loch of Gards.

Blackcap

Eastern Subalp

Lots more migrants on the patch - Lesser Whitethroat and Robin in the garden, Redstart at the end of the road, Swallow, Common Tern, Whimbrel and 6 Pintail at the Loch, 2 Collared Doves around Colonial Place. But it was the docks that attracted most birds with 2 Chiffchaff, 4 Willow Warblers and a stunning male Eastern Subalpine Warbler - a most welcome self-found year tick.

Eastern Subalpine Warbler

Redstart

Another Shetland sunset

Eastern Subalp Twitch

Snob

Quite a few migrants around the patch today - 1 Fieldfare, 4 Gadwall, 9 Pintail, 3 Chiffchaffs, 5 Willow Warbler, 2 Common Tern, a 1s Iceland Gull and a rather smart Snow Bunting.

Snow Bunting