Highlights.

Willow Warbler in the Garden on the 20th. 2 Linnet in the Garden, Wood Pigeon in front of the House and male Gadwall on the sea on the 21st.

Divers Galore.

Flat calm conditions made Quendale Bay look like a mill pond - up to 15 Great Northern Divers and 4 Red-throated Divers seen from the House, a Whimbrel and 14 Twite at Scatness, 2 Greenfinch, a Brambling, 7 Siskin and a Chiffchaff in the Garden.


Great Northern Diver.

Great Northern Diver.

Great Northern Diver with Seal.

Siskin.

Twite.

Twite.

Finches.

Finch influx into the Garden - 1 Brambling, 2 Chaffinch and 2 Greenfinch, also 2 Chiffchaffs in the Garden and a pair of Wheatears in the field in front of the House.


Brambling.

Brambling.

Brambling.

Greenfinch.

Blackcap and Chiffchaff in Virkie Willows, Greenfinch in Catnap's Garden and 2 Chaffinch and a Chiffchaff in my Garden.

Greenfinch.

Wood Duck.

Bird of the day came in the form of a male Wood Duck on Brow Loch - the bird is fully winged, seems to have no rings on, and is as wary as the other ducks on the loch - also the bird has turned up on virtually the same date as the Hooded Merganser on Unst in 2006 - as far as Wood Ducks go, this one seems to have about the best credentials you could hope for.
Also seen today - 2 Chaffinch in the Garden and 3 Whimbrel flew north over the House this afternoon.


Wood Duck.

Wood Duck.

Wood Duck.

Wood Duck. (taken using Jim's big lens - cheers Jim)

Chaffinch.

Recycling.

Still not a lot about - a Golden Plover over the House and 2 Chiffchaffs in the Garden this afternoon, making good use of the old Christmas Tree.


The Tree at Christmas....

....and now....

....as recommended by Migrant Chiffchaffs !

Gannet over Garth's Ness.

Blackbird.

Blackbird.

Ring Ouzel.

Despite the continued easterlies, still pretty quiet - male Ring Ouzel at Sumburgh Farm, Chiffchaff in the Sumburgh Hotel Garden and 2 Brent Geese and a Carrion Crow flying past the House this afternoon (getting themselves on the 2009 Garden Year-list).

Male Ring Ouzel.

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.

White-tailed Eagle.

Spent the morning at Scatness - 2 Swallows, 9 Wheatear, 16 Tufties and 7 Wigeon - then got some news of White-tailed Eagle flying North from Fair Isle, after about 40 minutes, picked the bird up flying low over the sea - did a mad dash to the Garden, but managed to miss it somehow. It turns out that the bird is wing-tagged and radio-tagged and is from a re-introduction program in Tayside - therefore, about as 'countable' as domestic Chicken !
Photos of this bird on North Ronaldsay yesterday can be seen here - http://northronbirdobs.blogspot.com/2009/04/11th-april.html

White-tailed Eagle.

Extremely Localised Fall.

After walking most of the dry-stone walls around Scatness, and seeing nothing, came across a flock of 4 Chiffchaffs and 2 Willow Warblers in an 8 foot section of wall at the back of the loch - 5 Fieldfare, 4 Wigeon, 10 Tufted Duck, 3 Goldeneye also at Scatness. Dunnock and Chiffchaff in the Garden and Stonechat near Scord.


Dunnock.

Dunnock.

Willow Warbler.

Baywatch.

The new bench is now in place for Sea-watching over Quendale Bay when the weather is nice (in bad weather, I'll do it from the living room !) - during a quick sea-watch had 1 Bonxie and 4 Lesser Blacks. Chiffchaff and Goldcrest still in the Garden.


New Bench.

Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

Bonxie.