Out in the Snow

A few pics from the patch today -

Blackbird

Greylags and Curlew

Greylags and Wigeon

Merlin

Skylark

Snipe

More From Last Week

The first Chiffchaff of the year in the garden.

Followed closely by the first Blackcap of the year.

Shelduck.

Non-hovering Skylark.

Rook - another year tick.

The end of March

Not a lot of change on the patch, apart from the weather calming down a bit. Skylarks are now back and singing, there are up to 15 Great Northern Divers in the bay in front of the house and 5 Shelducks are battling it out for control of the Loch. Not another fine sunset ?! Great Northern Diver. Skylark.

Shelducks.

Falling Snow.

Back on the patch for a few hours despite the falling snow - the usual drossy stuff being still about, the only highlights being - 2 Jack Snipe, a Golden Plover and 2 Skylarks (scarce on Shetland in winter).


The right (dis)honourable Sir Sparkington de Dawg - not so expert Rabbit chaser !

Skylark.

Curlew.

Greylag Goose.

Golden Plover.

Velvet.

Having got adequate views of the Velvet Scoter in West Voe yesterday (but in Gary's side of the bay, not the Scatness side), another attempt to get it on the patch year-list was in order. Arriving at West Voe car park, the bird was in the same place as yesterday, just off Jarlsof and so nowhere near being on the Scatness side. As the bird was fairly close inshore, I decided to walk around and try to get some 'smudges', however by the time I'd walked to the south side of the bay, the bird took flight and landed in the patch just off Scatness - good for the year-list but crap for photos - another mad dash around to Scatness and the bird had swam back to where it was originally !

Velvet Scoter.

Ringed Plover.

Skylark.

2G, 2B.

Too Good - The commentators on the BBC's coverage of England v Slovenia, having a bit of a jibe at John Terry - "Terry knows how to concentrate on the job in hand" and "Terry standing firm, a trait that he's become known for" ! And then Mark Lawrenson's off the cuff comment "for the fans, watching England play is a good cure for constipation !"

Too Bad - Someone finds a Bridled Tern in Northumberland and the gets page after page of shit thrown at them on Nerdforum for not putting news out instantly and not knowing who to tell about it ! see here

Gadwall.

Surely with the wind in the South-east for over 24 hours now, something new must be on the cards, and there was, but it was just a pair of manky Gadwall - but a year-tick none the less. Another year-tick was in the garden - a Willow Warbler, along with 2 Chiffchaffs and a Blackcap, the Geese are still about, the Pink-feet are now down to 34, and the Brent and the 5 Barnacles were in front of the house for most of the morning.


Gadwall.

Barnacle Geese.

Brent Goose.

Wall-lark.

Snow.

Snow most of the night and all morning - about 5 inches deep all over Scatness and quite a few birds around too. 250 Greylags and a Pink-footed Goose around the Fields ( and flying all over the place), 4 Jack Snipe ( 2 in the wet bit and 2 in the garden - a most welcome garden year tick), a female Common Scoter on the sea, 400 Curlew, 150 Lapwing and 100+ Golden Plover around the Loch, 4 Skylark, 2 Meadow Pipit, 2 Redwing, 30+ Fieldfare and 16 Snow Buntings in front of the house and a Robin and 3 Blackbirds in the garden (feeding on a load of cheap fruit that I managed to acquire).


Skylark.

Greylag Geese (+ 1 Pink-footed Goose).

Waiting for the big one...

Not much around Scatness - the 2 Pink-footed Geese are still there and so is the Pec Sand, though it's now in with the Redshank and flies off straight away, a Merlin knocking around and a male Blackcap in the garden. The weather is set to change this evening (currently a light SSE wind and sunny) to strong SE gales for the rest of the week ! Hopefully by tomorrow there should be birds everywhere (a few Skylarks and Thrushes in already).

If these winds don't bring anything in then nothing will !

Skylark.

Stonechat.

After strong south-easterlies with rain this morning, went out around Scatness - A few migrants in - Chiffchaff and Robin at the end of the road and a Stonechat near Moast Beach, managed to 'push' the bird along the wall until it was visible from the Garden - unethical ? - not when a Garden year-list is at stake !! Also 2 Chiffchaff and 2 Goldcrest in the Garden.


Skylark.

Stonechat.

Stonechat.

Mothing Season Begins.

Another fine and sunny day ! Spent all afternoon around Scatness - 15 Tufties, 4 Goldeneye, 3 Whooper Swan, 2 Shelduck , male Long-tailed Duck and 2 Grey Heron on the Loch. Rock Pipit in the Mires - showing some features of 'littoralis' (the bird also had pink legs !!). 4 Common Scoters in the Bay and 2 Greenfinch still in the Garden.

In the Moth Trap last night - 37 Hebrew Character, 2 Brindled Ochre.


Grey Heron.

Long-tailed Duck.

Rock Pipit.

Rock Pipit.

Rock Pipit.

Rock Pipit.

Skylark.

Hebrew Character.

Brindled Ochre.