What birds will be blown in? who will find them? and how good will the birds be?
Well we didn't have to wait long to find out, after arriving on the morning on a white knuckle landing into the gail force winds we headed straight out. First stop, the semipalmated plover close to the airport where we bumped into some familiar faces.
The semi-p showed well if a little distant and we had some niew view of otters running over the rocks close by.
Shore Lark: From the semi-p Patrick and I headed over to Grutness on the other side of the airport and picked up a couple of shore lark.
And indication to how windy it was after we landed was seeing this frozen still jack snipe that had been grounded and was trying it's best to do the invisible act, but failing.
Jack Snipe:Olive-backed Pipit: Towards the middle of the day Patrick turned to me and said "Bonelli's, lets go" I was buzzing, a grip back. A bird that I needed and a pretty decent one.
We were quick so scramble back to the car and head over to Easter Quarff.
Olive-backed Pipit: When we arrived there were dozens of cars parked along the main road and a mass of biders peering into a small woodland plantation. the warbler showed well on and for while were were there. Day one tick!
Later that day we ended up bagging OBP that was flashed by NAME and landed on a nearby wall.
Typically I got distracted photographing the bird and failed to get point bank view of the barred warbler that was around the corner. I ad to search a little harder but only managed some views of it feeding in the hedge.
I was pretty gutted, but had to settle for what I got.
(Picture courtesy of Patrick)
Red-eyed Vireo: Earlier that day a RED turned up in a large community woodland in Brae, this was elusive and a pain to view due to the light and the thickness of the wooded area. only a handful of folk got decent views. We didn't.
While waiting for the ferry to Unst, at Gutcher ferry port Simon Nichols found a YBW fluttering in a bush near the house close to the ferry parking area, we all got out to take a look although it was hard to pin down. Eventually the birders dispersed and then a single birds flew into the bush from the right,
Checking it out and waiting for them to show I was thrilled to have found this little bunting. Folk rushed over once I called it, and everyone got some decent views.
Monarch Butterfly: I really enjoyed this part of the trip, just birding a nice area which felt good, like you could find something mega yourself. I think this feeling is what gives Shetland its continuing favour to birders.
But, towards the end of the day another REV was found in a small garden of a cottage in Sandwick. this bird was much more confiding coming right out in full view.
Stunning!
Little Bunting: Day 3, our plan today was to try our best to tick off Richard's pipit, a bird thats edavided me for too long now.
There was a report yesterday of one naer
Nice self found bird.
Spotted Flycatcher: When we landed on Unst Alan was quick to pick us up and drove us straight to the location of the reported lancey, we saw it in flight almost immediately and soon after it was pinned down and re-identified as a grasshopper warbler.
We were gutted, especially after making the extra long journey up here.
Radde's Warbler: Still, it wasn't a complete waste of time the self found little bunting made up for it and seeing Alan in his habithat was also a highlight.
Before we left Unst there was report of a Radde's skulking in a small patch of common nettles.
In this bay we had great northern and red-throated divers along with a small group of harbour porpoises and the WBD came pretty close. patrick and I were thrilled, this beast was stunning though the scope.
Siskin: Day 4, our final day. We had a late flight pushed even further back by Loganair, we were not only compensated by the extra time this gave us to bird a little longer on the island but, they also gave us cash compensation, bonus.
We spent most of our day putting in some real effort on to the king eider, a bird we thought was a sure thing, but still eluded us both.
As soon as we landed we drove straight there and joined the growing group of birders peering into the nettles.
The Radde's was typically elusive for a long while before giving itself up and landing on a nearby fence.
White-billed Diver: The WhatsApp group messages were coming thick and fast today and not long after ticking the Radd'es a message came up of a WBD close in off Skellister.
The birds were miles away, I was astonished to how frequent the king eider was getting reported.
Rustic Bunting: A report of rustic near Weisdale save the day, especially after the continuing disappointment of the king eider.
The bird was found along a thick hedge, crammed with tall grasses, sdged and short trees and when we arrived it was lost to view, deep in the thicket.
but not before too long the bird gave itself up and sat nicely in a tree and laer on a fence giving us all some nice views indeed.
Woodchat Shrike: Another good bird was the woodchat shrike that had been in the same area since before we arrived. Apparently it would come really close and sit the gardens but everytime we went it was miles away over the moors.
Wheatear: We spent most of the afternoon at Hillside hoping to find our own stuff, and knowing there was a little bunting, a rustic and common rosefinch in the area.
Well, this time we found nothing, so moved on down toward the airport where a Monarch was found by Cliff.
The Monarch is the largest butterfly seen in the British Isles and is also one of our rarest migrants this magnificent Monarch has been blown across the Atlantic while on their stunning annual journey across North America to Mexico or California.
The North American Monarchs are famous for their apparent hardiness on their long journeys. And after it's incredibly long journey this individual looked worse for ware, its was barely able to stand up never by flutter through the walled garden.
Shore Lark: There were some birders on hand who kindly provided the butterfly with some sugar water solution which it was feeding on.
From here we drove around the corner to see the flock of five sore lark
I really enjoyed this trip. It was great to bump into so many familiar faces, chat over breakfast, bird in the rain and search the tickets burns across the island together.
The food the drink and Patrick alls made the trip that much better. Next year I'll be doing the same.