Shetland 26th September - 8th October 2017: Day 10

5th October 2017: Day 10:

Just when we thought that the weather could not get any worse it did just that and whereas we had had mini-breaks in the wind and rain, today was an almost continuous onslaught of driving rain squalls but after a moderate lay in we still hit the Hoswick patch before heading out although we only got male Merlin, Whinchat, a couple of YBW’s and a Slavonian Grebe and three Tysties in the bay. 

Even Bradders succumbed to breakfast rather than go out early...

Our first stop was Wester Quarff but it was just too windy and the garden only coughed up a Lesser Whitethroat and three Chiffchaffs so we moved onto Gott where a Rosefinch had been reported and although we did not find it we were pleased to locate two pairs of Parrot Crossbills bimbling heftily between the lochside pines and the wonderful garden up the road. They perched up briefly before disappearing round the back and out of sight. Five Siskins were coming down feed but it was otherwise quiet.   

Whale skull at Easter Quarff

Wester Quarff

A male Merlin gave some Lapwing a fright and the family of Mute Swans on the Loch included two Polish amongst their brood of three. We utilised the first of our bus stops as a temporary shelter and bird hide as the next wave came in.

Getting out of the rain in Gott

The rest of the morning was a very damp squib and we were checking out the Catfirth plantation for more Crossbills with pies in hands when we got news that the Buff-bellied Pipit of yesterday had returned to Grutness and so some filthy twitching ensued as we once again headed back south.
The bird was immediately on view by the harbour car park feeding on the short turf around the little flood alongside. Birders lined the wall and in a rare break in the weather we enjoyed ten minutes of this transatlantic Pipit parading around at just a few yards range completely oblivious to the appreciative chat and firing of cameras. This one was so much closer than the two near the Queen Mother Reservoir several years ago and a genuine education. It flew of its own accord and uttered several distinctive calls somewhere between a Grey Wagtail and a Blue Tit to my ear and hopefully one day I will find one on call myself. 

Buff-bellied Pipit

I am not one for mutiple images but this bird changed appearance with every shot and was very engaging...

The weather once again turned as we headed up to the quarries but other than a nice Mealy Redpoll, high flying Merlin and some great galloping Shetland Ponies it was just too windy and the incoming rain saw us scurry for shelter once again. The Pipit had returned to its field and we popped back for another look in between showers while two female and a male Long-tailed Duck rocketed behind us..

Blackcap

 

Great Black-backed Puffin Swallower

 

This little video shows just how tame the BBP was!

Leaving the Buffy in situ, the temptation of a showy Snow Bunting almost up to Sumburgh lighthouse saw us watching this lovely male from the car where is shuffled around trying not to get blown over the edge. 

Snow Bunting

A Swallow followed us up and down the road, circling the car in tight circles and was obviously but almost suicidally using us as a moving windbreak in its struggle to find insects.

Waders at Pool of Virkie comprised ten species including 12 Bar and six Blackwits, Ruff, Grey Plover and two Knot but it was not clement enough to get out and scan for the Curlew Sandpiper! Coffee by the otter-less rocks of Boddam added another three Slavonian Grebes and some very cheery haybales before Bradders forced us back out of the car to firstly check out the bird free Sycamore of Happiness at Channerwick and then to look for the Cunningsburgh Rustic Bunting although given the deluge Rusting may be more appropriate... another bus stop and a shed were utilised.

Slavonian Grebe at Boddam

It became known as the Cunning Bunting although other alternatives were available and freely used... It was in there somewhere...

Bradders and myself helpfully pointing out the number of times we dipped the Cunning Bunting

Back at Base Camp Hoswick we had just settled in and started dinner when news came through of a Booted Warbler 100 yards from the door. Wet gear back on in the gloom and rain for a last ditch look revealed no bird or fellow birders... there is always tomorrow morning...

Shetland 26th September - 8th October 2017: Day 9

4th October 2017: Day 9:

The machine gun rattle of rain ensured that we were up bright and very breezy this morning and out of the door before sun up to ensure we were at Kergord Plantation by 0730 to give us the best chance of locating last night's Olive-backed Pipit. Our first belated Merlin cruised over high and freaked out a couple of Wood Pigeons and the Rooks. The wood was quiet and I unfortunately put up what was undoubtedly the OBP but it flew straight up into the canopy and was not seen again despite giving it time to return to the grassy hollow is erupted from. 

Kergord Plantation

Kergord Plantation from the upper plot

Three YBWs called and there were a few Blackcaps, Goldcrests and Robins and a female Sparrowhawk was harried by Hoodies. We ventured up to the higher plantation which was far better on the inside than it looks but a good look round only produced a few Chaffinches until l three of us independently heard the jooping of Parrot Crossbills as at least two birds flew above us invisibly.

On returning to the road I picked up a female bird heading into the wood calling and two males and a female were seen stripping spruce cones shortly afterwards. Five Siskins, two Brambling and four Mealy Redpolls completed a good little haul.

Parrot Crossbills

Parrot Crossbills

News of a Rustic Bunting at Lower Voe had us leaping in the car as it was on route to our ferry connection and it was seen immediately on arrival grovelling in the verge. If anything a better marked one than the Melby individual. With roadside viewing on a blind bend becoming the only option and not wishing to see splattered birders, we soon moved on to catch the ferry from Toft to Yell. 

Rustic Bunting

 

A large Stoat carrying a damp and deceased Starling dashed across the car park at Toft and a single Bar-tailed Godwit was with Curlews. 

Stoat with dinner - Peter Moore

The Yell Rally then unused to get us to the terminal at Gotcher. Bob spotted an Otter as we pulled up and after a short wait this chunky lad was seen swimming back to shore with lunch but dived and was not seen again.

Otter - Peter Moore

Once on Unst we headed straight for Skaw in the hope that the Red-throated Pipit would still be around and despite mixed news, the double braced beauty popped up right next to the car on a post. We all raised bins and only twigged when it dropped down! Excellent views were had in the grass before it zoomed off over the house. It took about an hour to refind it when it returned to the same spot and in giving us the run around it led to us inadvertently finding a Tree Pipit too. It even came down onto the beach and ran around with a Whinchat.  

Skaw- remember the White's Thrush rocks?

Pipit stalking - Skaw

Red-throated Pipit

Red-throated Pipit

 

Red-throated Pipit - Peter Moore

Tree Pipit - Peter Moore

Whinchat

Blackcaps, Lesser Whitethroats and Chiffchaffs flicked around the sheep pens and Rock Pipits fed with Starlings, White Wagtails, Ringed Plovers, Turnstones and Redshanks on the tideline.

Ringed Plover

White Wagtail

A thick carpet of Shags were piled up on the grassy clifftop until a couple of passing Bonxies spooked them and the rough sea was alive with sheering Gannets and Fulmars.

Best Axminster...

 

Thanks to Peter Moore for this fetching picture of me in full Shetland mode, complete with wet gear, ginger winter pie catcher beard, the actual pie to be caught, appropriate optics, fingerless gloves (to aid holding of said steak pie) and never-been-there-but-it-is-a-real-one Fair Isle hat

We retraced our steps to Norwick (passing the Popemobile) and some poking about only dug out a few Redstarts, Robins, Blackcaps, a Reed Warbler and Swallow so we moved onto Halligarth which was a bit too windy and only gave us a Pied Flycatcher and a timely phone call from Dave Fairhurst had us walking briskly to the car as he was watching a perched White-tailed Eagle just up the road. 

Popemobile - it even says it on the side...

Redstart - Norwick

Redstart at Saxavord

Wheatear at Saxavord

Halligarth

 

And a roadside Curlew

Dave and his group kindly stayed with the bird till we arrived and his bus made a handy windbreak for us to scope this magnificent full adult at great range on the far side of Loch of Watlee. What a bird and even at such distance the full yellow bill, pale head and white tail stood out. What a superb bonus.

Notice the landslip...

Zoom a bit closer...

Keep going.... what a beast!

Some searching around the Nettle Bed of Lund gave us spectacular views in some brief sunshine across the deserted beach and we added Cryptic Mallard to the list as Peter and I managed to walk right past a drake on a small pool that suddenly erupted into flight without us seeing it. If we could not see that how were we going to find LBJ’s?

Lund

Uyeasound added four Goldeneye to the trip list with a flotilla of 19 Tufted Ducks and it was nice to reminisce at the spot of last year’s Siberian Thrush triumph...

Uyeasound- Happy Sibe palpitations...

And the Hoodies on the quay were entertaining

Along with a few Ravens

Two ferries later were we sitting down to see fine haddock and chips in Frenchie’s of Brae before chasing the full moon all the way back to Hoswick...