Easterlies

A few days of easterlies promised so much but delivered very little to the patch, maximums for 7th-9th - 25 Common Tern, 2 Arctic Tern, 5 Whimbrel, 1 Arctic Skua, 2 Garganey, 2 Pintail, 2 Gadwall, 1 Pied Wagtail, 2 Chiffchaff, 4 Siskin, 1 Sand Martin, 9 Swallows, 4 Willow Warblers, female Blackcap, 1 Lesser Whitethroat and 2 Carrion Crows.

Garganey

Common Tern

Gadwall

Siskin

Swallow

Whimbrel

Willow Warbler

A couple of shots of Fitful Head

Good, Good Friday.

Thrashing about on the patch, and it was clear that last nights south-easterly had worked a little bit, with 2 Chiffchaffs and a Willow Warbler in the garden, a Whitethroat in among the stone walls, a male Pintail on the loch and a Common Tern near Moast Beach.
Late afternoon was big bonus time, with a text from Mr Fray saying that there was a 1st summer Med Gull behind his house, unfortunatly it was asleep. Got the 'scope set up on the flock from the top of the garden and after about 20 minutes the bird woke up (thank you Mr Bonxie !) and started preening - house tick 181 in the bag !

Chiffchaff.

Common Tern.

Pintail.

Looking back.

This spring really is one of the worst on Shetland, and time seems to be running out for a late bird turning up, though looking back at the last few years June still turns the odd goodie up - Fat Toni's Warbler and Lesser Grey Shrike last year, Red-footed Falcon, Arctic Redpoll and Black-headed Bunting in 2008, Great Reed Warbler, Pec Sand (on the patch) and summering Killdeer in 2007 and Laughing Gull, Red-footed Falcon, Bee-eater and Paddyfield Warbler in 2006. But now that Shetland is back into the northerly winds for the foreseeable future,it doesn't look like that sort of thing will happen this year !
Looking back at previous June's on my old patch (Moore NR and Arpley Tip in Cheshire), June wasn't such a bad month for a local patch (or so weather dependent), with Marsh Harrier, Black-necked Grebe, 3 Little Gulls, Iceland Gull and Common Tern all seen in June 2001. (the following photos are all scanned from prints)


Black-necked Grebe - Pumphouse Pool, Moore NR, June 2001.

Common Tern - Halfway House, June 2001.

Iceland Gull - Arpley Tip, June 2001.

One of the 3 Little Gulls at Halfway House, June 2001.

Meanwhile back in the present, the only thing of note on the patch was a count of about 65 Black-headed Gulls, where as normally there are only a handful at best.

Black-headed and Common Gulls.

Things must be desperate when photos of cruise liners are being included ! This one was moving strongly north-west past the patch. Ironically, the name of the ship is 'Costa Magica' (Magic Coast) - not this year it isn't !

Juv Starling (and Meercats !) in the garden.

Subway to Venus.

A slight improvement with a few new birds around the patch, 2 Linnets holding territory at the end of the Scatness road, a Lesser Whitethroat in the Sub-alp garden, 2 Red-breasted Mergansers in West Voe along with a couple of Red-throated Divers feeding close in to the beach, 2 House Martins along the cliffs and 2 Chiffchaffs and a male Blackcap in the garden.
The best sight was saved until it got dark, with the new moon over Fitful Head with Venus along side.


Common Terns.

Kittiwake.

Red-throated Diver.

Linnet.

Moon and Venus.

Sanderlings.

Despite the winds being light and variable overnight, with high pressure stretching from here to Scandinavia, struggled to find any migrants - Barnacle Goose and 9 Sanderling at Scatness and a Chiffchaff in the Garden. Common terns are now on territory at Scatness, being harassed by the Arctic Skuas, a few Eiders in front of the house along with a summer plumaged Great Northern Diver.


Arctic Skua.

Common Tern.

Bathing Eider.

Sanderling.

May 5th 2008

About 300+ Common and Arctic Terns at Grutness, + a few common migrants around Sumburgh Farm.

Common & Arctic Terns