Shortie

Definitely a clear out on the patch with just 2 Whimbrel, 4 Swallows, 20 Purple Sandpiper, 33 Sanderling, 1 Brent Goose, 1 Short-eared Owl and a Chiffchaff.

Purple Sandpiper

Short-eared Owl

Bluethroat

Still a good few birds on the patch - 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 7 Chiffchaff, 4 Whimbrel, 30 Swallow, 4 Reed Buntings, 4 Gadwall, 1 Willow Warbler, 2 Whitethroat, 2 Swifts, 1 Brent Goose and a female Bluethroat - could have been yesterday's bird as it was only 300 yards away, but today's bird looked more well marked, so on balance is probably a different bird. Amazingly a bird race team today saw an adult male in the same place a few hours earlier!

Bluethroat

Swift

Rain

A bit of rain in the morning and the patch was covered with migrants by late afternoon - 4 Lesser Whitethroat, 12 Chiffchaffs, 1 Willow Warbler, 8 Swallow, 2 Grey Heron, 1 Whitethroat, 2 Song Thrush, 1 Brent Goose, 1 Spotted Flycatcher, 1 Garden Warbler, 4 House Martin, 3 Reed Bunting, 1 Whimbrel, 1 Wood Sandpiper, 2 White Wagtail, 1 Short-eared Owl and, bird of the day, a female Bluethroat - not showing very well at all as it was on the cliffs.

Lesser Whitethroat

Short-eared Owl

Wood Sandpiper

Still coming in

Still more migrants coming in to the patch - 10 Swallow, 1 House Martin, 8 Chiffchaffs, 1 Willow Warbler, 1 Grey Heron, 4 Whimbrel, 1 Brent Goose, 1 Whitethroat and a Reed Bunting. A Buff-tailed Bumblebee was a first for the patch.

Buff-tailed Bumblebee

Swallow and House Martin

Whitethroat

More Migrants

Quite a few more migrants on the patch today, though there was no sign of yesterday's Subalp. Totals for the day - 7 Whimbrel, 16 Knot, 5 Sanderling, 1 Bar-tailed Godwit, 1 Brent Goose, 2 Gadwall, 1 Grey Heron, 19 Arctic Tern, 1 Willow Warbler, 2 Chiffchaffs, 1 Whinchat, 1 Robin and 1 Reed Bunting.

Bar-tailed Godwit (with Oycs)

Brent Goose

Knot

Whinchat

Swallow

Eastern Subalp number two!

A few migrants around the patch today - 4 White Wagtails,1 Grey Heron, 2 Gadwall, 3 Pintail and 7 Barnacle Geese around the Loch, 6 Sanderling and a Whimbrel on Moast Beach, 6 Chiffchaffs in the docks, and then it all kicked off in the garden, starting with a Robin, 2 Chiffchaffs and a brief Wood Warbler, trhen, in trying to re-find the Wood Warbler, stumbled across a female Subalpine Warbler which turned out to be another eastern when eventually trapped and ringed.

Eastern Subalpine Warbler

Barnacle Geese

Grey Heron

Wood Sand

The first Arctic Terns of the year appeared on the patch today with 12 in West Voe and 18 off Moast Beach. Elsewhere there was a Kestrel over the house, 3 Reed Buntings by the Loch, 5 Swallow and 4 willow Warbler by Moast Beach and 5 Whimbrel and 4 Black-tailed Godwit headed North in the evening, and a Wood Sandpiper was on the marsh at the back of the Loch.

Arctic Terns

Reed Bunting

Wood Sandpiper

Sub Alp Still

The male Eastern Subalp was back in the docks by Moast Beach again this morning, also on the patch - 1 Blackcap, 1 Robin, 7 Willow Warbler, 2 Chiffchaff, 1 House Martin, 9 Swallow, 2 Gadwall and a Common Tern.

Eastern Subalpine Warbler

House Martin

Still Birds

Still a few birds kicking around - the Eastern Subalp is still in the dock and has been seen up by the road, 6 Willow Warblers still in the docks, Blackcap, Robin and Lesser Whitethroat in the garden and 5 Pintail, 4 Gadwall and a Swallow at Loch of Gards.

Blackcap

Eastern Subalp

Lots more migrants on the patch - Lesser Whitethroat and Robin in the garden, Redstart at the end of the road, Swallow, Common Tern, Whimbrel and 6 Pintail at the Loch, 2 Collared Doves around Colonial Place. But it was the docks that attracted most birds with 2 Chiffchaff, 4 Willow Warblers and a stunning male Eastern Subalpine Warbler - a most welcome self-found year tick.

Eastern Subalpine Warbler

Redstart

Another Shetland sunset

Eastern Subalp Twitch

Snob

Quite a few migrants around the patch today - 1 Fieldfare, 4 Gadwall, 9 Pintail, 3 Chiffchaffs, 5 Willow Warbler, 2 Common Tern, a 1s Iceland Gull and a rather smart Snow Bunting.

Snow Bunting