Even Better

An epic day on the patch - a huge torrent of rain at about 5am and the sunshine all day, did the same circuit as yesterday and for about the same amount of hours - 1 Booted Warbler, 3 Olivaceous Warbler, 6 Quail, 1 Nightjar, 13 Isabelline Wheatear, 1 Northern Wheatear, 1 Peregrine, 8 Hoopoe, 6 Redstarts, 1 Black Redstart, 2 Barred Warbler, 10 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Thrush Nightingale, 12 Common Whitethroat, 2 Short-toed Lark, 3 Lesser Grey Shrike, 20 Red-backed Shrike, 1 Wryneck, 2 Savi's Warbler, 1 River Warbler, 1 Marsh Warbler, 30 Reed Warbler, 10 Willow Warbler, 12 Ortolan Buntings, 20 Tree Pipis, 1 Citrine Wagtail, 25 Yellow Wagtail, 4 Slender-billed Gulls, 100+ Sandwich Terns and 40 Gull-billed Terns (which headed inland over Batumi).

Nightjar

Olivaceous Warbler

Savi's Warbler

Thrush Nightingale

Rain

Finally got out onto the patch, after a day of stupidly heavy rain - so bad that the foyer of the hotel was a foot deep in water ! The patch was fantastic though, even if it meant stopping and sheltering every now and then. All seen in a 2 hour period - 1 River Warbler, 1 Booted Warbler, 2 Nightjar, 1 Black-headed Bunting, 12 Ortolans, 1 Sedge Warbler, 40 Reed Warbler, 15 Willow Warbler, 4 Whitethroat, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, 4 Barred Warbler, 3 Lesser Grey Shrike, 25 Red-backed Shrike, 1 Little Crake, 10 Yellow Wagtails, 15 Isabelline Wheatear and 4 Little Gulls.

Lesser Grey Shrike

Nightjars

Red-backed Shrike

River Warbler

Black-headed Bunting

Bluethroats Galore.

On Out Skerries from 12.00 - 4.00 pm, the Easterly wind continues, but now with some rain. Lots of migrants on Skerries - 7 Lesser Whitethroat, 5 Whitethroat, 7 Redstart, 6 Tree Pipit, 10 Willow Warbler, 3 Chiffchaff, 1 Sedge Warbler, 2 Garden Warbler, 1 Wood Warbler, 1 Reed Warbler, 1 Redpoll, 3 Swallow, 1 Sand Martin, female Ring Ouzel, male Red-backed Shrike, 4 Spotted Flycatcher, 7 Whinchat, 3 Song Thrush, 2 Common Sandpiper, 1 Wood Sandpiper, 1 Carrion Crow, a Marsh Harrier a Wryneck and 5 Bluethroats.In the Garden - 2 Willow Warbler, a Wood Warbler, a Whitethroat, a Lesser Whitethroat and a Whinchat.The day ended with a rather wet looking Nightjar at Sumburgh Quarry.

Wryneck.

Bluethroats.

Marsh Harrier.

Red-backed Shrike.

Reed Warbler.

Whinchat.

Nightjar.

May 29th 2008. Nightjar.

Icterine Warbler at Sumburgh Head, Common Rosefinch at the Sumburgh Hotel, Nightjar on Whalsay - trying to hide on a wall in somebodies back garden !! also male Red-backed Shrike there.

Nightjar