Patch stuff

A bit of stuff from the patch from the last couple of days
Today - 2 Goldcrest, 2 Swallows, 2 Wheatear, 2 Blackcaps, and a Song Thrush
Yesterday - 7 Goldcrests, 1 Mistle Thrush, 3 Blackcaps, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 Redwing, 2 Linnet, 1 Wood Pigeon and a fly-through Richard's Pipit.

Redwing

Wheatear

Wood Pigeon

Posh Snobs

Back on the patch after nearly a week, tho' I did get a cracking bird from the bus on my way to work last Sunday - Osprey between Mossy Hill and Clumlie, also 8 Carrion Crows at Channerwick on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, back to today, 5 Barnacle Geese on the Loch were patch year-ticks as were 8 Knot on the headland. The most stunning birds of today must go to a pair of summer plumaged Snow Buntings near one of the pools on the headland - corkers. Around the rest of the patch were 1 Wood Pigeon, 1 Swallow and 6 Sanderlings. 6 Common Scoters flew south past Lady's Holm. An interesting record from today was of one of the colour-ringed Starlings, that has been wintering at Scatness, has bred and is now feeding chicks.

Barnacle Geese

Colour-ringed Starling

Knot

Snow Buntings

Wood Pigeon

Click, Click

Glorious sunshine again after work, just a quick walk around Clickimin and Helendale, not a lot about, apart from 2 Wood Pigeons in Helendale.

Wood Pigeon

Snipe

The Fall

From the 19/4 until the end of April, there was a bit of a fall on Shetland, and the patch did quite well out of it (for a change !). Highlights included Black Redstart and Great Grey Shrike in the garden on the 20th, 3 Ring Ouzels, a Reed Bunting, 2 Wood Pigeons and 57 Robins on the 21st, White-tailed Eagle over on the 29th and a Sedge Warbler on the 30th. Plus Goldcrests and Dunnocks most days, a Sparrowhawk on the 22nd and 2 Iceland Gulls on the 19th - a pretty good 10 day spell.

Sparrowhawk

Black Redstart

Dunnock

Great Grey Shrike

Goldcrest

Iceland Gull

Ring Ouzels

Sedge Warbler

Wood Pigeon

White-tailed Eagle

Here Come The Bastards.

A pretty similar day to yesterday, with similar birds and similar numbers, the only things new in were 2 Wood Pigeon and a Merlin.
The day was again marred by idiotic bastards wandering into peoples gardens ! When approached the excuse was " I didn't know it was a garden", I'll try to make it simple - if it's got a wall around it and it's next to a house, it's probably a private garden - don't go in !!!!


Brambling.

Wood Pigeon.

Gloomy Sunday.

With rain and fog for most of the day it was a proper Gloomy Sunday, but after the rain had stopped at about 5:30, it was out onto the patch again. A Wood Pigeon spent most of the day perched on a fence in front of the house, on the beach in front of the house there were 15 Knot, 37 Sanderling, 3 Whimbrel and 77 Dunlin, a walk down to the Loch and the first patch year-tick of the day - 2 Black-tailed Godwits feeding in a field with a pair of Mallard, 2 Whooper Swans and a Common Sandpiper were on the Loch and 3 Swallows and a Spotted Flycatcher (the 2nd patch year-tick of the day) were around the gardens at the end of the road. The day ended with a rather tame Gannet on the rocks at Scord Beach.
On a slightly serious note, today's song link is also known as 'the Hungarian Suicide Song' and was banned for years because it was too depressing for radio - listen at your peril !

Gannet.

Black-tailed Godwits.

Spotted Flycatcher.

Whooper Swans.

Wood Pigeon.

On a more serious note - a Wildlife tour group were around Scatness at about 5:30/6pm ish, it's good that the patch is on such an itinerary, however I do wish that they had followed the countryside code a bit better, and made sure that the gate was closed properly ! For those who need a little guidance, here are some instructions -

Hell 'n' Dale.

A trip into Lerwick gave me about 90 minutes to spend birding, so I went to Helendale, mainly to get out of the strong wind. It was, however quite calm amongst the trees there, with singing Common Redpoll, Willow Warbler and Greenfinch sounded very spring-like. The only other birds of note were 7 Wood Pigeons in Helendale, 2 Wood Pigeons near Sandy Loch, 2 Linnets in the Garden and 9 Arctic Terns over the House.


Greenfinch.

Greenfinch.

Common Redpoll.

Common Redpoll.

Willow Warbler.

Willow Warbler.

Wood Pigeons.

Wood Pigeon.

After another night of easterlies, a walk around Scatness revealed - sod all !!! (apart from a Chiffchaff, 2 White Wags and a Bonxie). Wood Pigeon next to the Garden at 7am (#72 on the Garden Year-list).


Wood Pigeon.

Turnstone (on Sanblister Beach).

Fog around Fitful Head.