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

July Update

Pretty quiet on the bird front, apart from a stunning Marsh Sandpiper on Pool of Virkie on the7th. Added to the patch year-list were Collared Dove, Bar-tailed Godwit and Swift.
Moth wise it was pretty spectacular (for Shetland anyway), with 2 county firsts - an Oblique Carpet on the 21st and a Clouded Brindle on the 24th. Add to this a couple of scarcities like, Bordered Sallow (second for Shetland on the 2nd) Pearly Underwing and Snout, not a bad months tally.

Arctic Skua in a storm on the 23rd

Marsh Sandpiper

Bordered Sallow

Clouded Brindle

Oblique Carpet

Pearly Underwing

Snout

June Update

A pretty quiet month bird wise, but Sand Martin and Chaffinch were added to the patch year-list early in the month. 6 Canada Geese flew over the house on the 19th, and an adult Hobby did a quick fly past on the 29th.

Posing Wheatears

May Update

A bit of an update for May, Common Tern and Arctic Skua added to the year-list on the 5th and Whooper Swan and Swallow on the 7th. A bit of a fall took place on the 8th, with House Martin, male Pied Flycatcher, 2 Whitethroats, male Ring Ouzel, Dunnock, Redstart, Song Thrush, Lapland Bunting, 2 Tree Pipit and Wryneck on the patch, plus a long overdue garden tick - Reed Bunting ! Between the 17th and the months end a few more minor falls took place, Kestrel and Redpoll on the 17th, Crossbill and Common Rosefinch on the 20th,  2 Red-backed Shrikes, Icterine Warbler and Avocet on the 23rd and a Little Egret on the 30th.

Avocet

Common Rosefinch

Common Redpoll

Icterine Warbler

Little Egret

Lesser Whitethroat

Reed Bunting

Red-backed Shrikes

Bramblings

Not a lot new, most stuff seems to have cleared out of the patch, the only exception being Bramblings - now 3 of them regular in the garden. 1 Robin remains and a single Lesser Black-backed Gull made it onto the year-list yesterday.

Brambling

Robin