Sea-watch.

A couple of hours sea-watching off Sumburgh Head this afternoon - quite a bit of effort for 1 Sooty Shearwater and 1 Manx Shearwater. Gave up after a while and took some photos of birds in the stormy conditions etc.

Gannets.

Shags.

August's Moths.

August's Moth Counts -

alceris aspersana - 6
acleris sparsana - 1
ancylis unguicella - 3
Angle Shades -1
Antler - 157
Autumnal Rustic - 18
Beautiful Golden Y - 5
Brindled Ochre - 14
Brown House - 1
Common Rustic - 4
Confused - 2
Dark Arches - 302
Diamond Back - 24
eana penziana - 1
Flame Shoulder - 1
Garden Carpet - 3
Ingrailed Clay - 8
July Highflyer - 3
Large Yellow Underwing - 186
Lychnis - 4
Map-winged Swift - 2
Northern Rustic - 3
Platyptilia gonodactyla - 1
Red Carpet - 148
Rosy Rustic - 1035
Rush Veneer - 5
Setacious Hebrew Character - 1
Silver Y - 11
Small Wainscot - 14
Smoky Wainscot - 7
Square-spot Rustic - 565
Twin-spotted Carpet - 63
udea luealis - 199
White-line dart - 39
White-shouldered house - 1

Total - 2839

acleris sparsana

ancylis unguicella

Autumnal Rustic.

Setacious Hebrew Character.

Birdless.

Due to a total lack of birds around this end of the island, apart from a bit of a sea-watch from the living room, did very little birding at all. I did however come across this very funny article from the boys at 'The Daily Mash' - http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1662&Itemid=76

Wood Sand.

After Thursday's easterlies and yesterday's northerlies, the weather was finally calm enough to actually see what had turned up - not a lot as it happens. A few half decent bits 'n' pieces around Scatness - 3 Common Crossbills feeding on the thistles, a Wood Sandpiper on the small pool, one each of Black-tailed and Bar-tailed Godwit in with the Redshanks, Redstart in the garden and Peregrine and Merlin both present.

Just what you'd expect to see among Meadow Pipits !!

Crossbill.

Peregrine.

Redstart.

Easterlies.

After the easterlies all last night and then today, with added rain, I was full of optimism of getting some migrants, after 2 hours around the patch - 5 Grey Herons and a Crossbill !!

Grey Herons.

Merlin.

Merlin battling with a Hooded Crow around the house at midday was the only thing of note.

Barred.

The Barred Warbler was still in the garden, and apart from a Red-throated Diver in the bay, very little else.

Another Icterine.

The Barred Warbler was still in the garden in the morning and again late afternoon, it was also seen at Colonial Place with an Icterine Warbler, which finally visited my garden at about 7.30 in the evening (making that 5 Icterines in the garden this year !). Other birds of note at Scatness were - 34 Dunlin, 4 Bar-tailed Godwits, 3 Knot, a Whimbrel and a flock of 63 Twite.

Barred Warbler Still.

The Barred Warbler still in the garden today, still elusive, showed quite well on at least one occasion from the kitchen window (about a couple of hours after I'd cleaned all the salt off).

Barred Warbler.

As Saturday comes around again, must be time for another decent migrant in the garden - this time a Barred Warbler, tho' very elusive in the strong winds, did show quite well on one occasion, could only get a few photos through the kitchen window, which after last night's weather is now covered in salt.

Barred Warbler.

Wheatear.

Another Icterine.

Another Icterine Warbler in the garden today, along with a Willow Warbler (this is a different bird from the one present 22/8 - 26/8, in having no damage to the feathers at the base of the bill ), also in the garden - Sparrowhawk seen twice, sheltering from the wind and rain under a rose bush, finally flew off north mid afternoon. 6 Sanderling, 16 Dunlin and 4 Purple Sandpiper on Moast Beach, Common Sandpiper and Whimbrel over the House and Whinchat along the Scatness Road.

Icterine Warbler.