Shetland 26th September - 8th October 2017: Day 5

30th September 2017: Day 5: 

We arose early to clear skies, packed and hit the road just after seven. It was too gloomy to see much but if only we had left it a little later we might have discovered the Olive Backed Pipit found later in the trees opposite our croft! Oh well...
As it was we headed south to the superb gardens and cover that we discovered the evening before and spent the next few hours diligently searching the villages of Culswick and Gardins which were catching the first rays of that previously elusive Shetland sun. 

Gardens at Gardins

We spent over an hour waiting here while the birds came and went

A creeping Locustella was one of the first things we found and much to our delight this one gave itself up and proved to be a smart little Grasshopper Warbler which although we would have loved something rarer was still rather pleasing and also sorted out the troublesome Warbler from yesterday. 

Grasshopper Warbler in a croft - Peter Moore

Looking fron Gardins to Culswick

and vice-versa - Gardins top right

Raven over the brassicas

  Meadow Pipits were on the move with nearly 400 logged heading south along with the odd Skylark and White Wagtail. We spent most of our time on just two gardens and managed to pick up six YBWs, both Pied and Spotted Flycatchers, Redstart, several Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers, 12 Robins, Chaffinches, Brambling and surprisingly three dinky brown Lesser Redpolls.

Lesser Redpoll

Pesky Yellow-browed Warbler

Arty Yellow-browed Warbler

Spotted Flycatcher

Meadow Pipit

Pied Flycatcher - Peter Moore

Lunch was picked up from a village store and more venerable pies were consumed...  however, non one dared try the...

Further spots were checked at Easter Skeld, the delightful Reywick, Effirth and Tresta collecting another nine YBWs, three Redstart and plenty more phylloscs and Robins in the process. 

The stunning Reywick

Reywick - a pity that this was the only prolonged sunny spell all trip

Pot Bellied Shetland Pony at Reywick

Wild Greylags - Effirth - where we also saw a single Knot on the foreshore

Willow Warbler at Effirth

The only non hoverflies I saw all week - Calliphora vicina

Calliphora - yes - species ... mmm... not sure

 

Episysrphus balteatus at Tresta

Meliscaeva auricollis at Tresta - the only two species of hover seen and only on that day...

The first of these also gave us our first Swallow and two energetic Red Grouse that almost came down in a garden while manically shouting at each other but Cott was only memorable for our first Woodpigeon.

I an still not quite sure how Peter got these shots of the Red Grouse at Easter Skeld

Easter Skeld - nice view

with a smart Redstart too

The ruins of the John Clunies-Ross estate at Cott - disappointingly birdless - again - but stunning

with superb lichen: Bob V  & Enid Barrie gave the species a go...
'best guess Lecanora chlarotera for the big white one with buff apothecia and Parmelia saxatilis for the lower green foliose one (or P. sulcata)'
AND.... Dicranoweisia cirrata for the moss from Enid too...

 

Easter Skeld Attitude

Shetland Panda Sheep

Shetland Purple Spotted Fluff Throat

Feeling a little left out after all our hard work with OBPs, Rustic Buntings and such like being found, we headed for Wester Quarff for a hunt around and dug out seven Redstart, Whinchat, two more YBWs, three Siberian Chiffchaffs, three Garden Warblers and a selection of the commoner species already encountered but still nothing to get the pulse racing.

Blackcap at Wester Quarff - Peter Moore

The acrobatic brown Lesser Whitethroat at wester Quarff - Peter Moore

 

One of many dapper little orange breasted Robins - Wester Quarff

With the light fading we made for a Red- backed Shrike in Fladdabister but the absence of said Shrike was made up for by Bradders almost treading on a Corncrake which had the decency to give another fantastic flight view before going to ground. This was only my second one ever and 27 years after the first in 1990 which Hawky and I inadvertently found in Holy Vale on Scilly. Long chestnut wings and dangly legs! I was over the moon and felt that we had at last garnered some reward for the hard work of the last few days. A showy Reed Warbler and another YBW were seen before we dashed down to Cunningsburgh for a mobile and missing Rustic Bunting adding the 19th and 20th YBW of the day. 

  Hoswick became base now for the rest of the trip with a fine view of the beach and sea and a garden perfect for an eastern waif...

The view from the Hoswick kitchen window