Patch Highlights October

October was hard work on the patch with not that many easterlies, but there were a few highlights.

Bramblings

Barnacle Geese

Mistle Thrush

Redwings

Ring Ouzels

Siskin

Slav Grebe

Spotted Flycatcher

Song Thrushes

Clear Out

Quite a bit of a clear out at Scatness, migrants decidedly thin on the ground (thin in the air too!). totals for the day - 1 Blackcap, 3 Robins, 2 Goldcrest (one of which was very grey headed), 2 Song Thrush, 1 Barnacle Goose, 1 Pink-footed Goose, 1 Merlin, 1 Northern Wheatear, Pied Wheatear still in Stinky Geo, 1 Chiffchaff, 50 Twite, 40 Fieldfare and 30 Redwing.

'Grey-headed' Goldcrest

Chiffchaff

Northern Wheatear

Pied Wheatear

Song Thrush

Still a tad breezy

The wind has dropped a little bit, it's only gusting 45mph now! Checked everywhere around the patch today - all the gardens, fields, every stone wall, all the cliffs, all the beaches, every nettle and thistle patch, the docks and everywhere around Old Scatness. Good totals for the day - 1 Bean Goose, 1 Brent Goose, 55 Barnacle Geese, 5 Whooper Swan, 1 Pintail, 70 Wigeon, 2 Short-eared Owl, 1 Wood Pigeon, 3 Blackcap, 1 Chiffchaff, 21 Song Thrush, 110 Redwing, 80 Fieldfare, 1 Reed Bunting (on the cliffs this time), 4 Siskin, 1 Common Redpoll, 2 Brambling, 1 Swallow, 3 Goldcrest, 13 Robin, 3 Woodcock, 2 Wheatear and the Pied Wheatear (now showing stupidly well in Stinky Geo).

Bean Goose

Brent Goose

Bramblings

Common Redpoll

Goldcrest

Pied Wheatear

Redwing

Song Thrush

Wheatear

Sibe Chat ?

Wimped out and only went out on the patch after the rain had stopped, though it was still blowing a gale, but the place was crawling with migrants - mainly Song Thrushes (87) and Robins (29). In addition to this - 1 Short-eared Owl, 3 Chaffinch, 1 Brambling, 1 Siskin, 7 Wheatear, a Jack Snipe, 5 Grey Herons, 31 Wood Pigeons, 5 Blackcap, 2 Chiffchaff (inc 1 'sibe' type), a male Redstart, 1 Black Redstart, 2 Reed Buntings and 6 Redwing. Still quite a few geese around too - 110 Barnacle Geese and 320 Pinkies. So after seeing that lot, as I was heading home past Colonial Place, up popped at Stonechat onto a nearby fence, on first views I was thinking it was a bit colourful for a Sibe, but the bird had an unmarked apricot coloured rump and seemed to have dark underwings, I managed to get a few crap shots of it before it flew off into the gardens. Despite quite a bit of searching, I couldn't relocate it, but by then it was nearly dark. Less wind forecast for tomorrow, so will have another look in the morning.

Blackcap

Brambling

Short-eared Owl

Siberian ? Stonechat

Song Thrush

Day of Pigs

The south-easterly continues with, weirdly, an influx of Pigeons ! aside from the usual bird table raiding Rock Doves there were one each of Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove and Turtle Dove. Elsewhere the 3 Goldfinch were still in the garden along with 2 Blackcaps and 2 Willow Warblers, a male Pied Flycatcher was out on the cliffs, an Arctic Skua and 3 Golden Plover on the headland and a Song Thrush, a Chiffchaff and 5 Swallows were around the loch.

Pied Flycatcher

Song Thrush

Cliffs and walls

With a strong north-easterly blowing, the best places on the patch were the west cliff and sheltered walls, Whilst not spectacular there was plenty going on. 11 Song Thrush, a Dunnock and a Blackcap were along the cliffs and 5 Wheatear were sheltering around the stone walls. A single Little Stint was at the back of the Loch, this was a new bird, sporting a shiny new leg iron, a Jack Snipe was also there. The only other productive are was my garden with a Yellow-browed Warbler, male Blackap and a Pied Flycatcher.

Blackcap

Dunnock

Little Stint

Pied Flycatcher

Song Thrush

New Birds

As if yesterday's Dunnock wasn't odd enough, on the patch today - 2 male Gadwall and a Song Thrush, two species I don't normally see until March/April time. Other year-ticks today were Grey Heron, Pintail (with the hybrid) and Tufted Duck (with the Scaup). Aside from that bit of excitement, there were 6 Common Scoters in West Voe and no Iceland Gulls (apart from the remains of a dead one).

Gadwall

Mallard x Pintail hybrid

Pintail

Song Thrush