Singing Rosefinch

A fine singing red male Common Rosefinch in the garden today (I think that this is possibly the reddest one I've ever seen)

Another 'Boris'

A nice, calm, windless day and a time for some photo opps in West Voe, though my attention soon wandered of into the realms of Northern Eider, with at least one, probably two, possibly three 'Borealis' present - the lobe shape is spot on for one of them and a bit in between for the other two, all three had sails of some sort though.



and then I got bored and started taking shots of Fulmars !



Puffins

From Sumburgh Head on 26/5

Arctic Skua

Some photos of Arctic Skua from the patch on 25/5

New and improved ?

With Blogger doing a new and improved version of things, it meant that for several days I couldn't do any updates, plus a couple of posts have gone missing into the ether, and finally, when everything was supposedly OK I couldn't log in !!!

So here's a summary from the last few weeks -



Common Redpoll - one in the garden for a few days, and a year-tick.




female Pintail on the Loch on 25/5




Barnacle Goose on the Loch for a few days towards the end of May




Garden Warbler in the Hotel Garden on 26/5




Icterine Warbler at Sumburgh Head on 26/5




Sedge Warbler in the garden on 26/5 - garden tick !!!




Whinchat - another year-tick on 26/5





Mutes Swans - up to 8 have been on the Loch during May




Wood Pigeon - the only migrant on 4/6





Overdose.

Yesterday's Reed Warbler in the garden finally gave itself up properly, after hiding low down in the roses for most of the day, it finally came out into the sunshine late afternoon and posed on the 'grapefruits' (no apologies for the amount of photos as its only the third record for the garden in eight years). The rest of the patch was pretty much the same as yesterday, but with the addition of a Tree Pipit.

Garganey.

Bird (s) of the day have got to be the pair of Garganey that flew in to the loch while I was scanning through the gulls, Other birds on the patch today were 2 Willow Warblers, 2 Knot, 3 Swallow, a Dunnock, a Lesser Whitethroat and a very elusive Reed Warbler (in the garden).



Knot.



Some Stuff...

....from last week ('cause I couldn't be arsed to update at the time).

Eider.

Linnet - duly year-ticked at the old pile of rocks

Mute Swans - a flock of 8 were present for one day.

Reed Bunting - 3 males have been around the patch

Red-throated Diver - several in West Voe

Whimbrel.

Willow Warbler in the garden.

Long Time Dead

For fuck's sake, I've just finished reading 'The Heroin Diaries' by Nikki Sixx from Motley Crue (one of my all time heroes), effing 'ell that could of been me ! (the downward spiral, not the stardom) Living fast and dying young has kinda killed the dream now that I'm 43 ! But fuck it 'allegro fortisimo' - fast, getting faster - dead by Christmas !  BLX to it, here we go ! Crash and Burn !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hell yeah !!!

Hey Spotty

Bird of the day must go to a fine summer plumaged Spotted Redshank, not only a year-tick but a patch tick (I missed the last one when I was in Madeira), another year-tick was a bit more predictable with 3 Arctic Skuas tazzing around. Other than a Blackcap and a Willow Warbler in the garden the rest of the patch was dead.