Shetland - The Final Week

Probably more accurate is to call this the final 11 days as I got rather excited by the Siberian Blue Robin, which deservedly had its own post. 

The action progressed better than the first two weeks, with the odd scarcity turning up, prompting a few minor twitches as I was also leading the Birdguides group, alongside John Hague. This was a good six days, although sadly for the group, the goodies occurred either side, but I did manage to find my first ever shrike, a Great Grey Shrike, quickly followed by me finding a Red-backed Shrike, during this period. We also saw Arctic Warbler, Common Rosefinch, Firecrest, Olive-backed Pipit and American Wigeon (a joint find also). During these days I had time to myself after the day's end and managed to find a flycatcher trio in a single garden, with Red-breasted, a vocal Pied and Spotted Flycatchers.

Just as the group had gone, Dave and Richard on Unst went and found probably my most wanted Shetland mega, a Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler! As Steve is yearlisting, we first went for an elusive Olive-backed Pipit in Lerwick, ragged it onto Unst where the PG Tips showed good enough in flight, plus a few running views, and then we ended out on NW Mainland for a showy Radde's Warbler. 

The remaining time proved quiet for us up north, but the final day resulted in one final mega, a Grey-cheeked Thrush that had been found the evening before and which we'd dipped. In the final hours, a Turtle Dove flew past me and the Kingfisher in Lerwick ended a very successful three weeks. 

Totals for the Highlights

King Eider - 1

Kingfisher - 1

American Black Tern - 1

Buff-breasted Sandpiper - 2

Glossy Ibis - 1

Lapland Bunting - 2

Western Bonelli's Warbler - 1

Baird's Sandpiper - 1

Citrine Wagtail - 1

Yellow-browed Warbler - 22

Quail - 1

Red-breasted Flycatcher - 3

Barred Warbler - 7

Siberian Blue Robin - 1

Two-barred Warbler - 1

Siberian Stonechat - 1

Little Bunting - 1

Great Grey Shrike - 1

Firecrest - 1

Olive-backed Pipit - 2

Arctic Warbler - 1

Red-backed Shrike - 1

American Wigeon - 1

Common Rosefinch - 1

Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler - 1

Radde's Warbler - 1

Grey-cheeked Thrush - 1

Jack Snipe - 2

Turtle Dove - 1

Grey-cheeked Thrush at Easter Quarff

Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler on Unst

Arctic Warbler at Fladdabister

American Wigeon on Spiggie

Red-backed Shrike at Spiggie

Northern Lights from our base at Housetter

Shetland - Week 2

This week has been desperately quiet on the birding front, bar one quite remarkable day! Struggling up north, this week did produce a flurry of Redwings, Blackbirds and Bramblings, but again common migrants have been hard to come by, even with the arrival of our hoped for south-easterly winds, which delivered big time!

Friday 1st October will be one of those legendary days talked about for years to come, but unfortunately only for the lucky few that were their to witness the presence of a true Siberian enigma, a Siberian Blue Robin!

At about 11.20, Hugh Harrop posted a message to say the Sibe Blue was in his garden. Absolute delirium followed, and by some form of absolute luck, Steve and I were at Hoswick, usually a 15 minute drive to Hillwell, but today, a mere eight minutes!! Having been up north almost solidly since we arrived, to be south of Lerwick on this day proved to be crucial, as all of those much north of here were pushing their luck, unknowingly to them, in seeing this species. 

We arrived and joined the mass of birders in the garden (madness really considering how close we were to the site) and over the course of 90-minutes we obtained some tickable, but underwhelming views. I as always decided to steer clear of the throng and instead hid myself at the side of the garden looking into a darkened corner, something that I know this species prefers having seen them multiple times in the gloomy SE Asian rainforests. This paid dividends three fold as it zipped past me, back again, then remarkably landing in the open on a branch, allowing not only five seconds of a binocular view, but just enough time to snap off a few pics. Surprisingly, not long after this, the robin must have departed the garden and was not to be seen again! Quite frankly, it was gutting to realise that lots dipped this bird... maybe if it was given a bit more space on its favoured muck heaps around the garden, it may have hung around, but with birds seemingly dropping in and heading off all day (I saw three Barred Warblers in flight only), it could have just left on its own accord! 

Soon after, we retraced our steps back to Spiggie where a Lapland Bunting flew over, only for the second mega message to come through, and just down the road from the robin... a Two-barred Warbler at Quendale! Not quite as dramatic as the robin, but a UK tick and a superb bird that showed nicely.

The day was then rounded off with a Siberian Stonechat, Little Bunting, four Barred Warblers and possibly some other bits that got forgotten, for what was a mental day in British birding!

first-winter male Siberian Blue Robin at Hillwell

Two-barred Warbler at Quendale