Wood Sands

Out on the patch again, in pretty horrid conditions - flat calm and very muggy, after about 2 hours, all I could manage to find was 1 Willow Warbler and 2 Swallows - pretty crap really ! And then it started to rain, and thunder, and lightning - not the best time to be on the clifftops ! A quick dash to the back of the Loch for some shelter and within 20 minutes 2 Wood Sandpipers, a Black-tailed Godwit and 5 Ruff had dropped in, plus a Grey Plover flew over and landed on Little Holm. Now soaked and no sign of the weather letting up it was time to head home, just as I walked through the gate a Spotted Redshank flew over - house tick !

Probably the worst Wood Sand photo ever !

Black Wits

Despite a northerly wind, got up this morning to find Willow Warbler and Pied Flycatcher in the garden, inspired by this went out and checked the rest of the patch - sod all ! The only things of note were 12 Black-tailed Godwits and a single Wigeon (the first returning bird of the autumn).

Black-tailed Godwits

Beach Bums

Checked all of the beaches and pools late afternoon, on the strength of having a Greenshank fly over the house. Nearly every beach I went to had somebody on it, walking dogs, chucking rocks, sword fighting with kelp fronds or building rock castles (there is no sand on this particular beach !). I did manage a total of 76 Sanderlings and 2 Common Sandpipers though, despite all the disturbance.

A beach full of Sanderling

Sanderling up close

Pied Flycatcher

Just did the gardens and thistles around the patch today, 1 Pied Flycatcher, 8 Willow Warbler and a Lesser Whitethroat.

Pied Flycatcher

Willow Warbler

More Waders

Waders on the patch today included 1 Whimbrel, 10 Ruff, 3 Common Sandpipers, 9 Black-tailed Godwits and 60 Knot, migrant passerines present were 5 Willow Warblers, juv Crossbill and a Garden Warbler.

Black-tailed Godwits (with Knot)

Common Sandpiper

Huge Knot Flock

Well huge for Scatness anyway, a total of 128 Knot on Sanblister Beach ! along with the Knot were 2 Common Sandpipers and 3 Ruff. Passerine wise it was just 4 Willow Warblers and a Garden Warbler.
Interestingly there was a white Polecat/ferret hunting rabbits around Stinky Geo.

Polecat/ferret

Knot

Ruff

Barred

The only bird of note today was a stunning Barred Warbler in the garden this morning.

Black Wits

After the fog had cleared, went out onto the patch, and there were new birds in. 7 Willow Warblers, 1 Whinchat, 1 Garden Warbler and a Lesser Whitethroat were around various gardens, and a Ruff, 2 Common Sandpipers and 6 Black-tailed Godwits were on the beaches.

Black-tailed Godwits

Waders

The only migrant passerines on the patch were 6 Willow Warblers and a Garden Warbler, so it was off to check all the beaches for passage waders, not too bad really with 18 Sanderling, 36 Knot, 4 Ruff, 2 Whimbrel, a Common Sandpiper and a Green Sandpiper, not to mention over 100 Ringed Plovers.

Ruff

Willow Warbler

Migrants

Still south-easterly, but now with a few more birds - 2 Pied Flycatchers and 2 Garden Warblers ! not much really. Still a lot of waders about including 12 Knot, 15 Sanderling, 8 Ruff and a Common Sandpiper.

Garden Warbler

Pied Flycatcher

Reed

With south-easterlies blowing all night, checked the patch and got the first signs of proper autumn movement with a Reed Warbler in Stinky Geo. Other bits and bobs were a Common Sandpiper, 24 Knot and a Ruff.

Reed Warbler

Wader day

Spent a few hours on Moast Beach, photographing the tame (ish) waders

Sanderlings

Turnstones

Wader year ticks

Being as waders seem to be pouring through all over, went around the patch looking for Ruff, managed to find 2 on the rocks near Moast Beach and also 5 Greenshank. Other waders of note were 11 Sanderling and 7 Knot.

Greenshank

Ruff, Knot, Turnstone and Dunlin