Blizzard

The usual dross on the patch today - a couple of Redwing, a Chiffchaff and a Blackcap, plus a Common Scoter in West Voe, but best of all, the 2 Snow Bunting flocks from yesterday have increased to 125 and 150 at least - a proper blizzard.

Snow Buntings

Redwing

Still Hard Going

Still slow on the patch, with 5 Blackcaps, 4 'Siberian' Chiffchaffs, a Redwing, a Fieldfare, a late Wheatear, 1 Black-tailed Godwit, a Bonxie, a Chaffinch and a Lesser Whitethroat, birds of the day were 60 Snow Buntings in flocks of 25 and 35 in the 2 different stubble fields.

Wilson's Phal

A few record shots of the Wilson's Phalarope at Sand today.

Tough Going

Incredibly hard work on the patch today - 4 hours checking every conceivable place that any migrant might be hiding, and the result - 2 'Siberian' Chiffchaff (one of them in a stubble field !), a Jack Snipe, a Black-tailed Godwit, 2 Whooper Swans, a Chaffinch and a Blackcap.

'Siberian' Chiffchaff

Shopping with Gustav

Being as I had to walk up to Toab shop this morning, it would have been a bit rude not give the Pechora Pipit a bit of a look.

Pechora Pipit

Find Tick, Patch Tick, Year Tick

Light winds all day so there had to be something on the patch, the day started quite well with 8 Greenfinch in the garden (until the postman sent them packing), then, for some reason, I decided to do my usual walk around the patch in reverse today, starting at Sanblister beach. The beach held the usual 2 Redshank along with a fly by Red-breasted Merganser, next stop was Scord beach, after walking through the dune remnants, 3 small waders flew in and landed briefly - 2 Ringed Plovers and something a lot smaller, as soon as I raised my bins they took flight - 2 Ringed Plover and a White-rumped Sandpiper ! I managed a few record shots and the phoned POV, who relocated the Sandpiper on Virkie 30 minutes later. The rest of the patch was a bit of a disappointment after that - 3 Blackcaps, a Lesser Whitethroat, a Merlin, 2 Whooper Swans, a single Redwing and 3 Black-tailed Godwits.

White-rumped Sandpiper

Blackcap

Black-tailed Godwits

Greenfinch

Rain

Pissing down all day, so doing the patch consisted of 20 Barnacle Geese in front of the house and a Yellow-browed Warbler plus 2 Blackcaps in the garden.

Something for the Weekend

Four hours on the patch - every wall, ditch, iris bed, garden, field, thistle patch and cliff checked - scant rewards though. Totals for the day - 2 Merlin, 3 Blackcap, 1 Robin, 20 Barnacle Geese, 3 Goldcrest, 3 Song Thrush, 8 Wheatear, 3 Grey Plover, 3 Sanderling, 1 Chiffchaff, 3 Reed Bunting, 1 Grey Heron, 4 Pied Wagtails, 5 Redwing, 1 Black-tailed Godwit, 4 Pink-footed Geese, 1 Jack Snipe and 3 Swallows.

Barnacle Geese

Grey Plover

Pink-footed Geese

Wheatear

New Arrivals

The south east gales from the last couple of days have finally blew themselves out, replaced today with a light (ish) southerly with some rain - the result - a fresh set of migrants on the patch. Totals for today - 1 Chaffinch, 1 Redstart, 1 Yellow-browed Warbler, 4 Blackcap, 5 Goldcrest, 5 Robin, 8 Song Thrush, 4 Wheatear, 6 Redwing, 1 Dunnock, 1 Reed Bunting, 3 Black-tailed Godwits, 46 Lapwing, a Water Rail and a Moorhen. Meanwhile, there's a Thick-billed Warbler at Geosetter and I just can't be arsed going for it - seen plenty in India and had porno views of the spring bird on Fair Isle in 2003.

Black-tailed Godwits

The 2003 Thick-billed Warbler on Fair Isle - photo courtesy of F.I.B.O.

Just Like Buses

Having moved in to this house way back in 2003 and immediately planting the garden up, it took 10 years to get a Red-breasted Flycatcher in the garden with one in May this year, last night at 6:30 ish, another one turned up and spent all day today in the garden sheltering from the gales. Also in the garden today - a Song Thrush, 2 Robins, 2 Blackcaps, a Garden Warbler and a Common Whitethroat.

Body Parts

A bit of filthy twitching this morning over to Loch of Clevigarth, Lesser Yellowlegs, Pectoral Sandpiper and Wood Sandpiper showing reasonably well, also 6 Snow Buntings and 2 Bramblings over.

Lesser Yellowlegs

Pectoral Sandpiper and Lesser Yellowlegs