Friday 29 September 2006

29th September 2006 South of Aberdeen

Pink-footed Goose 250

Thursday 28 September 2006

28th September 2006 Mainland Shetland SW4 Clear


Barnacle Goose 33 Sumburgh Head
Sparrowhawk 1
Curlew Sandpiper 1
Swallow 2
Skylark 35
Whinchat 1
Wheatear 6
Robin 2
Song Thrush 2
Sedge Warbler 1
Blackcap 2
Goldcrest 1
Chaffinch 25
Siskin 20

Wednesday 27 September 2006

27th September 2006 Mainland Shetland Calm Clear


Heron 1

Dark-bellied Brent Goose 1
Merlin 1 male
Collared Dove 1
Swallow 2
Skylark 29
Wheatear 13
Pied Wagtail 1
Redstart 1
Robin 1
Song Thrush 3
Blackcap 1
Garden Warbler 1
Willow Warbler 1
Goldcrest 1
Chaffinch 4
Siskin 8
Brambling 2

Tuesday 26 September 2006

26th September 2006 Mainland Shetland SW1 Overcast with fog


Heron 1
Scoter 3
Kestrel 3
Golden Plover 1
Collared Dove 1
Swallow 2
Skylark 6
Dunnock 4
Robin 6
Redstart 1
Wheatear 4
Song Thrush 3
Marsh Warbler 1 Garths Ness
Whitethroat 1
Blackcap 8
Arctic Warbler 1
Willow Warbler 2
Chiffchaff 2
Yellow-browed Warbler 1 Geosetter
Pied Flycatcher 1 Sumburgh Lighthouse
Red-backed Shrike 1 juv. Hillwell
Chaffinch 14
Siskin 27

Monday 25 September 2006

25th September 2006 Mainland Shetland SW4 Overcast


Heron 1
Barnacle Goose 1 over Quendale in morning and on Scatness in evening
Kestrel 2
Peregrine 1 Scatness
Collared Dove 1
Turtle Dove 1 Grutness crop
Swallow 10
Skylark 33
Pied Wagtail 1
Dunnock 1
Robin 2
Whinchat 2
Wheatear 21
Song Thrush 5
Sedge Warbler 1
Lesser Whitethroat 1
Blackcap 4
Willow Warbler 3
Goldcrest 1
Spotted Flycatcher 1
Chaffinch 37
Brambling 2
Siskin 32

Sunday 24 September 2006

24th September 2006 Mainland Shetland SE3 Overcast


Sparrowhawk 1
Greenshank 1
Golden Plover 23
Collared Dove 1
Swallow 1
Red-rumped Swallow 1 Hoswick
Skylark 53
Alba Wagtail 2
Redstart 1 male Sandwick
Whinchat 1
Wheatear 18
Robin 1
Dunnock 1
Lesser Whitethroat 1
Blackcap 7
Garden Warbler 1
Willow Warbler 3
Pied Flycatcher 1 Sandwick
Common Rosefinch 1 Toab
Siskin 1
Chaffinch 20

Saturday 23 September 2006

23rd September 2006 Mainland Shetland W4


Kestrel 2
Black-tailed Godwit 2
Ruff 1
Lapwing 14
Swallow 14
Skylark 13
Alba Wagtail 5
Citrine Wagtail 1 1st-w at Scatness. Supercilium encircling ear-coverts. Two white wingbars. Grey upperparts contrasting with black tail. Underparts pale with vague yellowish wash to throat. Feint dark breast bar and sides to neck. Call a bzzz. Smoky greyish flanks contrasting with white belly. Stout black bill and legs. Tertials with white edgings. White secondary panel. Black tail with white outer tail feathers. Yellowish suffusion to supercilium. Broad white tips to median and greater coverts. Black centers to tertials contrasting with grey upperparts. Pale area across nape. Ear coverts slightly streaked pale. Supercilium bridges across base of upper mandible. White undertail coverts. Supercilium broadens behind eye. Tertials cloak primaries. 
Wheatear 19
Song Thrush 2
Lesser Whitethroat 2
Garden Warbler 1
Blackcap 3
Arctic Warbler 1 Geosetter
Willow Warbler 1
Yellow-browed Warbler 1 Boddam Croft Museum, 1 Geosetter
Chaffinch 3
Siskin 10

Friday 22 September 2006

22nd September 2006 Mainland Shetland SE6 Clear


Sparrowhawk 1
Little Stint 4
Curlew Sandpiper 1
Swallow 8
Skylark 27
Pied Wagtail 1
Whinchat 2
Wheatear 35
Lesser Whitethroat 3
Blackcap 3
Arctic Warbler 1 Geosetter
Willow Warbler 6
Yellow-browed Warbler 1 Sumburgh, 1 Geosetter
Chaffinch 14
Siskin 1

Thursday 21 September 2006

21st September 2006 Mainland Shetland Calm with drizzle


Ruff 15
Curlew Sandpiper 2
Black Guillemot 2
Red-rumped Swallow 1 Hoswick
Alba Wagtail 2
Robin 1
Whinchat 2
Wheatear 15
Marsh Warbler 1 glimpsed briefly revealing thick yellow legs at Casho, Quarff.
Blackcap 1
Barred Warbler 1 Maywick
Arctic Warbler 1 ex. A surprise find near the road at Geosetter it quickly moved up the burn - our second BBRC find in five days - easier than in Sussex!
Willow Warbler 6
Chiffchaff 1
Yellow-browed Warbler 2 Wester Quarff
Pied Flycatcher 1 Quarff, 1 Hoswick
Chaffinch 4
Black-headed Bunting 1

Arctic Warbler in Geosetter (Jim Nicolson)

Wednesday 20 September 2006

20th September 2006 Mainland Shetland SW3 Overcast


Little Stint 3
Swallow 2
Skylark 13
Redstart 1
Wheatear 17
Pied Wagtail 1
Tree Pipit h
Sedge Warbler 1
Lesser Whitethroat 2
Garden Warbler 1
Willow Warbler 2
Chiffchaff 1
Common Rosefinch 1 Toab, 1 Quendale
Black-headed Bunting 1

Tuesday 19 September 2006

19th September 2006 Fair Isle until 11.35am SE4

Knot 1
Jack Snipe 1
Swallow 1
Skylark 10
Whinchat 2
Wheatear 6
Song Thrush 3
Pechora Pipit 1
Reed Warbler 1
Lesser Whitethroat 1
Garden Warbler 2
Blackcap 1
Willow Warbler 11


Mainland WSW7! Rain


Knot 26

Merlin 1
Wheatear 2

Monday 18 September 2006

18th September 2006 Fair Isle Calm misty at first becoming foggy


Twitched onto Fair Isle when, on arrival, received the unbelievable and dreadful news that my good friend and respected birder Kevin Johnston had just passed away - we had exchanged texts just a couple of days earlier with respective birding news from Filsham and Shetland - the Pechora Pipit, rather fittingly haunting the reedbed of Fair Isle, will always be for you Kev...


Ruff 4
Kestrel 1
Swallow 2
Swift 1
Skylark 8
Fair Isle Wren 1
Whinchat 4
Wheatear 6
Tree Pipit 4
Meadow Pipit 50
PECHORA PIPIT 1ex UK 494 Delicate compared to Meadow Pipit. Call ‘plup’ on being flushed from the reeds in the Meadow Burn at Quoy. Later a series of ‘pip pip pip’ when flying from ram field back to Meadow Burn. Pale pink legs. Short hindclaw. Broad white wingbars. Broad white tramlines running down scapulars with a hint of a second parallel stripe. Buffish suffusion to upper breast. Upper breast heavily streaked black. Gorget of heavy streaking very narrow. Rufescent suffusion to neck-sides. Heavy double row of broad streaks on flanks. Looked dark in flight. Stout base to triangular bill. Dark u shaped mark under eye. Primaries projecting beyond exposed tertials.
Song Thrush 2
Garden Warbler 5
Willow Warbler 7
Chaffinch 1

Pechora Pipit in Meadow Burn on Fair Isle (Paul Baxter)

Sunday 17 September 2006

17th September 2006 Mainland Shetland SE5 Fog


Honey Buzzard 1 Sumburgh Head flushed from lighthouse garden!
Kestrel 1
Knot 11
Bar-tailed Godwit 4
Swallow 6
Skylark 2
Redstart 1
Whinchat 2
Wheatear 19
Dunnock 1
Whitethroat 1
Lesser Whitethroat 1
Barred Warbler 1 Grutness
Garden Warbler 3
Blackcap 1
Willow Warbler 8
Pied Flycatcher 1 Grutness
Chaffinch 7
Black-headed Bunting 1 immature

Saturday 16 September 2006

16th September 2006 Mainland Shetland S3 Misty


Heron 5
Black-tailed Godwit 7
Golden Plover 3
Lapwing 25
Kestrel 1
Swallow 6
Skylark 6
Alba Wagtail 6
Redstart 1
Whinchat 1
Wheatear 15
Willow Warbler 2
Red-breasted Flycatcher 1
Chaffinch 2
Black-headed Bunting 1 immature found whilst walking a stubble field at Toab. Ex.


Friday 15 September 2006

15th September 2006 Mainland Shetland S5 Overcast


Heron 1
Kestrel 5 Sumburgh Head
Common Sandpiper 1
Wheatear 13
Song Thrush 1
Blackcap 2
Whitethroat 3
Garden Warbler 4
Barred Warbler 1 Grutness
Willow Warbler 11
Yellow-browed Warbler 1 Toab
Pied Flycatcher 1 Toab, 1 Sumburgh Lighthouse
Red-breasted Flycatcher 1 Sumburgh Hotel
Chaffinch 6
Basking Shark 1 off Sumburgh Head Lighthouse

Thursday 14 September 2006

14th September 2006 Mainland Shetland Foggy


Wigeon 2
Sparrowhawk 1 female
Knot 2
Lapwing 6
Skylark 2
Swallow 6
Wheatear 21
Whinchat 1
Blackbird 8
Whitethroat 1
Barred Warbler 2 Grutness
Willow Warbler 6
Pied Flycatcher 1 Virkie
Linnet 7

Wednesday 13 September 2006

13th September 2006 Mainland Shetland & Whalsay SE3-4 Clear


Wigeon 50
Arctic Skua 1
Swallow 4
Wheatear 9
Whinchat 1
Blackbird 2
Barred Warbler 4 (3 Grutness)
Willow Warbler 1

Whalsay 11.00am – 5.30pm Foggy

Black Guillemot 85
Skylark 4
Robin 2
Whinchat 2
Song Thrush 1
Blackcap 1
Willow Warbler 10

Tuesday 12 September 2006

12th September 2006 Mainland Shetland S1 Overcast


Lapwing 9
Arctic Tern 2
Skylark 3
Swallow 8
Alba Wagtail 1
Pied Wagtail 1
Robin 3
Wheatear 12
Redstart 1 Maywick
Fieldfare 1 Maywick
Blackbird 5
Garden Warbler 1
Blackcap 2
Common Whitethroat 1 Sumburgh Quarry
Lesser Whitethroat 2
Barred Warbler 2 Grutness
Willow Warbler 16
Wood Warbler 1 Scatness – appeared same individual from Sumburgh Hotel
Linnet 2
Twite 6

Monday 11 September 2006

11th September 2006 Mainland Shetland SW4 Overcast


Greylag 8
Wigeon 6
Tufted Duck 6
Little Stint 4 Boddam
Golden Plover 1
Lapwing 40
Swallow 3
Red-rumped Swallow 1
Meadow Pipit 25
Wheatear 9
Whinchat 2
Lesser Whitethroat 1
Garden Warbler 1
Barred Warbler 3 ex. found late afternoon in Grutness Garden
Willow Warbler 10
Wood Warbler 1 ex. Sumburgh Hotel
Pied Flycatcher 1 Hoswick
Reed Bunting 1 Geosetter
Common Rosefinch 1 Grutness crop

Sunday 10 September 2006

10th September 2006 Mainland Shetland, Virkie, Quendale, Sumburgh, Grutness, S3-4 Overcast


Merlin 1

Snipe 3
Lapwing 95
Collared Dove 2
Rock Dove 120
Swallow 6
Alba Wagtail 23
Pied Wagtail 1 male
Wheatear 9
Blackbird 16
Willow Warbler 3
Common Rosefinch 1 first-winter found in Grutness crop

Saturday 9 September 2006

9th September 2006 Sail into Lerwick, Hoswick, Virkie, Sumburgh, Grutness SSW3


Sooty Shearwater 1 ex in the wake

Mainland Shetland SSW3 Sunny, Hoswick, Virkie, Sumburgh, Grutness

Fulmar 50
Shag 40
Heron 5
Greylag 15
Merlin 1
Black-tailed Godwit 4
Curlew Sandpiper 1
Little Stint 2
Lapwing 10
Sandwich Tern 2
Arctic Tern 1
Bonxie 20
Black Guillemot 5 Lerwick
Collared Dove 1 Lerwick
Rock Dove 12
Skylark 3
Swallow 10
Red-rumped Swallow 1 ex in flight and sat on wires behind the Barclay Arms Hotel Hoswick
Meadow Pipit 15
Alba Wagtail 4
Pied Wagtail 1
Shetland Wren 3
Wheatear 16
Willow Warbler 4
Lesser Whitethroat 1
Pied Flycatcher 1 Hoswick, 1 Virkie
Twite 2

Friday 8 September 2006

8th September 2006 Lunan Bay, Girdleness & Northlink Ferry


Red-throated Diver 10
Velvet Scoter 20
Eider 20
Knot 2

Girdleness

Eider 100
Knot 6

Sail from Aberdeen

Manx Shearwater 2
Puffin 5 ex.

Thursday 7 September 2006

7th September 2006 M40


Buzzard 4
Red Kite 6

Saturday 2 September 2006

2nd September 2006 Beachy 6.00am - 10.15am W4 Overcast with rain by 10am


Pheasant h
Fulmar 3
Gannet 15
Shag 1 immature on sea off Birling then flew east. Pale upperwing-covert panel in flight.
Little Egret 2
Grey Heron 1
Hobby 1
Peregrine 2
Oystercatcher 1
Curlew 3E high over Chat Vale
Arctic Skua 1W
Black-headed Gull 5
Herring Gull 50
Great Black-backed Gull 10
Sandwich Tern 10
Common Tern 5
Commic Tern 15
Feral Pigeon 3
Wood Pigeon 2
Swallow 10
Yellow Wagtail 1
Pied Wagtail 2
Whinchat 1
Blackbird 1
Willow Warbler 1
Jackdaw 15
Carrion Crow 8
Starling 8
House Sparrow 5
Goldfinch 3