21st November 2023

Magpie - A slightly less exciting Whalsay first!

Magpie at Whitefield 17/11

One of two Blue Tits at Sodom 18/11.

One of four Woodcocks at Skaw 20/11

Siberian Chiffchaff at Skaw 21/11

Came home on 16/11 after a few weeks at the mackerel fishing with good numbers of Orcas off the East side of Shetland and a few Sooty Shearwaters as well.  With the ongoing Easterly weather I missed a few interesting birds but after the excitement at Skibberhoull I dont really care!  A Little Auk was off Skaw 23/10, A male Bullfinch, 3 Goldfinches and a flock of 20  Waxwings were seen 24/10, Potentially very interesting was the  Swift sp. which bombed North through Skaw 26/10 with a Pallid Swift in Lerwick the previous week and other individuals seen in other parts of the UK around the same time. A Lapland Bunting was also found 26/10. A Yellowhammer was at Skaw on 6/11 but was eclipsed by our first ever island record of Magpie the same day around the primary school, found by non birdwatchers. Luckily this bird has stayed around though is very mobile and unpredictable, ranging around the South of the island. I was lucky enough to see it straight away but am still waiting for a decent photo!

20th -21st October 2023

Western Olivaceous Warbler - A first for Britain on Whalsay!

Little Bunting at Sandwick

If you were to ask any of us morons that chase around trying to find rare migrant birds what their ambition would be I would think a fair percentage would answer "to find a National first"! I never expected this to happen to me but you just never know living in a great migrant trap like Shetland. The morning of the 20th was fairly uneventful with lesser numbers of common stuff to the North of the island. A jaunt to the deep South in the afternoon yielded a Little Bunting on a small tattie rig at Sandwick which I assumed would likely be bird of the day. WRONG. On exiting Frankies plantation at Skibberhoull I spotted a milky tea coloured Warbler with a real javelin for a bill! I fired off a few photos as is was strangely showy and was approaching me rather that vice versa. A whatapp message was sent to our local bird group requesting help and attaching a "back of the camera" snap with the words "Eastern Olivaceous Warbler?" Comments were supportive of this so I put it out nationally with the same pic attached. Jon Dunn and Steve Jones quickly arrived on site and the bird was watched till the light started to go around 5pm. We briefly discussed the possibility of Western Olivaceous but never seriously entertained this as it would be a UK first and "it was never going to be that". In the evening I was messaged by two prominent birdwatchers wondering if the bird had been seen to dip its tail (a classic trait of EOW), I had to admit I had not witnessed this. Apparently there was a bit of online discussion favouring the bird as the rarer Western due to the very uniform nature of the wings and one or two other minor differences. Luckily is was still on site on the morning of the 21st and mist netted, ringed and released quickly by licensed ringers Paul Harvey, Roger Riddington and Phil Harris. It went back to its same circuit remaining really active and confiding to allcomers. Measurements helped reidentify the bird as Britains first Western Olivaceous Warbler making the day of all present, which by that stage included my wife and daughter. Could it ever get better than this. Well yes actually! Brian Marshall is "south" at the moment visiting relatives and has missed out and I am truly gutted for him.   In other news - this is my 280th species for Whalsay so my goal of 300 in my lifetime seems a real possability assuming I am lucky enough to live into old age! If I can average one new bird per year from now on I will hit 300 when I am 78.

19th October 2023

Coal Tit influx

A good period of SE winds began yesterday and the island is now heaving with Goldcrests. A Northern Treecreeper in the Skaw plantation in the  morning added a bit of quality though it disappeared almost immediately without a photograph. I was back on site in the afternoon hoping to refind it when a "different" call had me looking up into a spruce tree to the sight of three Coal Tits! There are only two previous island records of two at Gardentown on 29th September 1965 when I was four months old and a single also at Gardentown on 12th April 2020 identified from a non birdwatchers photo so this was kind of a big deal. Little did we know this was to be the start of an influx of the species into Shetland with pretty much everywhere getting one or a few small parties.

12th October 2023

Waxwings

Cattle Egret at Sumburgh a Shetland tick!

A couple of Waxwings were in the Isbister plantation today and were my first seen on the isle since 2019! Steve Jones also had a flythrough Brent Goose at Skaw today which would have been a year tick.

3rd - 4th October 2023

Large Pipit fiasco. Richard`s or Blyth`s?

At about 4pm on 3/10 I flushed a large Pipit from the roadside at Challister. As luck would have it my window was down allowing me to hear a fairly high pitched "Sweeoo" call reminding me of a "Flava Wagtail" as it shot off. I have seen somewhere in the regions of six to eight Richard`s Pipits previously though probably not in the last ten years and (strangely for a supposedly vocal species) had never heard one to call! Like everyone I was aware of the Shreep call and also that there were other variants. My first port of call was to check Richard`s call on youtube on my phone. The first video sounded pretty close and as I had thought the tail quite long I just needed a view on the deck. It proved difficult to approach but long range observations seemed to show a large and long legged bird so happy enough with this I put it out as a Richard`s. It continued to give me the run around but was quite vocal continuing with the single "sweeoo" call whenever taking to the wing though studying the bird on the ground wasnt happening. At 8am on 4/10 I refound it in the same field and not wanting to flush it before Brian could get up to see it, took a few photos at long range (80m?). I quickly phoned Brian, looked up and the bird had disappeared and was never seen again. In the afternoon I uploaded the seven photos taken and was disappointed that they were even worse than I had feared,the two above being the best of a sorry bunch. Only when I put them on the Whalsay whatsapp group did Peter Stronach question how small the bill looked and that the tail really didnt look overly long at all. Bollocks! I went back and listened to Blyth`s Pipit calls (something I should have done immediately!) and it sounded even better than Richard`s. Having to admit I had made a total balls of it I sent the photos to Paul Harvey and Roger Riddington. Both replied that they thought the bird was "not safely identifiable" due to the blurredness of the photos.

Pauls take on the pics - Pro Blyth`s features - Bill length (although see plate on page 132 of svennson and shirihai )showing a shorter billed Richards. Mantle - pretty neat and contrasty. Wingbars -Due to how striking they are. The description of call. 

Pro Richard`s features - Crown - which doesnt look evenly streaked, rather it appears to show eyebrows.  Jizz - to me it looks leggy and upright.

The problem is there is just too little detail to be seen on my blurred photos and so little point in submitting as anything other than Richard`s/Blyth`s. Anyone out there with an opinion!  johnlowriebirds@gmail.com

30th September 2023

The American Golden Plover relocates to the Houb

26th September 2023

Blackburnian Warbler at the South mainland, 2nd Shetland record

19th September 2023

Little Bunting and American Golden Plover

Home again after two and a half weeks at the herring fishing east of Orkney. This went pretty well and plenty of Sooty Shearwaters were seen though the hoped for Great or even Cory`s never materialised. Our homecoming has coincided with a bout of SE winds which cant be bad with a decent scatter of migrants found. A second adult American Golden Plover for the year was found on the edge of the Skaw airstrip by Steve Jones on 16/9 mirroring the spring bird though it has taken me until today to finally see it!  A Little Bunting was around the wall outside the Skaw plantation yesterday feeding alongside a Common Rosefinch though it flew off after a few minutes and before I could get within range for a clear photo.

26th August 2023

Arctic Warbler

Icterine warbler at Skaw 25/8.

It has been a reasonable spell lately with a good scatter of mostly common migrants.  A bit of quality was added with Wrynecks at Isbister and Symbister 20/8 and 25/8, several Icterine Warblers including at least three on 20/8, at least three Great spotted Woodpeckers have been seen since 20/8 and unusually large numbers of Common Swifts passed through with twenty seven birds recorded on both 22/8 and 23/8. Bird of the period so far was found in the bushes near the roadside at Myrtle Cottage, Brough today with a fairly skulking Arctic Warbler present. A few very uncomfortable hours were put in with swarms of midges to get a few photos but it was well worth the pain!

18th August 2023

East winds bring in migrants at last

Wood Warbler at Grunitaing

Red Grouse near Vevoe, one of a family party of eleven birds with another ten nearby!

9th August 2023

Breeding Whooper Swans

Ringed Merlin with a Meadow Pipit for breakfast at Grunitaing 4/8/23.

This is the third year that a pair of Whooper Swans have attempted to breed on Vatshoull loch and without wishing to jinx anything, it is looking promising with three large young from four hatched still present. One chick survived from a brood of five in 2021 but was driven off by the adults when they hatched their brood in 2022, it panicked and hit overhead wires and was killed. All of the 2022 birds were predated, at least one taken by a Great black backed Gull. The sheep and horses around the loch get a hard time with the male swan seen duffing up a small flock of ewes with their lambs today possibly not endearing themselves to local crofters.

31st July 2023

Hudsonian Godwit at Grutness a first for Shetland

30th July 2023

Melodious Warbler

Steve Jones found a Melodious Warbler in his garden at Skaw today and is only the second island record after one my grandfather found at Hamister on 28th May 1976!  A Whalsay tick for me and Brian too.

16th July 2023

Juvenile Cuckoo

Red Grouse chick at the roadside.

Young Guillemot at the houb

Whimbrel on territory.

After missing a Cuckoo earlier in the spring I managed to catch up with a juvenile at Midfield today. Not much else to be seen at the moment though the Whooper Swans have bred again so we can only hope for a better outcome this year!

12th June 2023

Red backed Shrike

Brian found a female Red backed Shrike this morning on the roadside fences between Vatshoull and Vevoe.  Although I missed it by about thirty seconds it reappeared halfway down the Vevoe road in the afternoon.

10th June 2023

Marsh Warbler

30th May 2023

American Golden Plover

Long eared Owl at Symbister since 24/5 photographed 28/5.

7th May 2023

Blue-headed Wagtail

Ringed Reed Warbler at Sandwick 7/5

Whinchat at Grunitaing 5/5.

4th May 2023

Sandwich Tern

A Sandwich Tern was fishing below the trap area at Skaw this afternoon before a short stop at the houb in the early evening. This is our first island record for five years!

21st April 2023

Moorhen

Trying to hide among some seaweed!

20th April 2023

Hawfinch

18th April 2023

A light scatter of migrants

Kinda blurred Tree Sparrow taken out our bedroom window today.

Greenfinch at Isbister 17/4.

Black Redstart at Grunitaing 16/4.

Bathing Goldcrest at Skaw 16/4

24th March, 2nd April and 10th April 2023

Great Shearwaters West of Outer Hebrides

11th March 2023

Deep snow

Red Grouse near the Vevoe junction

Jack Snipe at Symbister

It has been many years since we had deep snow for a whole week but thats whats going on here at present. The first three days we couldnt get the car out but the road has now been ploughed so you can get around the island with care. A few birds are more obvious in these conditions - the Red Grouse on the hills stick out against the white hillside and Common Snipe are everywhere trying to find  any marshy areas not under a blanket of snow! A good few Jack Snipe have been reported around Shetland in the last few days with a single outside our house at Hamister yesterday and the poser (above) in the meadow at Symbister today. In other news the two Long eared Owls at Skibberhoull first seen 15/2 have now become three since 6/3 with Steve Jones finding another Goldfinch at Skaw on the same date.

21st February 2023

Black throated Diver

Maalie photobombing the Black throated Diver (left) and a Great Northern Diver.

Two Pink footed Geese ( center bird and one with its head down) with Greylags.

Pintail also among the Greylags at the Burns today.

15th February 2023

Long eared Owls

Two of four European White fronted Geese at the burns

Iceland Gull at Symbister

After a quite good month for migrants in January things have quietened down and the first half of February has been typically quiet.  The Grey Plover has been seen at the houb a couple of times (6/2, 12/2) with the drake Pintail at the burns (14/2), an Iceland Gull was around Symbister 11/2 with a single Snow Bunting at Skaw the same day and the four Euro White fronted Geese are still among the Greylags at the burns today. I got a message from Gordon Irvine this morning to say a couple of Owls were in the trees at Frankies and sure enough two Long eared Owls were present and even posed briefly for the camera!

21st January 2023

Rough - legged Buzzard

Grim record shots!

Grey Plover at the Houb 19/1

22nd November 2022

Still alive

Barnacle Geese at Isbister         Photo by Angela Irvine

Its been a very long time since I posted anything on here as I seem to have spent a good portion of the autumn off the island. I was home for a week or so from 19/10 and the unfortunate highlight was getting water in my camera on a very dreich day. I have humped around a camera daily for thirteen years so birding without one seems a bit weird. At least the lens seems intact so santa has been informed that another Canon is required! There has been a decent spell of SE winds lately, a late Yellow browed Warbler in Skaw plantation 14 - 16/11 might have had the decency to have been a Hume`s by now and there has also been a good scatter of Woodcocks seen. Brian found a couple of Tundra Bean Geese at the burns 16/11 and these were soon joined by a drake Gadwall,  five European white fronted geese and an Iceland Gull. The Gadwall is strangely rare on Whalsay with only a couple of known records - My grandfather Johnnie Simpson had a small flock of six many moons ago and Brian had a single on the pool at Vaivoe maybe ten years ago so this added another bird to my Whalsay list.  Long eared Owls at Skibberhoull 19/11 and Brough 20/11 was new for the year as was todays Barnacle Goose pair at Isbister.

24th September 2022

Yellow browed Warblers and a brief early autumn rarity

Still hopeless conditions for migrants with very little on the island. You can always rely on the odd Yellow browed Warbler getting through whatever the weather with the above bird at Skaw and another in the Sodom plantation today.  The best bird seen lately by some distance was the winter plumaged White billed Diver not all that far offshore below the heligoland trap area at Skaw yesterday 23/9. Brian got up to Skaw quickly which was lucky as it completely vanished ten minutes later without getting its photo taken! September records are rare and this may be the earliest autumn record for Shetland though I am not certain of this. Although this species is fairly regular around the Shetland coast in winter it remains a very rare bird on Whalsay, the last record being one moving between Symbister and Suther Ness 11-29/3 2007! This bird unfortunately had a damaged bill and was picked up dead on the last date turning up one day after I went to sea and dying the day before I got home again making yesterdays bird my first individual in about forty years!  A juvenile male Blackcap trapped 21/9 had been rung in Prague which is a decent record. Further details to follow.

13th September2022

Late Cuckoo

10th September 2022

Woodpecker influx

Redstart at Skaw

7th September 2022

Herring fishing

Great Shearwater off Orkney

Sooty Shearwater

Sparrowhawk

The Symbister Spotted Crake    Photo by Brian Marshall.

We are on our last herring trip of the season today in an area about six miles east from Start Point Orkney. At least three Great Shearwaters have been in attendance with loads of Sooty Shearwaters and a Sparrowhawk also lurking around. The last few days has seen SE winds at home with a good selection of scarce and common migrants being found. Brian found the best bird so far or he would have done had it still been alive! A very recently deceased Spotted Crake was picked up off the pavement outside the lower shop at Symbister today and would have been an island tick for all. Second place would have to go to the very much alive Arctic Warbler Jon Dunn flushed from the thistles behind his house 6/9 though this bird vanished thereafter. Hopefully there will be a few things left when I get home in a few days.

17th August 2022

Better photos of the Wood Warbler

14th August 2022

Wood Warbler

5th August 2022

Twitching the Unst Harlequin

5th July 2022

New island breeding species and some suicidal Crossbills

Heron at Vatshoull

A Tufted Duck with six young appeared on Vatshoull loch today, a first breeding record for Whalsay so hopefully some of them will survive! It is a year or two since we had Common Crossbill on Whalsay so when a nice red male was photographed at Skaw on 2/7 by Sue Fermor we were pissed off to miss it.  Two more have turned up since then and both hit windows and died, a first summer at Saltness 3/7 and a juvenile today at Symbister. We await a living one any day soon.  A Red breasted Merganser with five or six chicks was in the North Voe 26/6 and is our first island breeding record for a number of years. Other migrant news consisted of a calling Quail at Hamister, four Siskins at Symbister and a Hummingbird Hawk-moth at Saeter 2/7 and a late/early Spotted Flycatcher at Skaw 3-4/7 at Skaw and a Magpie Moth at Sandwick 3/7.

25th June 2022

Twitching a rarity and catching up with Quail at last.

Wren on Sumburgh Head

When news broke on the 19th of a Pacific Swift at Sumburgh I couldnt get away and could only hope that this very rare first for Shetland would hang on for a second day. News and photos of the bird zipping around peoples heads was frustrating but me and Angela booked the 7am ferry for the next day and hoped for the best. The morning of the 20th was fresh and SW so we spent a couple of hours looking at Puffins and photographing a family of Wrens, not really what we had hoped for. All was not lost however with its reappearance at the Noup of the Noss on 21st! Me, Angela and Brian had a run across on Phil Harris boat and saw it although it was a long way up and I really shoudnt be ticking anything on views like that (I did of course!).

Quail has for years been my bogey bird on Whalsay, a couple of dead birds picked up in the Hamister valley being the sum total.  I was having a look at Skibberhoull on the afternoon of 24/6 and was greeted to the sound of one calling loudly out of a field of long grass below Frankies. Brian came for a look or should I say a listen as we never managed to actually see the bird.  I was left with the decision as to whether you can tick something you have never actually seen! This problem resolved itself the very next day when me and the bairns were out for a walk along the shore north of Nisthouse and flushed another individual. It flew low past me giving a decent view before landing in a field of long grass and disappearing. Now I need Marsh Harrier to follow suit and that will be good. I will surely see one eventually without having to twitch one on mainland.

17th June 2022

Nightjar

A Nightjar flushed out of Skaw plantation 15/6, a dark looking bird in flight lacking the white tail corners and white spots towards the wing tips making it a female. Brian came up for a look and we had one more flight view before we lost it. I have always wanted a photo of one of these birds but assumed I had missed my chance again. There was no sign yesterday but it flushed again this morning and sat up on a fence post for about a minute being harassed by one of the local Meadow Pipits. Unfortunately I only got photos from long range which was never going to be great and it flew back into the plantation when I tried to close the distance. It may hang on for another go and I will surely get my, point blank "asleep on a wall" shots some day!  This is my fifth island record the first being one on a fence post at Vatshoull on 3rd August 1979. It was seen as a fourteen year old and not by any of the adults so was never submitted to the Shetland rarities committee though there is no doubt about the record.

12th June 2022

Scaup

Red backed Shrike at Skaw 11/6.

Whimbrel on territory at Skaw - late May.

Brian found a nice drake Scaup on the pool at Symbister this morning and I managed to track it down to the Sandwick loch in the afternoon. This species remains a very scarce visitor to Whalsay with the last record being a female on Isbister loch in late April 2018. There has been little news since my last post as things stayed annoyingly birdless throughout. An Icterine Warbler in the Skaw plantation was only seen for a few seconds but not photographed 31/5 though it performed better than the singing Marsh Warbler in the same location 6/6 which was never seen at all! A female Red backed Shrike was at Roadside Skaw last night and I managed a long range record shot before it disappeared, unseen by anyone else - grim.

21st May 2022

Golden Oriole influx

Golden Oriole at Tripwell 19/5/22

Pied Flycatcher at Skaw 11/5/22

Spotted Flycatcher at Skaw 17/5/22

Sedge Warbler 19/5

When Steve Jones found a male Golden Oriole at Skaw on 17/5 and it disappeared before I got there I was getting really fed up with my lot for this year having pretty much missed every decent bird on the island. There is usually a number of years between sightings so the chances of seeing another really wasn't great. On the evening of 19/5 I was out washing the car when I got sent a "whats that bird" phone photo from Tripwell - it was a point blank pic of a female Golden Oriole sat on a window ledge! Me and Brian caught up with it at the North end of the Tripwell council estate and got a few mid range photos from a small garden before it vanished. Two birds were seen the following day (20th) with females at Skaw and Hamister and another female today (21st) videod in a garden at Gardentown. As this species is highly mobile it is hard to be sure how many individuals are involved, the Tripwell, Hamister and Gardentown  sightings could all be one bird? So at least three and possibly as many as five have been seen in the last five days which is likely as many as we have had in the last twenty years! Apart from these birds Whalsay has, as usual, been lagging behind the rest of Shetland for decent migrants - single male Linnets at Marrister 16/5 and Vatshoull 21/5, Common Sandpiper at Skaw 17/5, two Mute Swans on Sandwick loch and a Cuckoo at Skaw 18/5 and a Sedge Warbler trapped at Skaw 19/5 was about it.

15th May 2022

Colour ringed Knot

28th April 2022

Short Eared Owl

A couple of grainy images of a Short eared Owl Brian found at the roadside just south of the Vevoe junction today. At least it waited till I got up to see it !

24th April 2022

Glossy Ibis - A second new bird missed in three weeks!

At 12:45 today I was getting sunday lunch ready when I received a text, Steve Jones had found a pair of Glossy Ibis in the sheep field on the south side of the golf clubhouse at Skaw. The same pair had been on Fair Isle and then Hillswick in previous days, and as a new bird for the Whalsay list it was one I really wanted to see. Angela took over the dinner, I did a "wallace and gromit" into my boots and shot out the door. My attempts to get to Skaw were hampered by a safe driver who, needless to say went the whole way to Skaw at 30mph and in the only safe place to overtake I was foiled by oncoming traffic. I missed the birds by minutes, a car had flushed them to the east and walks from Isbister to the Skaw Taing and beyond were a waste of time.  Our last island first was the Great Reed Warbler in May 2019 so to miss two new birds in three weeks is a real sickener.

3rd - 11th April 2022

Snow Geese - an Island first missed.

All photos by Angela Irvine

On the 4th of April Angela had a phonecall from Carleen Hughson -  three white geese with black wing-tips had flown from Creadyknowe North towards Myrtle Cottage/Challister and after consulting her field guide wondered if they might be Snow Geese! As I was west of Ireland in a boat I texted Brian to check it out though she had already phoned him and he was on it. Sure enough she was quite right, an island first. Angela took on the role of local Papparazzi, catching up with them in the parks on the north side of Myrtle Cottage and got a few pretty good photos with her small camera on full zoom at quite long range. Norman Poleson came out for a look and said they had been there since the previous day (3rd). As you can see on Angelas photos above, the birds had an orange wash to their faces  making it likely to be the same three that had spent a few months (January till 31/3) at Slimbridge Gloucestershire. As there are feral populations of Snow geese in Germany and Holland it is possibly unlikely that these birds will be accepted as wild, apparently an effort was going to be made to get a few feathers for DNA analysis to try to work out which bit of the world they came from but I am unsure what came of this (and as I never saw them couldnt really give a -). As I was due home around 20/4 it was always going to be a long shot that they would hang on that long and sure enough they departed on the 11th.

There has been little seen since my last post in late January- I also managed to miss a Black throated Diver Brian found offshore below Marrister 16/2. Likewise the Stonechats at Skaw in March on 11th and 14th and a Jackdaw at Vatshoull 12th. Things can only better as the song says!

30th January 2022

Glaucous Gull

Great Northern Diver off Symbister.

3rd January 2022

Jack Snipe

31st December 2021

Whalsay bird review 2021

The year began with 9+ Blue Tits still raking around from last years influx including a bird with a ring on the left leg at Sandwick, the ring code was never determined unfortunately. A Carrion Crow was around the Hillhead/Symbister area for a few weeks from 3/1 with two Dunnocks in one Symbister garden around the same time. Two Glaucous Gulls were at west loch of Skaw 9/1 with a Jack Snipe at Traywick 29/1. Belated news of a Great Tit at Houll for most of the month came after its departure and was the only individual for the year.

February

A Jack Snipe was in a roadside ditch at Symbister 5/2 with a Glaucous Gull at Skaw 13/2.  A small party of three Blue Tits at Symbister included a Stavanger ringed bird, though again the whole ring code could not be seen. A Sparrowhawk was at Whitefield 21/2, our first Skylark at Hamister 23/2 and the only Snow Bunting of the spring at Pouster 25/2.

March

Little was seen till a female Velvet Scoter was off Skaw Taing 12/3.  A couple of Risso`s Dolphins off Symbister 29/3 was also notable.

Nothing of note was seen early in the month with our first Wheatear back on the late date of 14/4. A surprisingly scarce island bird was the Rook at the Burns 17/4 (my first in nine years!) with Goldcrest, Willow Warbler and Siskin making their debuts the same day. A male Hawfinch was at Saltness 18/4 with a female trapped at Marrister 20/4 and another male at Skaw 26/4. A Water Rail was at Skaw 18/4 with an early(ish) Whimbrel on the golf course 20/4. The first Minke Whale was also off Skaw Taing 23/4 with a Black throated Diver in the voe below the Skaw trap for a week from 24/4. A Green Sandpiper was in various ditches at the burns 30/4.

May

The Green Sandpiper at the burns was joined by a male Grey Wagtail 1/5. A brief male Linnet at Hamister was the sole record for the year. The first Arctic Tern was quite late on 8/5 at Vatshoull loch.  A better scatter of common migrants appeared from 9/5 headlined by a Wryneck at Symbister and supported by five Ring Ouzels, two Hawfinches and a House Martin. A Great spotted Woodpecker was at Symbister 10/5 with Cuckoo at Symbister, Kestrel at Sandwick, Greenshank at Skaw and Common Tern at Symbister 11/5. A Wryneck at Isbister13/5 and a Hawfinch at Marrister 14/5 was best of a decent scatter of common migrants mid month. The years only Shelduck was at the houb for a matter of minutes 19/5. Likewise the years only Icterine Warbler at tripwell 24/5, identified from a photo six days after the event! A Marsh Warbler was at Skaw 25/5 with two Tree Sparrows at Skaw 27/5 and another three at the burns 29/5.

June

Bird of the spring was a brief early morning Lesser Grey Shrike found at Skaw by Peter Stronach 3/6.  Annoyingly it was flushed by a car towards Vevoe and not seen again. This is a fifth island record. A female Red backed Shrike was some compensation at Skaw 5/6 with six Common Scoters off Challister 6/6. A Cuckoo was at Skibberhoull 10/6. A nationwide influx of Rose- coloured Starlings reached Shetland and singles at Challister 12/6 and Houll/Brough 24/6 were most welcome. Our second Marsh Warbler was, like the last one, in the Skaw plantation 16/6. Excitement towards the months end concerned two new island breeding records - The Whooper Swan pair on Vatshoull loch hatched out four chicks 28/6, though only one survived

Photo by Peter Stronach.

The quietest month as usual. The Tree Sparrow pair were successful with three young birds seen flying around early in the month.  A small colony of Manchester treble Bar moths were found at Skaw with at least ten in one small field. A Green Sandpiper was at west loch of Skaw 28/7.

August

A Cuckoo was at Newtoon and a Long eared Owl at Skaw 3/8. A Convolvulus Hawkmoth was at Hamister 6/8 and single Red backed Shrikes at Grunitaing and Brough 13/8. A small flock of four Common Rosefinches were at Isbister 23/8 with single Barred and Wood Warblers. A juvenile Hen Harrier flew north through Skaw 24/8, landing briefly before being driven off by Hooded Crows. a Long eared Owl was at Skaw and a Wood Warbler at Brough 25/8. A Minke Whale was off Skaw 28/8.

September

A Sparrowhawk was at Skaw 5/9. Barred Warblers were at Skaw (2) and Isbister with twelve Ruff at Skaw 10/9. A Wryneck was at Skaw10/9 and a Grey Wagtail at Houll loch 20/9. Forty Pink footed Geese flew South over the isle in two small flocks 22/9. A decent migrant appeared 26/9 with a Red flanked Bluetail in the Skaw plantation. This was our 6th in the last fifteen years and 5th for Skaw!  Yellow browed Warblers turned up late this year with our first at Skaw 27/7. It was a poor year for this species with four 29/9 the best day total.  29/9 proved a better day with a Rustic Bunting, Red breasted Flycatcher and Grey Wagtail in and around "Frankies" at Skibberhoull.

What may or may not have been the same Rustic Bunting from Skibberhoull turned up in the small reed bed at Symbister 1-2/10. A very flighty and camera shy Little Bunting was around the ditches below Whitefield 5/10. A Hoopoe spent the day of 7/10 hoovering up earwigs from the newly cut grass at Vatshoull. A  Long eared Owl was at Skaw and a Hawfinch at Brough 19/10. A Yellowhammer was at Brough 24/10.

November

Two Glaucous Gulls were at Skaw 1/11. Mackerel shoals around the island attracted three Humpbacks around the east isles 3/11 with another two off Skaw 9/11 and again there 14-15/11. A Black throated Thrush was among some Blackbirds and Redwings at Skaw 15-16/11 and was a second island record and bird of the year.  A Water Rail was at Marrister 15/11. A Peregrine north over Symbister 28/11 was the only record for the year. Two Jack Snipes were at Hamister and three Glaucous Gulls at Skaw 29/11.

December

A Long eared Owl was at Skaw 8/12. Whalsays third Bittern was at north loch of Skaw 15-18/12, the last two were hit and killed by cars. Sadly this one also died, it was found to be a first year male and severely underweight. The last notables for the year were a Jack Snipe at the houb 28/12 and a Woodcock at Skaw 30/12.

18th December 2021

The Bittern sadly dies

15th December 2021

Bittern

A Bittern was found this morning in the ditch which goes under the road and into the north loch of Skaw by new island birder Steve Jones. It was well camouflaged and me and Brian walked straight past it at about three foot range without seeing it!  It is a bit worrying that it was allowing us so near without flushing  so possibly might not be in the best of health?  It could not be found later in the morning however so hopefully it is ok and not lying feet up somewhere? This is only the third island record and the first seen alive, the previous two were both hit by cars! Predictably there's not been much news lately - a Peregrine north over Symbister 28/11 was a a year tick and a Long eared Owl in the Skaw plantation 8/12 was best.

23rd November 2021

Siberian Chiffchaff

Autumn migration is now grinding to a halt as is usual at the back end of November and my year list is now one species behind the worst ever year in 2016!  There has been so many common birds unrecorded on here this year so I may yet limp past the dire total of 129 and with things like Iceland Gull, Little Auk, White fronted Goose etc still to make an appearance all is not yet lost. The Black-throated Thrush was seen in the same field at Skaw intermittently till dusk on 16/11 but disappeared overnight. A Siberian Chiffchaff with a nasty looking tick below its eye was in our garden at Hamister this afternoon.

15th November 2021

Black throated Thrush

One of two Humpbacks off Skaw

Late Whinchat at the Houb 13/11.

Sometimes the best days are the unexpected ones! When you reach mid November and the winds are SW you really don't expect to have a new bird or pretty much any bird come to that. The morning kicked off with a pair of Humpbacks off Skaw. Me and Rory had seen them distantly yesterday but Jon Dunn found them again at first light much closer in. After viewing these I set off South for some breakfast and could see a good few Redwings and Blackbirds in Colin Eunsons lower field. Pretty much right away a very grey looking bird hopped out at reasonably close range - a Black throated Thrush! This is a second island record, Brian having had one out the surgery window on 19th October 1993. I came home the following day, couldn't find it only to hear of its reappearance at Skibberhoull 23/10 after I had gone away again. A very late Lesser Whitethroat was in the same area today and I also caught up with the Water Rail which has been lurking in Brians Marrister garden for the last week or so.

24th October 2021

Yellowhammer

A Yellowhammer was around the byre at the Burns this morning with two Reed Buntings adding one more species to the year list. Heading to the mackerel fishing tonight so this will be the last gripping(!) post for a while.

22nd October 2021

Another poor migration season

Lots of Bramblings passing through atm.

Robin numbers are increasing

One of two Snow Buntings on Skaw Taing today.

Long range Hawfinch at Brough 19/10.

Another disappointing migration season is almost over with ten Ring Ouzels seen 18/10 and Long eared Owl and Hawfinch 19/10 as close to rare as we have got in the last few weeks.

7th October 2021

Hoopoe at Vatshoull

1st October 2021

Rustic Bunting(s)

On the 29th September I was at Frankies,  Skibberhoull looking among about a hundred Chaffinches and a handful of Bramblings in the bushes  when I heard a ticking call coming out of one of the Fuchsias. A quick scan revealed a cracking Rustic Bunting though it shot off before it had its picture taken never to return. A Red breasted Flycatcher and Grey Wagtail in and around the same garden followed suit making it a good days birding and a poor days photography! Excitement yesterday (30th) centred around another visit from the local Shetland Orca pod the "27s" which me and Chloe tracked from Skaw to Symbister in a real dreich day. I decided to try the small reedbed at Symbister this afternoon and was greeted by a pair of Whinchats and then out came a Rustic Bunting onto the wall! It looked pretty much identical to the Skibberhoull individual so who knows if its the same bird or not. Anyway this one hung around and after a lot of circling of the reeds I managed one reasonable photo. An interesting pale brown warbler was up and down again in the same reeds and despite a lot of effort wasn't seen again so will be hoping its still there tomorrow.

26th September 2021

Red-flanked Bluetail

Its not often you go a whole month without a single bird post at this time of year but there has been a real lack of migrants, possibly the worst ever!  Three Barred Warblers were recorded 10/9, a Wryneck at Skaw 15/9, a Common Rosefinch at Hamister 18/9 and a Grey Wagtail at the Houll loch 20/9 was as good as it got. A decent migrant arrived at last today with the discovery of a Red-flanked Bluetail in the Skaw plantation and was a relief to say the least. Once a near mythical rarity it has now become far more regular in the Uk with this being our sixth Whalsay individual in the last fifteen years and fifth for Skaw! These records were - 21/10/06 at Skaw, 30/9/10 Skaw, 27/9/12 Skaw, 22/9/15 Whitefield and 6/10/20 Skaw. A historical record of one "collected" also at Skaw by one of Angelas relatives, Sammy Bruce 7/10/1947 was only Britains second record at that time. Will always be a great bird to unearth whatever the future status may be.

25th August 2021

Wood Warbler and Long eared Owl

A Long eared Owl flushed out of the Skaw plantation this morning, not hanging around to get its photo taken. A Wood Warbler at Brough later in the day performed a bit better though.

24th August 2021

Hen Harrier

23rd August 2021

A few migrants at Isbister

Barred Warbler

Common Rosefinch,one of four birds present.

13th August 2021

Red backed Shrikes

Red backed Shrikes were at Grunitaing and Brough today with a couple of Swifts and a Sparrowhawk at Skaw.

11th August 2021

Fetlar trip by boat

Dennis Coutts and Brian Marshall on the Noss boat, 164 years of birdwatching experience!

Brian trying to track down the Pratincole on Fetlar

Success! Juvenile Black-winged Pratincole.

Had a trip into Fetlar with Brian today. Phil Harris picked us up on his boat and we set off to try for Shetlands 2nd Black-winged Pratincole!  after one on Fair Isle in 1927. John and Dennis Coutts were also passengers and you have to admire the fitness of Dennis at 87 years, nipping up and down the ladders on the piers like a rat up a drainpipe! After a worrying first hour the bird was refound and we got splendid views as it fed around a small field chasing insects and running close past us on several occasions. A four hour round trip and hugely enjoyable. Birds of interest in the last week or so on Whalsay were a juvenile Cuckoo at Brough 3/8, and a Long eared Owl at Houll 5/8. A Convolvulus Hawkmoth was at Hamister 6/8 and Bird cherry Ermines at Hamister 6/8 and Skaw 11/8.

27th July 2021

Bird-cherry Ermine moth

26th July 2021

Manchester treble bar moths invade Skaw

I was walking around the outside of the Skaw plantation on 24/7 when I saw a pretty whitish moth with a few bars across its wings. A few photos were taken followed by a failed attempt to find it in my moth book. Paul Harvey came to the rescue identifying it as a Manchester treble bar " reasonably well established on Shetland moorland though considerably scarcer on the UK mainland". I went back to the same field yesterday and was surprised to find another two which were both clearly different to the first one.  Another look today and another six were found so there is surely a small population in the area. A bonnie beast and previously unrecorded on Whalsay.

9th July 2021

Another Orca visit

The 27s pod of Orcas put on a show around the holm of Sandwick this morning, circling the isle and passing within metres of where me, Angela and Chloe were standing on the beach. A very close and prolonged encounter.

30th June 2021

Another addition to the Whalsay breeding list

Tree Sparrows feeding as yet unseen chicks in a roof at Skaw.

28th June 2021

Whooper Swan family

The nest photographed at the start of incubation in late May.

A Whooper Swan pair on Vatshoull loch hatched out four chicks today and is our first breeding record of this species on the island.

24th June 2021

Another Rosy Starling

"Argyrotaenia ljungiana"

Cloud-bordered Brindle

John Simpson phoned this morning about a starling with a light back which had landed in his garden bushes at Houll. This proved to be our second Rose-coloured Starling of the spring though the long range photos in the rain hardly do it justice. Myself and Brian both saw it at distance and may yet get better pics if still present tomorrow as it is supposed to be a dry day. Yesterday saw a second record of "Argyrotaenia ljungiana" moth at Skaw following our first on Symbister Ness a few days ago. A Cloud- bordered Brindle was also just outside the plantation and also a new one for me (what isn't!).

21st June 2021

Moths and flowers on Symbister Ness

photo  Angela Irvine

Went for a walk around Symbister Ness yesterday (20th) with Angela and Chloe and soon fell behind due to the amount of moths in the area. I am a complete beginner with this so anything I find is rare to me. Once home I sent  a few photos to Shetland moth expert Mike Pennington for ID. As per usual most of it was a load of shite - with one exception. The photo above is a " Argyrotaenia ljungiana",( I am not a fan of all this Latin bullshit but haven't managed to find a common name for it). Anyway it is quite rare apparently with only three Shetland records before "a few" were found on Hermaness this year. We went back today but due to the windier and colder conditions the moths had moved on but found an unusual flower species instead. We managed to identify it as Chickweed Wintergreen from our flower book which is quite scarce in Shetland. There is apparently a known site on Symbister Ness in the Shetland flora records book though we stumbled on them by accident. Bird migration seems to be over now with a Marsh Warbler on 16/6 and Lesser Whitethroat 17-18/6 both singing in the Skaw plantation the only birds of note in the last week or so.

12th June 2021

Rose-Coloured Starling

6th June 2021

Red Backed Shrike

Red throated Diver or "rain goose" at Skaw.

Sand Eels jumping out of the water to avoid the Rain Goose.

3rd June 2021

Lesser Grey Shrike

Photo by Peter Stronach

It was good to welcome back Peter Stronach to the island for a couple of days birdwatching after a five year absence, arriving late on 1/5 and departing midday on 4th. We had a good look around on the 2nd with little success though a scattering of common migrants began to arrive in the afternoon. You cant keep Peter quiet for long though and my mobile went off at 6:45am today with news of a Lesser Grey Shrike on the fences around the Skaw plantation! This being a 5th island record after singles in 1929, 1965, 1970 and 1990. Slightly worryingly the bird had been flushed towards Vevoe by a passing car though surely we would soon refind it? I staggered into my clothes and set off north arriving at the same time as Brian and the hunt began. Unfortunately it was never seen again despite our best efforts. Can this spring get any worse!

25th May 2021

Tree Sparrow pair and a Marsh Warbler

Collared Dove at Sandwick

20th May 2021

Reed Bunting

14th May 2021

Another Wryneck and some Sanderlings

Mallard brood on the sea below Symbister shop.

12th May 2021

Tree Pipits

10th May 2021

Great spotted Woodpecker

9th May 2021

Wryneck

Pied Flycatcher

Winds have at last ventured into the East and a reasonable scatter of common migrants were found today. Pick of the bunch was a brief Wryneck at Symbister which appeared and promptly disappeared as they tend to do. Support cast consisted of Hawfinches at Skaw and Symbister, Ring Ouzels at Skaw (3) and Hamister (2), Pied Flycatcher at Skaw, Common Whitethroats at Newpark and Isbister, Redstarts at Skaw (2) Sandwick and the Burns, House Martin at Vevoe,  Collared Doves at Symbister and Skibberhoull, Woodpigeon at Brough,  Whinchats at Skaw and Lubba, with good numbers of Willow Warblers and Blackcaps scattered around.

2nd May 2021

Linnet

Lesser black backed Gull at Vatshoull

1st May 2021

Green Sandpiper and Grey Wagtail

Distant Black throated Diver off Skaw.

Since my last post the endless summer of Northerlies has never ceased and is ongoing. I doubt there has ever been less birds at this time of year so any migrant is welcome at the moment. A Minke Whale was our first island record of the year off Skaw Taing 23/4. Brian found a Black throated Diver off Skaw for the third year in a row 24/4 with our third island Hawfinch also at Skaw 26/4. Nothing else of interest appeared until a Green Sandpiper was in the burn appropriately at the Burns yesterday 30/4. I went back today to try for photos and had the added bonus of a male Grey Wagtail in the same ditch though neither allowed me anywhere near so had to make do with the poor record shots above.

20th April 2021

Another Hawfinch

Siskin at Marrister

Male Merlin North of Vatshoull

18th April 2021

Hawfinch

Goldcrest at Skaw 16/4.

After a long period of Northerlies winds swung South mid month and a light passage of common migrants began to appear. Our first Wheatear was on the late date of 14/4 with Goldcrest and Chiffchaff next up on 15/4. A brief flythrough Rook was at the Burns 17/4, a strangely rare bird on Whalsay! I missed the last record of two birds at Skaw in September 2018 and have to go back nine years to 2012 for the last one I saw on here. A very obliging Hawfinch was at the back of my parents house at Saltness today feeding a few metres from the kitchen window and although a much commoner bird these days it is always a good bird to see.

11th April 2021

Great Shearwaters West of Ireland in March

Glaucous Gull in Skagen harbour, Denmark 7/4/21

13th March 2021

Velvet Scoter

25th February 2021

Snow Bunting

A Snow Bunting was feeding around the road edges at Pouster today allowing a few photos to be taken.  A Sparrowhawk was at Whitefield 21/2 with a Woodcock and Blue Tit at Isbister 22/2.

19th February 2021

Norwegian ringed Blue Tit

Dunnock

Starling

5th February 2021

Jack Snipe

It has been a very quiet start to the year on Whalsay with at least six Blue Tits from last years influx overwintering on the island.  This included a ringed bird at Sandwick 23/1 but I never got within range to try for photos of the ring code. A Carrion Crow was around Hillhead and Symbister for a few weeks from 3/1 and two Dunnocks were in one Symbister garden also from early January.  Two Glaucous Gulls were at West loch of Skaw 9/1. Some cold snowy weather helped turn up a Jack Snipe at Traywick 27/1 and Woodcock at Skaw 29/1.  Another Jack Snipe was in a roadside ditch today at Symbister allowing a fairly close approach in the car and a few photos.

31st December 2020

Whalsay bird review 2020

January

A fairly quiet start to the year began with an overwintering Bar tailed Godwit at the Houb remaining all month. A Pink footed Goose was at Brough for a couple of weeks from 4/1. A first winter Iceland Gull was at Symbister 6/1 with a female Common Scoter off Vatshoull 7/1. Another Iceland Gull was at the Houb 12/1. A single Snow Bunting at Skaw 21/1 was the only other notable sighting for the month.

February

A single Knot joined the Bar tailed Godwit at the houb 8/2 and a Sparrowhawk bombing north through Vatshoull 10/2 was the sum total.

March

Two Snow Buntings were at Skaw 4/3. An Iceland Gull was at Symbister 17/3. Two Siskins were at Saltness 19/3 with a Woodpigeon at Whitefield 20/3. A Glaucous Gull was at Skaw and a Pied Wagtail at Hamister 25/3 with a Chiffchaff at Skaw 27/3.

Merlin eating a Turnstone at Symbister.

Two Pink footed Geese were at Challister 9/4. A Barnacle Goose was also at Challister and a Woodpigeon at Skaw 11/4. All the isles birders missed a Coal Tit, photographed by John Dally in his trees at Gardentown 12/4. This was only a second island record after a pair also at Gardentown the  year I was born (1965!). Pink footed Goose numbers at Challister rose to seven on 14/4. A Hawfinch visited our garden feeder at Hamister 18/4 with Shelducks at Vevoe(2) and the houb and a Mealy Redpoll at Skaw the same day. Two Common Scoters were off Vatshoull 20/4 with a Long eared Owl and our first Swallow at Skaw 21/4. A Grasshopper Warbler was in Brian's  Marrister garden 25-26/4 but always stayed a step ahead of me! A Sedge Warbler and two Ring Ouzels were at Skaw 30/4.

May

The first of May started with a reasonable scatter of migrants with a Short eared Owl and a Reed Bunting both at Skaw pick of the bunch. A Tree Pipit was at Newpark 2/5 then three together at the burns 3/5. A dark bellied Brent Goose was at Sandwick 4/5 with our first Arctic Tern back at the houb the same day. A Pale bellied Brent Goose was at the houb 7/5 with a Tree Sparrow at Marrister for a few days from 8/5. An elusive Hoopoe toured various gardens around Gardentown/Harlsdale from 11-19/5. A Wryneck put in a very brief appearance at Skaw 17/5. Two House Martins were at Symbister 19/5 increasing to three 20/5 when there was also a Sedge Warbler at Skaw. A Cuckoo was at Creadyknowe 22/5 then a female Red backed Shrike at Skaw 23/5. The Skaw Shrike was joined by a female Bluethroat and a Sedge Warbler was at Sandwick 24/5. A female Black Redstart was at Sandwick and the years only Sand Martin at Skaw 25/5.  A nice male Bluethroat was at the Red Grind, a Common Sandpiper at Vatshoull loch and a pair of Red Grouse with at least ten chicks near Vevoe on 27/5. A female Kestrel was at Isbister 28/5 with a flythrough Common Swift at Skaw 29/5

June.

An incredibly elusive Marsh Warbler was in the Skaw plantation 4-9/6. An immature Black throated Diver began an extended stay off Skaw from 13/6 hanging around into mid august. A Cuckoo was at Clate and a House Martin at Symbister 20/6. A very unseasonal female Smew appeared on Vatshoull loch 24/6 and may well be the same bird seen on the same loch the previous April? This was only a second island record regardless. A series of Hummingbird Hawkmoth records began with one at the Wirlie, Skaw on 26/6. A minimum of seven were recorded in the next few days including three together in one Escalonia bush at the North Park 27/6.

Hummingbird Hawkmoth at Skaw

Short eared Owl at west loch

Smew on Vatshoull loch

Dark bellied Brent Goose at Sandwick

Hoopoe at Harlsdale

A Cuckoo was at Whitefield 5/7 and a scruffy juvenile Common Crossbill at Skaw 7/7. What could only have been a pair of Red necked Phalaropes were described to Brian from muddy loch, Skaw Taing 8/7 but were never refound. Another Common Crossbill was at Skaw 9/7 before a possible Corncrake was reported calling and see briefly at Isbister 10/7. Unfortunately like the Phalaropes we never managed to confirm this. A Grey Plover turned up among a few Golden Plovers at North loch 21/7 before relocating to the houb and staying into November. A very young juvenile Goldcrest was in the Skaw plantation 23/7 and was likely to have been Shetland bred. A Common Sandpiper was at West loch 28/7 with a Common Crossbill at Skaw 30/7.

August

An unseasonal juvenile Hawfinch was in Brian's Marrister garden 2/8.  A Greenshank was at Vatshoull 11/8 with a Reed Warbler at Skaw for a few days from 12/8. A juvenile Red backed Shrike was in various gardens at Hamister for a few days from 13/8. A Wood Warbler and another Greenshank were at Sandwick 18/8 with a Common Rosefinch at Isbister 19/8. Another Wood Warbler was in the Isbister plantation 20/8 with a much rarer and quite vocal Greenish Warbler. A Barred Warbler was at Skaw 21/8 with  three Ruff at Symbister 22/8 (the only record of the species this year!). Another Greenish Warbler was at Skaw 23/8 joining the still present Isbister bird. A Convolvulus Hawkmoth was released from a porch at Sandwick 28/8. The only Icterine Warbler of the year was at Sandwick 30/8 with another Barred Warbler at Isbister the same day.

September

Four Sooty Shearwaters flew south past Skaw Taing 2/9 with a late-ish Common Swift at Skaw from 3-4/9. Another quiet period had to be endured with an Angle Shades moth at Hamister a welcome distraction from the "no fly zone" 16/9. Two Yellow browed Warblers and a Common Rosefinch at Skaw showed signs of improvement 17/9. 60+ Pink footed Geese flew south over Hamister 18/9. A Great spotted Woodpecker was photographed at a Norrendal feeder 19/9 and again 23/9 but missed by all of us. The first of a few autumn Jack Snipes was at Skaw Taing 25/9. Another juvenile Great spotted Woodpecker was at Symbister 28/9 allowing us to see it this time. Our best day count of Yellow browed Warblers was twelve on 29/9.

Yellow browed Warbler at Sandwick

Black throated Diver off Skaw

Greenish Warbler at Skaw

Grey Plover at the houb

Red backed Shrike at Hamister

A rare bird arrived at last on 1/10 with a Radde`s Warbler in and around the yards at Roadside, Skaw for three days. A Common Rosefinch was at Skaw and a Kestrel at Hamister also on 1/10. In a year pretty much devoid of quality rares Whalsays third Pallas`s Grasshopper Warbler turned up at Skaw 3/10 creeping though a small field for four days. Coincidentally  the other two individuals were found within a couple of hundred yards of this bird. A Kestrel and thirty six Barnacle Geese were also at Skaw 3/10. A late-ish Wryneck was at Skaw with two Ring Ouzels and two Hawfinches plus another three of the latter species at Hamister 4/10. A large infux of Blue Tits into Shetland reached Whalsay 5/10 with eight on the island and seventeen seen the following day!  A Bluethroat and Great spotted Woodpecker at Skaw were also seen 5/10.  A Red flanked Bluetail was around the Wirlie quarry/skaw plantation area 6/10 with a support cast of another Bluethroat at Brough, a flythrough Peregrine at Skaw and  the first of several Great Tits at Symbister. Winds swung around to the north after this and a gradual clearout began.  An Ortolan Bunting and Tree Sparrow were at Skaw 7/10 with a Stonechat at Newpark 8/10. Isbister did best on 9/10 with an Olive backed Pipit, Turtle Dove and a Great Tit. A Common Rosefinch was at Sandwick and Jack Snipe at Newpark the same day. Another Tree Sparrow was at the burns and a good record of four Grey Plovers at the houb 13/10.  A female Bullfinch was at Saeter and a Great grey Shrike at Fernlea 17/10, the Shrike hanging on till 20/10. Another Bluethroat and a European White fronted Goose were at Skaw 18/10 with eleven Snow Buntings on the golf course 22/10.  A Goosander was on the pool at Symbister and a male Stonechat at Skaw 24/10 with a different Goosander on the north loch 25/10.  A female Stonechat was at Skaw 27/10.

November

A Lapland Bunting was at Brough 2/11. A Great grey Shrike was at Skaw 10/11. Two Common Scoters flew south off Symbister and three Goldcrests and a Glaucous Gull were at Skaw 13/11. My first Woodcocks of the year were at Skaw and Isbister 17/11. A Black Redstart was in a geo at Skaw Taing and a Glaucous Gull in the North Voe 19/11. A Goldfinch at Skaw 24/11 was a year tick with Sparrowhawk at Brough and Snow Bunting and Jack Snipe at Skaw Taing. Another Glaucous Gull was at Isbister loch 25/11. A very close encounter with a pod of eight Orcas as they hunted south past the isle was exciting as the whole family got to see them.

December

A typically quiet month with a scattering of Blue Tits and lesser numbers of Great Tits still raking around.  Two Glaucous Gulls were on Skaw Taing 5/12 with another at west loch 8/12.  A Velvet Scoter off Challister 13/12 was new for the year with possibly the same bird off Skaw the next day.   A hardy Goldcrest hung on in the Skaw plantation till 15/12 with a late Meadow pipit at Skaw 27/12 and a Chiffchaff at Vatshoull 28/12. A Woodcock flying across the road at west loch  29/12 was the last interesting sighting for the year.

Radde`s Warbler at Skaw

Pallas`s Grasshopper Warbler at Skaw

Red flanked Bluetail at Skaw

Blue Tit at Brough

Great Tit at Isbister

Turtle Dove at Isbister

Olive backed Pipit at Isbister

A year that,on the whole, produced few surprises with Hoopoe and Smew standout birds in spring. Early autumn was also quite slow with two Greenish Warbers in August the first real birds of note. After a really crap September the first week of October went some way to saving the year with the islands fourth Radde`s Warbler at Skaw. This recalled a day of birding as an eleven year old with my grandfather Johnnie Simpson on 3rd October 1976 and finding Shetlands first Radde`s more or less in exactly the same place as the 2020 bird and his excitement at the finding of what was a real major rarity at that time is a really strong and happy memory. Whalsays third Pallas`s Grasshopper Warbler turned up two days later a couple of hundred metres from the still present Radde`s with our sixth Red flanked Bluetail also at Skaw three days after this.  After ten years of keeping an island year list 144 species this time was my best since 2014, I will hopefully pass the 151 in 2011 some day. I had no additions to my Whalsay life list this year missing the spring Coal Tit which would have done me.  Birds I missed on Whalsay this year were -  Barnacle Goose, Sooty Shearwater, Grasshopper Warbler, Coal Tit and Lapland Bunting. Common birds unrecorded on the isle were - Storm Petrel, Water Rail, Moorhen, Common Tern, Little Auk, Grey Wagtail, Waxwing, Mistle Thrush and Linnet.

13th December 2020

Velvet Scoter

Brian found a Velvet Scoter off Challister today adding another bird to the year list. A first winter Iceland Gull flew north towards Vatshoull while I was taking a few crap long range photos.

4th December 2020

Great Tit

Female Blackcap at Skaw 28/11.

The long staying Great Tit was still at Isbister today, at times in the same bush as a Blue Tit though never close enough together for a decent photo. A Goldcrest was also still hanging on at Skaw with a large gull flock (500+) on the hills above Isbister though they flew off to the East before I could look among them for white wingers. Not a lot seen since my last post as winter takes hold :- A Goldfinch at last light in the Skaw plantation 24/11 was a year tick,  our family had great views of a pod of eight Orcas as they hunted their way South past the island 27/11 and a thin scatter of Blue Tits on various dates was the only other birds of note.

19th November 2020

Black Redstart

Great Tit at an Isbister feeder.

Been away for a bit but not missed a whole lot in that time - Brian had another Stonechat at Skaw on 27/10, a Lapland Bunting at the Burns 2/11 and a Great grey Shrike at Skaw 10/11.  Since arriving back a Glaucous Gull was at Skaw and two Common Scoters off Symbister 13/11, my first two Woodcocks of the year were at Skaw and Isbister with single Blue and Great Tits also at Isbister 17/11. The winds are Northerly today with the first flurry of snow showers. A walk around Skaw Taing produced a Black Redstart in a geo with a first winter Glaucous Gull in the North voe in the afternoon.

24th October 2020

Goosander

A female Goosander was on the pool at Symbister today taking my year list up to the 140 mark. Brian had a male Stonechat at the trap yard at Skaw but it had disappeared before I got there.

19th October 2020

Great grey Shrike

18th October 2020

Another Bluethroat

17th October 2020

Northern Bullfinch

8pm - have just been sent a photo of a Great grey Shrike taken at Fernlea care centre, Marrister by one of the workers! Hope we can refind it in the morning.

13th October 2020

Another Tree Sparrow and four Grey Plovers

Dunnock at Isbister

9th October 2020

Olive backed Pipit, Turtle Dove and Great Tit

NW type Redpoll at Skaw 8/10.

A surprisingly good day today considering the Northerly winds though they were really light and the sun was out. Twelve Blue Tits were seen, mostly at the South end of the isle with a late-ish Common Rosefinch at Sandwick. The last place checked was Isbister and ended up trumping everywhere else.  A first Great Tit of the year was in Tammie and Alice Simpsons garden and as I skulked about trying for photos Tammie came over to tell me about a funny dove at the back of their house. This was to be my first island Turtle Dove for a few years and as I tried to sneak up on it I flushed an Olive backed Pipit out of the grass!  Another enjoyable days birdwatching.

7th October 2020

Ortolan and Tree Sparrow

Photo by Jon Dunn

The winds have now shifted up North and by afternoon had freshened up and the temperature dropped considerably so the migrant fun of the last week may by drawing to a close. Having said that the odd good bird may well come out of the woodwork for a day or two yet. Jon Dunn found bird of the day when he flushed an Ortolan Bunting off his drive. I picked up a Tree Sparrow while looking for it before refinding the Bunting feeding at the road edges below Jons drive. Unfortunately my attempts with the camera were foiled as it was twice flushed by cars just as I was getting into position and lost thereafter.

6th October 2020

Bluetail, Blue Tits and Bluethroats

A Red flanked Bluetail turned up on fences around the Wirlie quarry at Skaw this morning and disappeared for long periods into the plantation. It took till the afternoon to get any photos when it went back up to the Wirlie and posed for a few minutes. Another seventeen Blue Tits were seen today with a Great Tit also seen at Symbister by birders twitching the still present Pallas`s Grasshopper Warbler. Yesterdays Bluethroat was still in the trap yard at Skaw with another seen at Brough. A Peregrine bombed North through Skaw adding another species to the year list.

5th October 2020

Drab Bluethroat and a Blue Tit invasion

With a large Blue Tit invasion underway in Shetland it was no surprise to get a text from Brian saying he had one in his garden at Marrister plus a Bluethroat in the trap yard at Skaw. Me and Angela were on a coastal hike in the North mainland and on our return a Blue Tit flew past and into next doors garden. When I went for a look SIX birds flew out, this being the most I have had together on the island. Jon Dunn also had one in his Skaw garden (plus a Great Spotted Woodpecker) bringing the day total up to eight birds. I took a quick run to Skaw before tea and took a few photos of the Bluethroat and had another few glimpses of the Pallas`s Grasshopper Warbler in its favoured field.

4th October 2020

Wryneck

common Redstart

Whooper Swans

3rd October 2020

Pallas`s Grasshopper Warbler

I was on a circuit around Skaw this morning starting at the plantation, along the shore to roadside then back along the road towards the heligoland trap. On passing the foot of Jon Dunns drive a dark brown warbler with a longish tail dropped into the roadside ditch and vanished.  A walk through the ditch and a Locustella type warbler flew out, crossed the road and went into Jon's lower field. I was pretty sure that I knew what it was but thought I better alert the others before pursuing it. Forgetting my mobile phone wasn't very well timed so I had to run up to Jon's  and perform a bout of semaphore at his kitchen window before screaming at Brian who was dog walking on the airstrip. All assembled fairly quickly and it was soon confirmed to be what I had thought - Whalsays third Pallas`s Grasshopper Warbler. As is usually the case with these things it wasn't exactly sitting out to have its photo taken and I only managed the single photo above. It predictably went missing for part of the day before appearing again just after 4pm still in the same field.   With the Radde`s Warbler still present a couple of hundred yards away this goes down as a pretty good day at the office!

2nd October 2020

The Radde`s Warbler poses at last

After a long morning pointing the camera at a bush the Radde`s Warbler took pity on me and came out and posed for a bit.  Quite a relief!

1st October 2020

Radde`s Warbler

Photo by Jon Dunn

At last a decent migrant turned up on the island today with the discovery of a Radde`s Warbler in and around the yards at Roadside, Skaw. Although it gave a really good view initially and even called it went into skulk mode thereafter and I didnt get a single photo. Jon Dunn was quick off the mark and got one shot off at long range as it stuck its head out for a couple of seconds but that was it for the day. A real pig of a day with strong SE winds and heavy rain so it will hopefully still be present tomorrow as long as it doesnt die! A Common Rosefinch and a few other common migrants were in the Skaw plantation and a Kestrel flew past our house at Hamister later on.

28th September 2020

Great Spotted Woodpecker

27th September 2020

A few more Yellow browed Warblers

Red Grouse at west loch of Skaw

23rd September 2020

Elusive Woodpecker

Photo by Anastasiya Robertson

One of the first two autumn Goldcrests today.

Willow Warbler at Skaw.

Still really poor bird wise with winds refusing to go anywhere near SE. An elusive juvenile Great Spotted Woodpecker was photographed by Anastasiya Robertson on their feeder at Norrendal on 19/9 and seen again briefly today but where its going between visits remains a mystery. Just a few scraps seen in the last few days - Barred Warbler at Vevoe and 66 Pink footed Geese flying over 18/9, best day count so far of Yellow browed Warblers was five on 19/9, the first autumn Snow Bunting was on Skaw Taing 21/9 and probably best was a very brief Bluethroat at Isbister today.

17th September 2020

First returning Yellow browed Warblers and a Common Rosefinch

16th September 2020

Angle Shades moth

In the absence of any migrant birds here's a photo of an Angle Shades moth on our front door jamb at Hamister today. Not particularly rare in Shetland but new to me at least.

5th September 2020

Bar tailed Godwit

Sanderling (right) with a Dunlin at the houb.

28th August 2020

Convolvulus Hawkmoth

Photo Larry Polson

Larry and Donna Polson came home to a Convolvulus Hawkmoth in their porch at Sandwick tonight so I went for a look as I havn`t seen one for quite a few years. Larry released it unharmed into their garden.

25th August 2020

Barred Warbler

Very few migrants on the isle at the moment but did manage to trap the above Barred Warbler in the Skaw heligoland today with a Wood Warbler still in Brian's Marrister garden.

24th August 2020

Grey Plover in the rain

The Grey Plover is still present at the Houb today after a month plus on the isle. It was out on the point in the rain so I decided to try stalking up to see if I could get any better images. Worked out not bad.

23rd August 2020

Another Greenish Warbler

20th August 2020

Greenish Warbler

18th August 2020

Wood Warbler

Still just a trickle of migrants passing through at present. A Wood Warbler at Sandwick was bird of the day with a Greenshank flying over the same site, the Grey Plover still at the houb and Reed Warbler still in the Skaw plantation.

13th August 2020

Red backed Shrike

A juvenile Red backed Shrike at Hamister was bird of the day today with a Whinchat at the Lubba the only other new arrival found.

12th August 2020

Reed Warbler

The Black throated Diver still off Skaw after two months!

The first migrants of the autumn are beginning to appear with the above Reed Warbler, a Garden Warbler and three Willow Warblers in the Skaw plantation, a Pied Flycatcher at Hamister plus Brians Greenshank over Challister Ness yesterday.

2nd August 2020

Juvenile Hawfinch

Grey Plover with a Golden Plover at the houb.

31st July 2020

Grey Plover at the houb

What we assume is the same Grey Plover from Skaw 21/7 relocated to the houb on the 28th and is present again today allowing slightly better photos but not by much!  A juvenile Common Crossbill was in the Skaw plantation yesterday.

23rd July 2020

Juvenile Goldcrest

Twite at Skaw

A juvenile Goldcrest was in the Skaw plantation today repeating last years unseasonal occurence in July. What we assume is  the same summering Chiffchaff that has been seen now and then in the plantation was caught in the heligoland as well.

21st July 2020

Grey Plover

Mallies among the Sea Asters at Yoxie geo.

9th July 2020

Common Crossbill

5th July 2020

Another Cuckoo

young Stanechekker (Wheatear) at Skaw

Willie Williamson phoned about a bird outside their house at Whitefield this morning which turned out to be our third Cuckoo of the spring. For once it was still present when I got there so took a few long range record shots in the rain. Theres not been much wildlife since my last post - a good passage of Hummingbird Hawkmoths saw at least seven on the island over a few days including three together in one Escalonia bush at 3 North Park on 27/6! The Black throated Diver was still below the trap area yesterday 4/7 but we are without any Crossbills so far despite most places having had a few by now (what else is new).

26th June 2020

Hummingbird Hawkmoth

A Hummingbird Hawkmoth paid a brief visit to the Red Campion in the back garden of the Wirlie at Skaw around midday today but unfortunately disappeared before the family reached the scene.

24th June 2020

Mid-summer Smew

A female Smew appeared on Vatshoull loch this afternoon and may well be the bird that was on the same loch in April last year. No records previously now two in two years!  This is a bird which usually turns up in winter from November to March and summer records are very rare - the latest being a male on Foula from 27-30/5/94 (Birds of Shetland) so the timing of this bird is unprecedented.  I only managed a few record shots from the road and despite myself and Brian watching it we somehow missed it fly off. As usual with hopeless photos I hope its back tomorrow and allows me within range. The Black throated Diver is still off Skaw for its 12th day.

13th June 2020

Black throated Diver

Breeding Golden Plover north of Vatshoull.

Chiffchaff at Skaw.

After my last post saying we were "finding something good most days"  there has been a period of absolutely nothing with one exception.  A singing "Acro" type warbler was playing hide and seek in the Skaw plantation from 4/6 - 9/6.  It was either a Blyth`s Reed or a Marsh and sounded like both at different times. The net was tried twice but it wouldn't play the game and was largely invisible. At least I managed to get a reasonable sequence of its song recorded on my mobile and this was to prove crucial in getting an ID. Paul Harvey kindly forwarded the clip to birdsong expert Magnus Robb who could tell us that "the bird in the recording is definitely a Marsh Warbler". Good to get it sorted eventually.   Brian found the above Black throated Diver offshore below the trap area today, in the same spot as last years bird.  A good bird for mid summer.

27th May 2020

Male Bluethroat, Common Sandpiper and Red Grouse chicks

Although the winds are really unhelpful it seems that the odd good bird is out there and we are finding something at least semi interesting most days. I was en route to Skaw when a family of Red Grouse were among the heather at the Vevoe junction. I counted ten chicks but there could have been one or two more. Common Sandpiper was a bird i missed out on last year so was pleased to see one at the Vatshoull loch. Bird of the day was found in the late afternoon as I watched a Redwing in the Red grind willows a cracking male Bluethroat flew up and landed next to it! I spent a long time trying for a decent photo but only got a single long range shot in the tree top against the light = crap. Hope its there tomorrow for a second try.

25th May 2020

Black Redstart

23rd May 2020

Red backed Shrike

22nd May 2020

Cuckoo

Still very few migrants, two Sanderlings were on the kirk beach and one on the Taing.  Brian found the above Cuckoo at Creadyknowe this afternoon.

20th May 2020

Siskins

A few Siskins are passing through Shetland at the moment with seven in the Skaw plantation yesterday. The pair above were still present today with the male singing away.  A Wryneck was in a roadside ditch at Skaw 17/5 but lobbed off and disappeared just as the camera was coming out! The Hoopoe was still doing the rounds yesterday and may still be in a garden somewhere at the south end though with reasonable photos in the bag I have stopped trying hard to find it. The winds have been SE for the last couple of days but disappointingly little has turned up so far. A couple of House Martins yesterday and a Sedge Warbler today is as exciting as it has got, tomorrow....

15th May 2020

Hoopoe again

The Hoopoe is still roaming around the Symbister/Harlsdale/ Gardentown area today and I managed a few better photos outside Robbie Biffs house at Harlsdale.

14th May 2020

Hoopoe

On 11th May Moira Dally found a Hoopoe outside their house at Gardentown. It led us on a merry dance with a five second flypast the best I could manage and Brian missing out altogether. With constant Northerlies and snow showers you would have assumed it had moved on or died by now but John Simpson phoned to say it was in his garden at Harlsdale this afternoon but again a two second view of its arse was all we saw. Thankfully it was refound in a garden at Gardentown and allowed a few photos to be taken and everyone got to see it.

9th May 2020

Northerlies

Knot and Redshank at the Kirk beach, Brough.

Snipe

Great northern Diver

4th May 2020

Dark bellied Brent Goose

Maurice Arthur texted about this Dark bellied Brent Goose at Sandwick tonight. A very approachable bird allowing me to within  twenty feet.

1st May 2020

Short eared Owl

Pied Flycatcher at Skaw, one of five on the isle today.

Another reasonable scatter of migrants today with the Short eared Owl found by Arthur Shearer at West loch of Skaw the bird of the day. First one I have seen for a year or two!

30th April 2020

Sedge Warbler and Ring Ouzels

18th April 2020

Shelducks

Been away for a few weeks and have missed little in that time with one exception!  John Dally sent Brian a photo of a bird in his garden at Gardentown on 12/4 which proved to be our second island record of Coal Tit. I can be excused for missing the last record as well of two birds on 29/9/65 as I would have been four months old! Our daily coronavirus lockdown walk turned up a couple of Shelducks flying north past Vevoe with another bird on the Houb later on. A Hawfinch was briefly on our garden feeder at Hamister but lobbed off before I got the camera out, maybe tomorrow.

24th February 2020

Otters

Plucker goin doon.

Fighting over dinner!

Three Otters were fishing at the Houb today so I sneaked out on the rocks for a few photos.

11th February 2020

Merlin with Turnstone lunch

The blurred bits are a fence which was in the way!

21st January 2020

Snow Bunting

2020 has begun with constant gales and very little in the way of birds. A Pink footed Goose was among the Greylags near the Brough playpark 3-4/1 with possibly the same bird at Skaw 14/1. The long staying Bar tailed Godwit has hung around into another decade being seen in the Houb/Pouster area on 4-5/1 and again 17/1. Though it is normal to have a few mid winter records from the South mainland this may well be a first January record for Whalsay?  First winter Iceland Gulls were at Symbister 6/1 and the Houb 12/1.  A female Common Scoter was off Vatshoull 7/1 and may be the December bird reappearing. Todays Snow Bunting at Skaw has been the only other bird of interest so far.

19th December 2019

Whalsay bird review 2019

Three Pink footed Geese and a European White fronted Goose turned up in the Challister area 6/1 and 7/1 respectively and were present all month. A Snow Bunting and 40+ Chaffinches were at Hamister and an adult Iceland Gull on Skaw Taing 9/1. Another adult Iceland Gull was around Symbister 10/1 on which date I caught up with the wintering Water Rail in Brians Marrister garden. The months only Glaucous Gull (1w) flew north past Skaw Taing 11/1. Five Mealy Redpoll were at Houll 27/1.

February

A Woodcock flushed from Skaw plantation 2/2. A flock of 30 ( yes I did count them!) Snow Buntings were in the field on the south side of north loch of Skaw 11/2 with a bird colour ringed on mainland Orkney 25/3/18 in their midst. A Jack Snipe was in the same field also on 11/2.  A Meadow Pipit at Newtoon 14/2 could equally as well been an early migrant or an overwinterer? My first returning Skylarks were two at Skaw 18/2 with singing not noted till 27/2. Everything in the Shetland birdwatching scene stopped when a Tengmalm`s Owl turned up in a Bixter garden 19/2 for an extended stay. Back on Whalsay a male Stonechat was at Midfield and a female at Skaw 25/2 with an early Puffin close inshore below the trap area the same day.

March

An early Chiffchaff was at Skibberhoull 1/3.  A pair of Mute Swans were in the North voe 11/3, another species unrecorded last year. A Common Buzzard and Sparrowhawk were in the Hamister valley 22/3, the Buzzard being a first on the isle since 2011.

Common Buzzard

Mute Swans

Stonechat

A Hawfinch was at Saeter 4/4 with possibly a different individual at Symbister for a week from 8/4. A female Smew on Vatshoull loch from 12-13/4 was a long overdue island first with two Barnacle Geese at Brough on the same dates. A Glaucous Gull was at Vatshoull loch 15/4. A Long eared Owl and Sparrowhawk were in the Skaw plantation and another Sparrowhawk at Midfield 16/4. A male Black Redstart and early flythrough Sand Martin were at Skaw 18/4 with a Goldfinch at Skibberhoull 19/4. A Yellowhammer was at the roadside at Hamister 20/4. On 21/4 the Skaw plantation held two Long eared Owls and a Goldfinch with a Sparrowhawk at Grunitaing and an early Greenshank north over Symbister. A Grasshopper Warbler was in a roadside ditch near the golf clubhouse at Skaw and a male Linnet at Marrister 23/4. There was a good fall of common migrants on 24/4 with over 70 Chiffchaffs alone!  Three Ring Ouzels were at Skaw with another two at Pouster, a male Pied Flycatcher at Vatshoull starting a series of early records and a Tree Pipit at Skaw. Best scarcities on 25/4 were Grasshopper Warbler, Common Sandpiper and Black Redstart at Skaw, Hawfinch at Marrister and Kestrel at Vevoe. Whalsays first and Shetlands 7th European Serin, a female, was at Brough  26-27/4. A Wryneck and two Tree Pipits were at Skaw 26/4. I missed another Linnet at Skaw 27/4 with a female Black Redstart there 28/4. A winter plumaged Black throated Diver off Skaw and two Sand Martins at the houb rounded off an incredible month with two island firsts, a good selection of scarcities and loads of common migrants.

May

Winds swung Northerly disrupting the migrant action with perhaps the same Wryneck from late April seen again in the Skaw plantation 1/5. An Iceland Gull 3/5 and two Shelducks flying north past the houb 7/5 were the only other notables in the first half of the month. After this we had a spell of SE winds with a Wryneck at Hamister 18/5. A first summer male Bluethroat was at Vatshoull, Sedge Warbler at the Lubba, Wood Warblers at Lubba and Skaw and a Kestrel at Skaw 19/5. Bluethroat numbers rose to three with the still present Vatshoull bird joined by a singing male at sandwick and a drab female at Isbister 20/5. Three Tree Sparrows were at Skaw the same day. A bonnie red male Common Rosefinch was frustratingly brief at Skaw  and a Sedge Warbler at Isbister 21/5. Our fourth Bluethroat of the spring, a female, was at Fernlea and a Barnacle Goose at Vatshoull loch 22/5. Whalsay first Great Reed Warbler was at sanshoull, Isbister 23/5 and even sang for a short time in the evening. A Common Buzzard was at Skaw and a Cuckoo at Skibberhoull 24/5. Another Tree Sparrow was at Isbister and at least twelve Risso`s Dolphins off Lungi Geo 29/5.

June

Whalsays second Sardinian Warbler was in the Skaw plantation 1-5/6. A singing male though incredibly skulking and camera shy. A Wood Warbler was at the Lubba and a Black Redstart at Isbister 2/6. A skulker at the Lubba plantation 5/6 turned out to be "just" a Reed Warbler. A Cuckoo was at Skaw 6/6. There was a quiet spell until a female Red backed Shrike was in and around the Skaw plantation 17/6. A male Ruff in full breeding dress was at north loch of Skaw 19/6. A female Teal with two small chicks were on a pool on Challister Ness 26/6 and was a first island breeding record. A Common Swift over Houll loch 30/6 rounded off the month.

Great Reed Warbler - first Whalsay record.

Yellowhammer

Grasshopper Warbler

Female Serin - first Whalsay record.

Bluethroat

Kestrel

Smew - first Whalsay record.

A Sparrowhawk was at Hamister 4/7. A large Shetland wide influx of Two barred Crossbills reached Whalsay 10/8  with eight birds in the Sodom plantation (5 males, two females and a juv) staying till 12/7.  A Basking Shark was off Skaw 14/7 with a very unseasonal Goldcrest in the Skaw plantation 17/7. Another six Two barred Crossbills turned up 18/7  with two females in the Sodom plantation and four ( 2 females, a male and a juv) at the Bothies. A Green Sandpiper was on a roadside pool south of the Vevoe junction 20/7. Three Crossbill sp. flew over our house at Hamister 23/7, one was a cracking male Two barred but the other two remained unidentified but very likely the same species. Another Green Sandpiper was on Skaw Taing and a very rare Bedstraw Hawkmoth in Brians Marrister garden 26/7. A juvenile Cuckoo was at Skaw 27/7 with a Peacock butterfly on the golf course 28/7 joining the impressive influx of Painted Ladies. A Sand Martin was at Challister and a Greenshank on north loch of Skaw 30/7.

August

2/8 saw an early Wood Warbler at Skaw and another Peacock at Vatshoull. A Green Sandpiper was at Vevoe 10/8 and 4-5 Orcas went south past Symbister 11/8. Three Bar tailed Godwits were at north loch of Skaw 13/8. A Basking Shark was in Linga sound 15/8 with another Wood Warbler at Skaw 16/8. 2019 was to be a really poor year for the humble Garden Warbler with my first two at Skaw and Saltness 17/8 with a good count of four juvenile Shelducks at the houb the same day. I was away for the rest of the month missing Whalsays third European Bee-eater at Isbister 30/8.

September

A Green Sandpiper was at Skaw 7/9 with a Common Rosefinch also there 8/9. Our first Barred Warbler of the year was at Isbister 15/9. I was away for a bit after this and missed a good day on 27/9 with a Red throated Pipit at Brough, Turtle Dove and Common Rosefinch at Challister and Red breasted Flycatchers at Isbister and Symbister. Our first Yellow browed Warblers were two at Skaw 28/9 with a Grey Wagtail also there.  Our only Little Bunting of the year was at Skaw and a Barred Warbler at Isbister 29/9. A ringtail Hen Harrier flew north past Houll loch 30/9.

Two barred Crossbill

Barred Warbler

Wood Warbler

European Bee-eater by Brian Marshall

Bedstraw Hawkmoth

A Bluethroat was at Skaw 5/10 with our only Lapland Bunting of the year at Challister 6/10. A Grey Wagtail was at Skibberhoull and a Kestrel at Skaw 8/10. A Lanceolated Warbler was trapped in the Skaw heligoland 9/10. A Stock Dove was at Skaw 11/10 with possibly the same bird relocating to Challister 14-15/10. A Red breasted Flycatcher was at Skaw 15-16/10. A Pale bellied Brent Goose was with some Greylags north of Vatshoull, a Waxwing at Skibberhoull and the first Woodcock of the autumn at Skaw 16/10. A male Black Redstart was a Vatshoull 17/10. A first winter Glaucous Gull at Vatshoull 19/10 and a an Iceland Gull at Symbiter 25/10 was indicators of the fast approaching winter.

November

Four Waxwings were at Marrister 4/11 with another single at Skibberhoull 16/11. A juvenile Pomarine Skua bombed north past Skaw Taing 18/11 with three Snow Buntings also there and a Siberian Chiffchaff in the Skaw plantation. Another Siberian Chiffchaff was at Symbister 21/11. a Glaucous Gull was at Skaw 22/11.

December

A Jack Snipe was at Hamister and four Mealy Redpoll at Skibberhoull 1/12. Two Glaucous Gulls (adult and 1w) were at Vatshoull loch 4/12. A Tundra Bean Goose was on the golf course at Skaw from 8-11/12. A long staying Bar tailed Godwit was still at the houb with a Knot and Jack Snipe 15/12. A female Common Scoter was off Vatshoull 16-17/12 with possibly a different female off Skaw Taing 18/12.

Red breasted Flycatcher

Waxwing

Lanceolated Warbler

17th December 2019

Mealy Redpolls

Frankies at Skibberhoull seems to be our best site for overwintering Redpolls with a Coues`s Arctic among the Mealies in February - March last year. Three Mealies were there today but nothing rarer so far.

16th December 2019

Common Scoter

Grim record shot of a Tundra Bean Goose on holm of Skaw.

1st December 2019

Jack Snipe

Siberian Chiffchaff at Skaw

A Jack Snipe was in a ditch outside our house at Hamister today with four Mealy Redpoll at Skibberhoull and Chiffchaffs at Skaw (Siberian race) and Hamister.

16th November 2019

Waxwing

Wren on a stane at Skaw.

18th October 2019

Reed Warbler

15th October 2019

Red breasted Flycatcher

9th October 2019

Lanceolated Warbler

After my last post moaning about no rare birds on the island, a Lanceolated Warbler turned up in the trap yard as me and Brian were doing our rounds this afternoon. As usual it was hard to get views so it was a Locustella sp. for a while. Jon Dunn joined us and we could then identify it as it ran along the drystone wall and into the heligoland trap. It was quickly rung and released but flew off high thwarting any potential twitchers. This is my third on Whalsay after individuals on 20/9/94 and 25/9/12 both also at Skaw.

8th October2019

Grey Wagtail

Goldcrest sheltering in the lee of our hoose in a gale 7th Oct.

Brambling at Skaw

Not been much on the site for a while as I have been away but have missed very little anyway in a poor September. The last few days has seen strong SE winds but this has produced surprisingly little. Brian found a Little Bunting at Skaw 29/9, a Hen Harrier  past Houll loch 30/9, a Bluethroat at Skaw 6/10 and a Lapland Bunting at Challister 7/10 but the hoped for extreme rarity has yet to appear. A Grey Wagtail was at Skibberhoull today with a Kestrel and Sparrowhawk at Skaw, Ring Ouzel at the Lubba, Pied Flycatcher at Sodom and seven Mealy Redpoll n the red grind quarry.

16th September 2019

Pink footed Goose survives Bonxie attack

Spotted Flycatcher at Sandwick.

I was driving through Challister today when i saw a Bonxie attacking a Pink footed Goose. Both birds flew past with the Skua taking feathers out of the Gooses back before it was driven to the ground. Things werent looking good so I went over to break up the attack. Once the Bonxie was sent packing the Goose came up out of the ditch it had been trying to hide in and came walking towards me and went past so close I could barely focus the camera! Odd behaviour for a wild bird.

15th September 2019

Barred Warbler

Twenty four Pink footed Geese heading south over Skaw.

8th September 2019

Common Rosefinch

Pied Flycatcher.

A Common Rosefinch was in the Skaw plantation today with a Pied Flycatcher a Chiffchaff and three Willow Warblers.

7th September 2019

Swallow family

A Swallow pair were feeding three young birds at Isbister Whalsay today. A Green Sandpiper at Skaw since yesterday was the only other bird of interest.

30th August 2019

Bee-eater at Isbister

Photo by Brian Marshall

Brian got a call from Tammie J Simpson today to say a Bee-eater had flown out of his garden at Isbister. A quick scour around and it was relocated up on the hydro wires in the same area. It was really wild and unapproachable so Brian had to make do with long range record shots of the bird. This was considerably better than my own situation though as I was away in Norway. I called home and Angela and Chloe went and saw it, also at long range. It ranged widely around Isbister before flying off high in the evening and wasn't seen again. This was a third record for Whalsay -  the first seen in Shetland was at Symbister in early June 1899! Luckily I saw the second one at Hamister on the 9th of June 1995.

17th August 2019

Another Wood Warbler and some Shelducks

11th August 2019

Orcas off Symbister

2nd August 2019

Wood Warbler

28th July 2019

Peacock

Angela's favourite time of year when the moths get in the house!  Large Yellow Underwing on the spare room bed.

26th July 2019

Bedstraw Hawkmoth

Brian trapped the above Bedstraw Hawkmoth in his garden at Marrister tonight and is very likely a first island record. As Angela has a phobia of moths and wouldnt come, I had to try taking photos with her camera so ofcourse they are all shite. Not a lot birdwise - Brian had a second Green Sandpiper on the golf course today and I had a disappearing "Acro" type Warbler in the Skaw plantation yesterday. It is getting to be a familiar problem in there now with a depressing amount of migrants going unidentified in the mini jungle! Three Crossbills flew over our house at Hamister 23/7 and landed in a garden a few hundred metres away.  When I got there a cracking male Two barred Crossbill was in full view but all three birds flew off before I could identify the other two but were very likely the same species.

21st July 2019

Green Sandpiper and Magpie Moth

A Green Sandpiper was on a small roadside pool 50m South of the Vevoe bus shelter, posing long enough for a single photo before it flushed towards Vatshoull. A Magpie Moth has spent the day on one of the steps outside our house at Hamister with a Chiffchaff in a garden at Whitefield in the afternoon. My uncle and next door neighbour texted yesterday about a "red Crossbill with double white wing bars" in the garden but it sneaked off before I could add Two barred Crossbill to my window list!

18th July 2019

Another six Two-barred Crossbills

Another couple of Two-barred Crossbills turned up in the Sodom plantation today a week after the last eight moved on. John Fishwick arrived for his last stint as our doctor and managed to see one of these birds in the early afternoon. It turned out he needn`t have bothered as there were four birds in the garden at the Bothies right outside his window when he got home!  I arrived in time to see the party before a local cat decided to come over for a look. Despite me telling it to "go away" (or something like that)  it flushed them  towards Symbister and we didnt see them again today. A Goldcrest and Mealy Redpoll were in the Skaw plantation as well. Very much out of season for the former species! It has been singing away since 16/7.

11th July 2019

Two barred Crossbills

Juvenile.

28th June 2019

Nest building Swallows

Under construction!

Breeding Snipe on a post at Vevoe.

As this has been a very poor year for Swallows/Martins/Swifts it was good to find a pair of Swallows nest building in a shed at Isbister today. A more exciting breeding record was found by Brian on 26/6 when  a female Teal with two chicks was on a small pool on Challister Ness. As far as we know this is a first breeding record for Whalsay. I was in Lerwick at the time and when I went for a look in the evening they must have moved house.

19th June 2019

Ruff

18th June 2019

White Sparrow

Our local "leucistic" House Sparrow was busy nest building in a roof at Skaw today and also has a second nest site a few hundred metres away so seems to be doing ok for himself! Not much in the way of migrants now although a female Red backed Shrike was in the plantation yesterday (17/6) but was very camera shy. It has been a good spring for this species in Shetland so I am not sure why it has taken so long to find one on Whalsay.

10th June 2019

Alls gone quiet

Sanderling on the kirk beach, Brough 9/6/19.

5th June 2019

Reed Warbler

The Sardinian Warbler still refusing to pose.

Starling feeding the family.

A Reed Warbler was "new" bird of the day today in the Lubba plantation. Five days in and I still haven't got a decent photo of the still present Sardinian Warbler. Driving me mental.

1st June 2019

Sardinian Warbler

One of six Greylag Goose families on Vatshoull loch.

Whalsays second Sardinian Warbler turned up in the Skaw plantation today. A cracking male this time after the female found in the same place on the 30th May 2004. As you may be able to guess from the above photo it is incredibly skulking and I really hope it hangs on till I get an image a bit better than this. At least it is in good voice, singing away right in front of you even if you rarely get more than a glimpse of the bird itself!

31st May 2019

Great Knot on Unst

Follow the leader - Great Knot, Turnstone and Dunlin.

Hunkered down when two Bonxies flew over!

Puffin on Hermaness

Bonxie on Hermaness.

It takes a good bird to get me in twitching mode but when a Great Knot turned up on my birthday (30th) at Skaw, Unst it was decided me, Angela and  Chloe would go for it if it was still there the next day. A second Shetland record and only a sixth for the UK it was reported as present at 7am so along with Brian off we went. A very approachable bird on a nice day followed by a feed at Victorias tearoom then a yomp up Hermaness and then around as far as the Muckle Flugga light. A good day out enjoyed by all.

29th May 2019

Risso`s Dolphins

Ringed Plover chick. One of three at the roadside at Isbister 28/5.

23rd May 2019

Great Reed Warbler

I wasn't really birdwatching today and was out for a drive with Angela and Chloe who were taking a few photos of flowers/views etc. We stopped at Isbister to feed the Highland coo in the field at Taft and I couldn't really be bothered with this so went for a quick look up to the yard at Sanshoull. As I walked past the old house a sizeable brown bird flew out of a bush which I thought would be a Red backed Shrike, there has been a good number in Shetland but none so far on Whalsay. It came up on a fence and was in fact a Great Reed Warbler a bird new to the isle and long overdue. It commuted between Sanshoull and the neap crop at Taft but eventually gave good views to me and Brian as it sat out among some Japanese Knotweed and even sang for a bit. The island list moves on to 307!

22nd May 2019

Barnacle Goose and ringed Dunlin

The winds have gone Northerly again and as usual appear to be going to stay there for a while. Bird of the day yesterday (21st) was a nice red male Common Rosefinch at Skaw. There are a lot of these throughout Shetland at present so we were overdue one on Whalsay. Unfortunately it wasn't hanging about so there was no chance of any photos. A Barnacle Goose was on Vatshoull loch today and as I went around the loch to try for a few pics I flushed a  ringed Dunlin. Little can be seen from the above crap images apart from the obvious 264 letters. I couldn't make out what the letters say but Brian informs me it is "museum  SW7" which makes it a UK rung bird. A pity as you always hope for a foreign recovery. Brian also had our fourth spring Bluethroat this afternoon, a female at the Fernlea care home.

20th May 2019

More Bluethroats, Tree Sparrows and a Kestrel

19th May 2019

Bluethroat

Wood Warbler

Wryneck at Hamister 18/5.

1st May 2019

Red Grouse pair

30th April 2019

Black throated Diver

Great Northern Diver (left) with  Black throated Diver

Brian found a winter plumaged Black throated Diver in Skaw Voe today with loads of Great Northern Divers for company. As it was quite a long way off, long range record shots were the order of the day. Two Sand Martins were at the houb in the evening hawking around with two Swallows.  With two island firsts, numerous scarcities and loads of common migrants this must rank as the best April for many years if not ever!

29th April 2019

Wryneck

Male Pied Flycatcher at Challister 27/4

One of a good number of male Common Redstarts on the go at the moment.

26th April 2019

European Serin

25th April 2019

Grasshopper Warbler

Its not very often a Grasshopper Warbler behaves like this! Normally really skulking, this bird was feeding around a ditch at Skaw quite unconcerned by my presence.

21st April 2019

Goldfinch

20th April 2019

Yellowhammer

A  Yellowhammer was at the roadside at Hamister this evening allowing a few photos to be taken.

18th April 2019

Sand Martin and Black Redstart

A nice male Black Redstart was along the shore below the Skaw trap today with a flythrough Sand Martin at west loch.

16th April 2019

Long eared Owl

A ringed Merlin resting on a post at Midfield after chasing a passing Sparrowhawk!

14th April 2019

Hawfinch

Managed to catch up with a Hawfinch at Symbister today. It has been in Cath Simpsons garden off and on since the 8th!

12th April 2019

Smew

22nd March 2019

Common Buzzard

A fairly tatty looking  Common Buzzard spent an hour cruising up and down the Hamister valley today being hounded by up to six Hooded Crows. This is a first island record since 2011.

11th March 2019

 Mute Swans

A pair of Mute Swans turned up in the North Voe in the late afternoon today. Still a very scarce visitor to the isle and nowhere near annual.

3rd March 2019

Quiet

The White fronted Goose still at Challister after two months being photobombed by a Starling.

Pink footed Geese at Challister

Little bird news at the moment. An early Chiffchaff has been at Skibberhoull since 1/3 and the European White fronted Goose and three Pink footed Geese are still at Challister.

25th February 2019

Stonechats

Male on fences around the red grind quarry

Female at Skaw

Frog at Isbister

19th February 2019

A Tengmalm`s Owl on mainland Shetland

11th February 2019

Colour ringed Snow Bunting

17th January 2019

European White fronted Goose

Oddly patterned Mallard drake at Skaw. Domestic escape?

Caught up with one or two scarcities since coming home. Three Pink footed Geese are commuting between Lea and Challister since 6/1, the above European White Fronted Goose is also still in the Challister area since 7/1, a Snow Bunting was at Hamister 9/1, single adult Iceland Gulls were at Skaw and Symbister on 9/1 and 10/1,eventually saw an overwintering Water Rail in Brians garden at Marrister 9/1 and a first winter Glaucous Gull flew north through Skaw Taing 11/1.

23rd December 2018 - 5th January 2019

Saas Fee Switzerland - a festive holiday

Bearded Vulture

Nutcracker

Alpine Chough, loads around our hotel.

Just back from a splendid skiing holiday to Saas Fee Switzerland and although my dodgy left knee hampered my efforts at least I avoided injury and Angela got on well. The bairns tried snowboarding and were getting good towards the end of our stay going much faster than the "old gits".  The main bird highlight was undoubtedly the discovery of a Bearded Vulture on a hike up the mountain to Hannig. I managed a few reasonable photos before it spiralled upwards and was lost to view. Nutcracker was a target bird and I was delighted to see up to four together in one garden eventually getting decent photos before my fingers fell off! Didn't see Alpine Accentor or Snow Finch this time but you cant have it all. A few different Tit species were seen, Coal, Willow, Crested and Great were pretty  common. I missed one of the main wildlife highlights unfortunately.

 Me and Angela were out for an early evening stroll along the road through dense trees lit by street lights when she heard a wildcat snarling sound . She looked up and could see a large cat with ears sticking up on a snowy mound above us.  It  jumped down and was gone within seconds and I missed the whole episode!  Angela was spooked by what she had seen and heard and refused to follow the trail further into the forest.  This was an area where Roe Deer and wild Goats roam.   Large cat prints were found the next day and a bit of googling could tell us it had been a Lynx the only large-ish cat in the region.

19th December 2018

Whalsay bird review 2018

The year began with a female King Eider at the Symbister salmon cages 2/1 found by the SNH Seabird counters but unfortunately not seen by any of us. Single Waxwings were at Whitefield and Skaw, an Iceland Gull at Symbister and a Water Rail at Skaw on 4/1.  Another Water Rail was at Vatshoull 16/1.  Six European White fronted Geese rounded off the month at Pouster 30/1.

February

Single Glaucous and Iceland Gulls were at Skaw Taing 2/1.  A smart male Coues`s Arctic Redpoll was in a flock of up to sixteen Mealy Redpoll at Skibberhoull 7/2 remaining all month. A Water Rail was in Brians garden at Marrister 12/2 and two female Common Scoters were off Skaw Taing 19/2.

March

The Coues`s Arctic Redpoll remained at Skibberhoull with the Mealy flock until 17/3. A good few Jack Snipe were seen early in the month in snowy conditions with five seen together in one ditch at Skaw on 3/3. An adult White tailed Eagle was seen at Skaw then Isbister also on 3/3 before it was last seen on 9/3 flying west over our house at Hamister adding another species to the house list. Two Mistle Thrushes were together at Hamister 11/3 with singles at pouster and Skaw 15/3 and another at Skibberhoull 25/3.

Coues`s Arctic Redpoll

White tailed Eagle

Jack Snipe

Mistle Thrush

Myself and Brian were both away early in the month coinciding with prolonged SE winds with apparently Hawfinches, Ring Ouzel, Yellowhammers etc widespread through Shetland. We got back on 19th and 20th respectively just as the winds swung to the west again. A female Ring Ouzel was at Hamister 19/4 with male Shelducks at North Voe and the houb the same day. A Lesser Whitethroat was at Skaw 22/4. A female Scaup on Isbister loch 26/4 was a first island record in a number of years with a female Kestrel photographed at Skibberhoull the same day. A Goldfinch was at a feeder at Isbister 29/4.

May

Fourteen Pink footed Geese at Isbister 2/5 were the first of the year. Shetland had a good influx of Tree Sparrows in May with ten in the Skaw plantation 5/5 increasing to twelve on 7/5. Two Black tailed Godwits flew south over Challister 6/5. A Sand Martin was at Skaw and a Goldfinch at Gardentown 9/5. 12/5 was a bit better with a very early Marsh Warbler, male Bluethroat and the years only Sedge Warbler all seen at Skaw. A Wood Warbler was at Symbister 13/5. A juvenile male Bluethroat was caught in the Skaw trap 14/5 and a Long Eared Owl and Tree Pipit in the Skaw plantation 15/5. A female Red backed Shrike was in the Lubba plantation 16/5. A House Martin was at Skaw 21/5 with a Marsh Warbler trapped in the heligoland 22/5. Two Swifts and a House Martin were hawking in the Hamister valley 26/5 with a single Barnacle Goose at Vatshoull loch 27/5. A Wood Warbler was at Skaw and a male Red backed Shrike in the Lubba plantation 30/5. An Icterine Warbler was at Grunitaing 31/5.

June

An Icterine Warbler was at Isbister adding to the still present Grunitaing bird 1/6. A very elusive Marsh Warbler sang occasionally in the Skaw plantation 7-8/6. A Curlew Sandpiper was at the Houb from 10-11/6. Little else was seen until a female Red necked Phalarope was on Vatshoull loch from 24-27/6.

Curlew Sandpiper

wood Warbler

Red necked Phalarope

Usually the quietest month for migrants, 2018 was to be a bit different! Three Sandwich Terns flew north over Symbister and a Swift was at Skaw 1/7. On 7/7 Brian found an adult Long tailed Skua on his walk around Challister Ness. It joined the local Arctic Skuas at West loch of Skaw and I was delighted to add it to my Island list. The next few days went mental with up to six!! Long tails present (three adults, a sub adult and two juveniles). The main excitement surrounded the discovery of a dark morph adult on 8/7. There has been debate on the existence of this plumage with only a handful of reports worldwide and apparently no photographic evidence until now! The six birds were last seen 10/7. Our third and fourth Sand Martins were at Symbister 14/7 and past the Houb 25/7.   A Magpie Moth in the Skaw plantation 16/7 was a change from bird records. A Sandwich Tern was heard in the mist below Marrister 17/7 with a Minke Whale off Skaw the Same day. A Pectoral Sandpiper was at Vatshoull loch 23/7 with a Ruff there later in the day. A Black Redstart was at Sandwick and a Kestrel at North Park 28/7.  30/7 saw a Icterine Warbler at Isbister, Reed Warbler at Skaw, Bar tailed Godwit at the Houb, Sand Martin at Vevoe and six Swifts at Vatshoull.  A male Black Redstart at Brough 31/7 ended our best ever July.

August

Two Greenshanks were at Vatshoull loch 1/8 with three there 5/8. An early Whinchat was trapped at Skaw 5/8. A Peacock butterfly was at Symbister 8/8. A Hawfinch was at Symbister 18/8 with a Little Stint in the Symbister meadow 22/8. A Common Rosefinch at Skaw 28/8 ended a poor month.

September

A Barred Warbler was at Skaw 4/9. The first Yellow browed Warbler was at Sandwick 8/9 in what was to be a poor year for the species. Two Common Rosefinches were at Symbister plus one at Skaw with a Wood Warbler and a Barred Warbler at Symbister 9/9. I made it nil out of three by missing our third Kestrel at Vevoe 10/9. A House Martin was hawking in the geos on the east side of the golf course 15/9. With steady NW to SW winds migration was non existent until a first winter Yellow breasted Bunting somehow found its way to Vatshoull from 22-23/9.  Sadly this bird is now classed as critically endangered due to hunting in its eastern breeding grounds. It was twitched by most of the visiting birders over its two day stay. A Spotted Redshank was on Vatshoull loch on the same two dates.

Dark morph adult Long tailed Skua

"normal" adult Long tailed Skua

Yellow breasted Bunting

A female Eastern Subalpine Warbler was in the Isbister plantation with a Yellow browed Warbler and a Barred Warbler at Grunitaing 6/10. A Hawfinch was at Symbister and a Grey Wagtail at North Voe 12/10. A Great Grey Shrike at Brough, Bluethroat and two Greenfinches at Skaw  and sixty two Barnacle Geese at Symbister 13/10. A record day count of five Hawfinches were seen on 14/10 with two at Isbister, one at Grunitaing, one at Marrister and one at Skaw. Also on 14/10 a Red breasted Flycatcher was at Grunitaing and a Long eared Owl and Moorhen at Isbister. The Whalsay list increased to 304 with the discovery of a female Blue-winged Teal on Houll loch 17/10. It spent two days at this site before relocating to Vatshoull loch and was last seen there on 29/10. A female Ring Ouzel was in the Skaw plantation 17/10 with a Long eared Owl at this site 18/10. A Great grey Shrike was at Skaw 19/10 with a Waxwing at Vatshoull 20/10.  Our only Yellowhammer of the year was a female at Vatshoull 21/10 with two Rooks at Skaw and a Grey Wagtail at Hamister the same day. Another Waxwing was at Saeter 22/10 with two more at Vatshoull 28/10. A Goldfinch at Whitefield, Black Redstart at Grunitaing and Glaucous Gull at Skaw rounded off the month 30/10.

November

Little of interest was seen until a very late Barred Warbler was in the Skaw plantation and forty+ Snow Buntings were circling around the Wirlie quarry 11/11. A Tundra Bean Goose joined the Greylag flock at Skaw and a Black Redstart was at Symbister 18/11. A Common Scoter was off the Buid 29/11.

December

Three Pink footed Geese were at Brough, fifty+ Chaffinches at Hamister and fifteen Snow Buntings at Skaw 1/12.  A female Velvet Scoter was off the Buid for a few days from 3/12 and was a first Island record since 2013 and you have to go back to 1993 for another so quite a good local record. 2018 held one last huge surprise when Brian turned up a first winter male Dusky Thrush on the first fairway of the golf course at Skaw. An unforgettable sight on a sunny calm morning but only seen by the two of us as it flew off after two hours and was never seen again. A fourth Shetland record after singles on Fair Isle in 1961, Skaw Whalsay found by my grandfather Johnnie Simpson on 24/9/68 and Firth near Mossbank in 1975. I have the excuse of only being three years old for missing the other Whalsay record! This individual is potentially the 15th record for Britain if (when) accepted. A look around the golf course on 6/12 in a SE gale with heavy rain only produced a single Jack Snipe. A Moorhen photographed in a Symbister garden 22/12 was the last bird of interest for the year.

Eastern subalpine Warbler

Yellow browed Warbler

Blue-winged Teal

Long eared Owl

Dusky Thrush

This years personal Island total of 143 species is a bit better though still way short of the 151 seen in 2011. A year which certainly wont be regarded a classic in Shetland but seemed to have its moments on Whalsay. There were long birdless periods but a good enough scattering of surprises to keep up the motivation. The Coues`s Arctic Redpoll and White tailed Eagle in Feb/March, the midsummer Long tailed Skuas and Yellow breasted Bunting, Eastern Subalpine Warbler, Blue-winged Teal and especially the Dusky Thrush in autumn/winter was pretty good.  I had three new birds for my island list this year in the form of the Long tailed Skuas, Blue-winged Teal and Dusky Thrush. If I can keep up that yearly average I could yet reach 300 for Whalsay without having to be sprung from an old folks home! As usual a few common species went unrecorded this year - Common Sandpiper, Common Tern, Cuckoo, Little Auk and Common Crossbill to name a few. I didn't miss as many species as usual - Kestrel, Moorhen, Little Stint, Rook and Short eared Owl is all I can think of.

5th December 2018

Dusky Thrush

It has been a bonnie calm day on Whalsay today so in the morning I went down below the North Park houses to look amongst the Eider flock hoping for a King Eider or such like in there midst when my mobile rang... It was Brian - "get your arse to Skaw theres a Dusky Thrush on the first fairway" Bloody Hell, panic!! Miles from the car I ran/hobbled up the hill and had a hot drive North. Luckily Brian had the bird staked out in the same place and we had splendid views as it hopped around quite unconcerned. It then decided to roam around a bit and was down near the holm of Skaw for a while before flying south  onto the third fairway. At 1:30pm it flew off in a SE direction and was not seen again today but I would imagine there will be a few more eyes looking tomorrow. As far as I know there are only three previous Shetland records - Fair Isle in 1961, Skaw, Whalsay on 24/9/68 Found by my grandfather Johnnie Simpson (4th for the UK at that time) and Firth near Mossbank in 1975. An additional probable was on Fair Isle in 1937 (Birds of Shetland).

3rd December 2018

Velvet Scoter

A couple of long range and crap photos of the female Velvet Scoter Brian found off the Booth (or Buid as we would say) today. The last island record was of a male on 27/7/13 off Skaw and you  have to go back another twenty! years for the next sighting so quite a good local record. A female Common Scoter had been in the exact same spot 29/11/18. Not much else to be seen - three Pink footed Geese were at Brough on 1st Dec.

18th November 2018

Black Redstart and Tundra Bean Goose

11th November 2018

Winter Warblers

Female Blackcap, one of four at Skaw today

One of the two Chiffchaffs at Skaw today.

As is normally the case things have quietened down considerably as winter closes in. The Blue-winged Teal was last seen on Vatshoull loch on the 29th of October. There was a few migrants on 30th October with a Goldfinch at Whitefield, Black Redstart at Grunitaing and Glaucous Gull at Skaw. Little else has been seen till a very late Barred Warbler appeared briefly in the Skaw plantation today which may well be the latest autumn record for Shetland but I am not certain of this. A flock of at least forty Snow Buntings circling around the Wirlie quarry was a welcome sight!

28th October 2018

Two Waxwings and a Moose

A fine day for a change today so me and Angela went for a bicycle run to Skaw in the morning. I almost ran over a Moose at Vatshoull so we stopped and took a few photos as it sunbathed at the roadside. It was hard to get a decent pic as it kept running towards me! A pair of Waxwings landed in a tree next to us for a short time leaving me spoilt for choice as to where to point the camera. The Blue-winged Teal was also still on Vatshoull loch for day twelve but I thought I better stop boring people with photos so left it in peace.

26th October 2018

Ten days

21st October 2018

Yellowhammer

20th October 2018

Some more Blue-winged Teal photos

19th October 2018

Great grey Shrike

After two days at Houll loch the Blue-winged Teal relocated to the Vatshoull loch today. Two birders had spent the whole morning tramping around Houll loch in the rain without success and were halfway across on the ferry going home when it was refound just after 2pm. On reaching Laxo they turned around and came back and luckily saw the bird the second time. A Great grey Shrike was best of the rest at Skaw with my first Woodcock of the autumn also there.

17th October 2018

Blue-winged Teal

15th October 2018

Another Common Rosefinch

14th October 2018

Long eared Owl

A very enjoyable days birdwatching today and a lot like I remember it as a bairn - nothing incredibly rare just a good volume of migrants with a scattering of decent birds here and there. Five Hawfinches were seen, two at Isbister and singles at Marrister (yesterdays ringed bird), Grunitaing and Skaw. This must be an island record as you used to go years without seeing one though they are pretty much annual these days.  A Red breasted Flycatcher was at Grunitaing though very skulking and only really seen in flight. The above Long eared Owl was at Sanshoull, Isbister and even allowed me to take a few photos unobscured by trees for once. Yesterdays Great grey Shrike at Brough and the Skaw Bluethroat also reappeared and although I didn't get any decent photos I was pleased to see them at least.

13th October 2018

Hawfinch

Bedraggled Reed Bunting at Skaw

Brambling at Sandwick, one of many

After a few days of SE winds a decent scatter of common migrants are on the island - Redwings, Song Thrushes, Bramblings, Chaffinches, Goldcrests etc.. Not too much in the way of rarities so far, a Grey Wagtail was at the North Voe yesterday with a Hawfinch at Symbister. Brian trapped what may well be the Symbister bird in his garden today with two Greenfinches and a Bluethroat at Skaw and a Great grey Shrike at Brough though I managed to miss the last two birds!

6th October 2018

Eastern Subalpine Warbler

A female Subalpine Warbler was in the Isbister plantation today. Once upon a time when you identified the bird as a "Subalp" your work was done, now with  the three different races being split into distinct species your work is just beginning! Females are particularly hard to separate - call is important but our bird was silent. The best clincher is to trap the bird for a DNA sample (shit of small feather) but again our bird avoided Brians net! Pretty much the last chance is to clearly see the amount of white on the tip of the 2nd outermost tail feather and the chances of picking that up in the field are almost zero. Digital photography saved the day, my own photos are not really helpful but Jon Dunn captured two pics showing a white wedge from the tip of this feather running up the shaft making our bird an Eastern Subalpine Warbler. We now await to see if this satisfies the rarities committee. A Yellow browed Warbler was in the same place with a Barred Warbler at Grunitaing and the first Jack Snipe of the autumn at Skaw.

23rd September 2018

Yellow breasted Bunting 2

A good few birders have been in twitching the Yellow breasted Bunting today and yesterday. It was showing well in the morning but not seen after early afternoon so looks to have moved on. With this species classed as "critically endangered" will we have another of these ever again? A Spotted Redshank was seen by birders at Vatshoull loch last evening and I was pleased to catch up with it today as it is a first island record in six! years.

22nd September 2018

Yellow breasted Bunting

Despite constant West or North Westerly winds a Yellow breasted Bunting found its way to Vatshoull today. A very rare and critically endangered bird so it caused considerable interest. One appeared on Out Skerries last autumn and was the first UK record for (six?) years prompting twitchers to hire the ferry in order to see it! Pretty awkward to get a good photo in strong NW winds so will be out again in the morning if it hangs on.

19th September 2018

Wood Warbler

Horribly blurred photo of a very late House Martin at Skaw 15/9.

9th September 2018

Yellow browed Warblers

Redstart at Skaw 7/9

An early rush of Yellow browed Warblers on Shetland began on the 6th of September with our first one at Sandwick on 8th. There were three seen today - two at Sandwick and one in Brians garden at Marrister. Having missed a Barred Warbler at Skaw on the 4th I was pleased to catch up on one in Cath Simpsons garden today with two Common Rosefinches. Another Rosefinch was at Skaw with a Wood Warbler also there.

4th September 2018

Common Rosefinch

15th August 2018

Black tailed Godwit

Still quiet. A couple of Black tailed Godwit photos from north loch of Skaw today.

8th August 2018

Peacock

Whinchat trapped at Skaw 5/8.

1st August 2018

Painted Lady

This has been by far the best July for migrants that I can remember with TEN new birds for the year which is ten more than usual! A Black Redstart along the shore south of Sandwick loch and a Kestrel at North Park were seen on 28/7. 29/7 was waders day with two Green Sandpipers at Skaw and a Greenshank on Vatshoull loch. An Icterine Warbler at Isbister, Reed Warbler at Skaw and Green Sandpiper, Sand Martin and six Swifts at Vatshoull 30/7. Also  0n 30th I had a Dragonfly sp. zigzag past me in the Skaw plantation, this was hugely frustrating as it was against the light so I didn't even get a hint of colour before it looped over a tree and vanished! Looked big and chunky so feel it was unlikely to be a Damselfly sp. which are more regular in Shetland.  A Bar tailed Godwit at the houb and a Lesser Whitethroat at Symbister 31/7 rounded off the month.

27th July 2018

Golden Plover family

23rd July 2018

Odd Tirricks and a rare wader

A normal young Arctic Tern

The Long tailed Skuas were never seen again after 10/7. A Sand Martin was only our second for the year in the Symbister meadow with two Swallows 14/7. A Magpie Moth was in the Skaw plantation 16/7. Brian heard a Sandwich Tern calling in the mist below his house at Marrister 17/7 and a Minke Whale was off Skaw later the same day. A very odd looking young Arctic Tern was at Vatshoull loch today with a carrot orange bill, lacking any scalloping on the wings and generally very pale. While watching this bird a Pectoral Sandpiper landed briefly, playing hide and seek amongst the vegetation at the edge of the loch though it came out long enough to show off the pectoral band and white underparts. With the value of hindsight I should have taken a quick photo as it flew South as I was calling BM. A Ruff was at the same loch later on (and no it wasn't the same bird!).

10th July 2018

Long tailed Skua gallery

8th July 2018

Four Long tails

Pale immature from below

7th July 2018

Long tailed Skua

Top photo by Brian Marshall

Brian found the above Long tailed Skua today when out dog walking on Challister Ness. It sailed past and seemed to go down in the west loch of Skaw area so I was summoned and luckily the bird reappeared which was a big relief for me as I still needed this for my Whalsay list. It was keeping company with a few of the local Arctic Skuas though a few long range and poor quality  record shots were all I got today. I was off the island later in the day but received a text from Brian to say it was hanging around the same area with a party of about ten Arctics so there must be a chance it will hang on for a bit. Brian captured some much better pics later on.

1st July 2018

Sandwich Terns

Adult Swallow at Hamister. One of the family party from Huxter (6 birds).

Fledgling House Sparrow admiring its reflection in our car at Hamister.

24th June 2018

Red necked Phalarope

My parents found this bonnie female Red necked Phalarope at Vatshoull loch today.

16th June 2018

Swallows nest

Common Gull chick, one of two along the shore south of Huxter.

Black rabbit at Skaw

Checked the Swallows nest today at Huxter and although you cant see into it without a ladder there were a couple of tails poking out suggesting the chicks are a bit of size now.

10th June 2018

Curlew Sandpiper

Not much bird news lately after a bout of Northerly winds.The Icterine Warbler at Grunitaing was still present 1/6 with a second bird in the Isbister plantation. Another Marsh Warbler was at Skaw from 7th till 8th, singing in the plantation. I was quite pleased to find a pair of breeding Swallows in an outbuilding at Huxter on 9/6 when out doing an Arctic Tern breeding survey. Brian went one better tonight with the discovery of a Curlew Sandpiper at the houb when he was also out counting terns.

31st May 2018

Wood Warbler

23rd May 2018

Marsh Warbler again

Collared Dove at Hamister

After being released at the plantation yesterday the Marsh Warbler decided to revisit the trap today so I took a quick photo or two.

22nd May  2018

Marsh Warbler

Still fairly quiet with the above Marsh Warbler caught in the Skaw trap today. A female Pied Flycatcher at Isbister was new for the year also.

16th May 2018

A few more scarcities

Juvenile male Bluethroat

A few more scarcities have been seen in the last few days, Cath Simpson photographed a Wood Warbler in her Symbister garden 13/5 which we narrowly missed,  Brian trapped the above juvenile male Bluethroat in the skaw plantation 14/5, John Fishwick had a Long eared Owl in the skaw plantation 15/5 and a female Red backed Shrike was briefly at the Lubba plantation 16/5 though wasn't allowing me near enough to photograph it. 

12th May 2018

Marsh Warbler and Bluethroat

A few migrants arrived today at last. A Peregrine was at Skaw in the afternoon and better was to follow in the evening. A Sedge Warbler kicked things off in the Skaw plantation then a Marsh Warbler was among the rose bushes in the lower yard at Roadside. It was seen well initially and had very yellow legs and feet. Once the ID process was over the camera came out and needless to say it disappeared so Brian missed it though we live in hope for tomorrow. According to "The Birds of Shetland" this bird equals the earliest Shetland date with one seen on Noss in 2001. On walking over to the trap a male Bluethroat appeared on the wall and even entered the heligoland. Unfortunately when Brian got it to the catching box end it doubled back on him and escaped and in his efforts to head it off ended with him upside down in a tree, a photo opportunity missed!

2nd May 2018

Pink footed Geese

29th April 2018

Goldfinch

Philip Laurenson phoned this morning to tell me there was a Goldfinch on his feeder at Isbister. A good bird to see as they are not annual on the island.

26th April 2018

Scaup

Female Scaup

Red Grouse

Shelduck, one of three males on the isle atm.

15th March 2018

Mistle Thrushes

11th March 2018

Gone Fishing

Coues`s Arctic Redpoll still at Skibberhoull for over a month now.

Iceland Gull at Skaw.

Whooper Swan pair on north loch o Skaw.

Long range and crap Mistle Thrush photo at Hamister today.

3rd March 2018

White tailed Eagle

Jack Snipe, one of five! in this ditch at Skaw.

The Coues's Arctic Redpoll again.

Willie Hutchison phoned today having seen an Eagle flying from Skaw towards Isbister. BM picked it up on the hilltop NW of Isbister and through the telescope could be identified as an adult White tailed Eagle. Our attempts at stalking wasn't very successful as it flushed from quite long range. It seemed to come down near Marrister so we hope to encounter it again. Five!! Jack Snipes were in a single ditch at Skaw with two Common Snipes giving good photo opportunities. With the Coues's Arctic Redpoll still at Skibberhoull this was a very good days for the start of March. 

1st March 2018

Coues's still present after three weeks

Slightly blurred undertail shot

Bloody photographers!!

Robin attracted to the seed at Skibberhoull also.

A few Song Thrushes with the Fieldfares and Redwings now.

Water Rail at Marrister through a window.             Photo  Brian Marshall

The Coues's Arctic Redpoll is still at Skibberhoull after three weeks. Hope to eventually post a photo of something different!

19th February 2018

May be the last time I don't know

Undertail photo by Jon Dunn

16th February 2018

Coues's still at Skibberhoull

The Coues`s Arctic Redpoll is still at "Frankies" Skibberhoull  today with a minimum of sixteen Mealy Redpolls. The blurred bits on some of the photos is the fence I had to peer through!

7th February 2018

Coues's Arctic Redpoll

A Coues's Arctic Redpoll was at Skibberhoull today with at least ten Common Redpolls. A novelty to have a good bird in early February

30th January 2018

Humpbacks North of the Outer Hebrides

The usual Orcas around the boat too.

Just home from three mackerel trips from north of the Outer Hebrides. The sight of Humpback Whales is very unusual so to see them on all three trips is unprecedented. Four on 18/1, two on 21/1 and four again 26/1. The photos above were of the two seen on 21/1 twelve miles NW of Sula Sgeir which lies to the north from the Butt of Lewis. As usual there was always a few Orca pods in attendance though I think the 20+ on 26/1 was probably the most seen. Eleven Pilot Whales also visited on this date. Best bird on Whalsay for January was undoubtedly the female King Eider found by the SNH Seabird monitoring team at the Symbister salmon cages 2/1 but sadly this bird has not been seen by any of us. Single Waxwings were at Whitefield and Skaw on 4/1 and three different Water Rails have been seen throughout the month. Also managed to catch up with six European White fronted Geese at Pouster that Brian found a couple of days ago.

31st December 2017

Whalsay bird review 2017

A first winter Glaucous Gull was off Skaw Taing 2/1. Three Common Scoters were off Vatshoull 5/1 with a Peregrine bombing through at the same time. An Iceland Gull was in the north voe 6/1. Two Common Scoters were still off Vatshoull 7/1 with another two off Symbister. Little else was seen till 27/1 when three Glaucous Gulls were at Skaw and two Iceland Gulls at Symbister. Seven European White fronted Geese were at Challister 29/1.

February

A quiet month with a Water Rail at Hamister 7/2 and the first Red throated Divers back on north loch of Skaw 18/2 the only notable sightings.

March

Two Mistle Thrushes were at Hamister and five Pink footed Geese at the Burns 6/3. The Hamister Mistle Thrush numbers doubled to four on 7/3. A male Stonechat was at the Burns 8/3. A Mistle Thrush at Skaw 9/3 pushed the island numbers up to five with the Hamister birds still present. A male Yellowhammer was at Whitefield 17/3. The first Dunnocks of the year were at Saltness 24/3 and Skaw 25/3. A pair of Shelducks flew north past Vatshoull 27/3 and a Woodcock was at Skaw 28/3.

White fronted Geese at Challister

Stonechat at the Burns

Yellowhammer at Whitefield

I was away fishing for the whole of this month. Brian had a Black tailed Godwit at Vatshoull 20/4 and a Hawfinch was photographed at Skaw 29/4 and were two species I never did catch up with for the rest of the year.

May

A female Subalpine Warbler sp. was at Skibberhoull and a Grasshopper Warbler at Skaw 3/5 with a Goosander on Vatshoull loch 6/5. A Sand Martin was at Vatshoull 12/5. A Thrush Nightingale skulked around in a Hamister yard 13-14/5 with a Stonechat at Skaw also on 13/5. The years only Common Sandpiper was at Skaw 14/5 with a male Red backed Shrike there 15/5. A female Stonechat joined the male at Skaw 16/5 with a very brief Dotterel on the golf course 17/5. A Long eared Owl at Skibberhoull 22/5 later self trapped itself in a Saltness shed before being trapped, ringed and released by BM. The last week was quiet with the years only Bar tailed Godwit at the houb 27/5 the only remotely interesting record.

June

4/6 saw a Barnacle Goose at Vatshoull loch and a Male Red backed Shrike at Symbister. A Greenish Warbler trapped at Isbister 7/6 was the third individual in three consecutive Junes never having had a spring bird on the isle previously! An Icterine Warbler shared the same garden. A female Nightjar was in the Skaw plantation 10/6 our first record since 2009. A Common Swift was at Symbister 18/6. Away from birds briefly a Hummingbird Hawkmoth was at Hillhead 23/6. A Mute Swan on Vatshoull loch 27/6 and an unseasonal Black Redstart at Skaw 28/6 rounded off the month.

Long eared Owl trapped in a shed at Saltness

Thrush Nightingale at Hamister

Pied Flycatcher at Skaw

Greenish Warbler trapped at Isbister

Red Grouse chicks north of Vatshoull

As usual very few birds of interest. A juvenile Cuckoo was at Skaw 21\7. Brian had a couple of male Two barred Crossbills in his garden 29/7 which was only a third island record.

August

A very early Pied Flycatcher plus a Common Swift were at Skaw 3\8.  I was away for the rest of the month at the herring fishing and missed out on an island tick in the form of a female Marsh Harrier around Isbister from 20-21\8. A Black tailed Godwit was at Skaw 20/8. BM went away as well after this and with a good range of scarcities throughout Shetland who knows what was missed.

September

A Sooty Shearwater was off Skaw 2\9. An Icterine Warbler was at Isbister 9\9 with early Yellow browed Warblers at Saltness and Skaw the same day. 10\9 saw Barred Warblers at Hamister and Symbister and a Red backed Shrike at Brough. An adult American Golden Plover in a flock of its european cousins at Skaw from 12-13\9 was only a second island record. Another Barred Warbler was at Hamister 15\9. Considerably rarer was the Golden Oriole at Saltness from 17-20\9. Red breasted Flycatchers were at Isbister and Hillhead 25\9. On 27\9 a Great Grey Shrike was at Skaw, Little Bunting at Brough plus Grasshopper Warblers at Skaw, Vatshoull and Brough. On 30/9 a Stock Dove was at Hamister, Short eared Owl at Skaw, Little Stint at Symbister plus Little Buntings at Brough, Burns and Skaw(2).

Two barred Crossbill at Marrister       photo by Brian Marshall

American Golden Plover at Skaw

Great Grey Shrike at Skaw

Icterine Warbler at Isbister

Little Bunting at Brough

A Turtle Dove was at Saltness briefly on 1/10 with a Lesser Redpoll at Isbister 2/10. A Great Grey Shrike was at Marrister  3/10. There was a quiet period till the discovery of a Steppe Grey Shrike at the roadside near Vevoe on 14/10. This was a first island record, fourth for Shetland and the first since 1994. A very tame individual which entertained quite a few visitors till 31/10. A Stock Dove at Hamister 18/10 may or may not have been the same bird seen two weeks earlier. A Stonechat was at Houll also on 18/10. 20/10 saw Ring Ouzels at Creadyknowe, Challister, Skaw and Brough, Water Rail at Skaw and a Black Redstart at Hamister. A Pallas`s Warbler was a first island record for a good few years on 22/10 at Creadyknowe, unfortunately for me one day after heading to sea! A Mistle Thrush was at Skaw the same day. A Blue Tit was at Marrister 24/10 with a Long eared Owl at Sodom 25/10. A Blue Tit was at Gardentown at the months end.

November

A Blue Tit was at Skibberhoull 11/11 (the Gardentown bird?) A Glaucous Gull was at Brough 18/11 with single Blue and Great Tits together in the same Symbister garden 19/11. Another Glaucous Gull was at Skaw 27/11. A Jack Snipe was at Pouster and a 3rd winter Iceland Gull at Symbister 28/11.

December

A Water Rail was in a Vatshoull garden on 13/12 with a female Common Scoter off Skaw Taing 15/12. An Iceland Gull was at Symbister 16/12. A Glaucous Gull was at Skaw Taing 18/12 with two Mealy Redpoll at Brough. A Glaucous Gull joined the Iceland Gull at Symbister 24/12.

Steppe Grey Shrike near Vevoe

Water Rail at Vatshoull

13th December 2017

Water Rail

11th November 2017

Blue Tit

Whooper Swan at north loch o Skaw

Juv. Whooper

White tailed Eagle at Selje, Norway.

Home for a couple of days mid mackerel season and was pleased to catch up with the above Blue Tit on Magnus Polsons feeder at Skibberhoull today even if my photos were poor. Best bird since I went away was  the Pallas`s Warbler Brian found in the Creadyknowe garden on 22/10. The Steppe Grey Shrike was last reported 31/10 when it moved further north to the plantation area at Skaw though with Brian also away it could quite easily have been around a bit longer. BM had a Blue Tit in his garden 23/10 with another ( today's bird?) around Gardentown at the months end.

16th October 2017

A  few more Shrike photos

Blurred flight shot

Even worse photo but shows the tail pattern.

The Steppe Grey Shrike is still in the Vevoe area so I went for a few more photo seeing as it has been a bonnie day for once.

14th October 2017

Steppe Grey Shrike

27th September 2017

Great Grey Shrike and Little Bunting

Kestrel at Skaw

A good day today with best birds being a Great Grey Shrike in the Skaw plantation and a Little Bunting at Brough. A carload of birders were on the isle so a few more things were found - 3 Grasshopper Warblers, 2 Barred Warblers, Red breasted Flycatcher and a good spread of common migrants. The other highlight in the last two weeks was the Golden Oriole which was at Saltness from the 17 - 20th but was incredibly wild and would bomb off for miles at the least disturbance so there was no chance of any photos unfortunately.

13th September 2017

American Golden Plover gallery

Blurred shot of the dusky underwings

The American Golden Plover gave itself up today, showing well in the field just north of the heligoland trap.

12th September 2017

American Golden Plover

Whinchat in the rain.

Leucistic House Sparrow at Skaw.

Got a call from Brian just before 2pm today to say he had found an American Golden Plover among a flock of its european cousins near the Skaw airstrip. By the time I got up there I met Brian coming along the road as the flock had flown off to the south. We soon refound them in fields just north of the heligoland and had very good views through the telescope. It was nice to see that it was an adult in partial summer plumage as the only other Whalsay record was of a juvenile around Challister on 2/10/06. Typically the AGP was the bird farthest from the road and I only managed a single photo before the flock got up and disappeared. Despite much looking it wasn't seen again today so I am hoping it stays around long enough to get a better photo than the above. Not a great deal of news in the last few days - Red backed Shrike at Brough and Barred Warblers at Hamister and Symbister on 10/9 was about all.

9th September 2017

Icterine warbler