After overnight rain we walked out to not a breath of wind at dawn but it was noticeably colder although it soon warmed up during the morning to be another balmy day by Skerries standards. Virtually the first bird seen was a Yellow-browed Warbler in Edwin's garden that boded well being the first of at least four seen today including one again in 'our' garden. The second garden checked held a flock of Twite that played host to presumably the same Greenland Redpoll that up until now hadn't really settled. The walk to the top of the hill on East Isle showed Golden Plover had increased to ten and there was a light passage of Meadow Pipits and Skylarks over and a flock of distant grey Geese flew high southwest. The Little Bunting was still present at Rocklea and a Grasshopper Warbler was twice flushed there and the presumed Blyth's Lesser Whitethroat was again present working the walls. Two visits to the West Isle showed the Red-breasted Flycatcher to still be present, a brief view of the timid and elusive Bluethroat and at least four Willow Warblers after none being seen yesterday. The walk back this evening produced an exhausted Garden Warbler presumably also freshly arrived being the first we've seen since being here, the Common Rosefinch at Rocklea and then another sat on the fence of 'our' garden.
Grey Geese sp. c.20 very distantly flew southwest
Teal 1
Eider c.10
Heron 2
Ringed Plover 3
Golden Plover 10
Snipe 1
Skylark 6
Yellow-browed Warbler 4
Chiffchaff 1
Willow Warbler 4
Blackcap 10
Garden Warbler 1
Lesser Whitethroat 1
Grasshopper Warbler 1
Blackbird 4
Song Thrush 2
Robin 2
Bluethroat 1
Red-breasted Flycatcher 1
Redstart 1
Whinchat 3
Wheatear 7
Dunnock 4
Tree Pipit 3
Meadow Pipit 20
Twite c.40
Greenland Redpoll 1
Common Rosefinch 2
Little Bunting 1
Reed Bunting 1
First view of the day
Greenland Redpoll on Out Skerries
Early morning ferry arriving on Out Skerries
Threatening skies over Out Skerries
Out Skerries Church in the foreground and Skaw on Whalsay in the background
Out Skerries iris beds with Mioness in the background
Out Skerries harbour
Golden Plover on Out Skerries
Noss from Out Skerries
Blackcap on Out Skerries
Rock Dove on Out Skerries
Blyth's Lesser Whitethroat on Out Skerries
The short P2 (= P6) is discernible. More here:
Bluethroat on Out Skerries
Red-breasted Flycatcher on Out Skerries
Reed Bunting on Out Skerries
So far outnumbered 3:1 by Little Bunting
An exhausted Garden Warbler on Out Skerries
Yellow-browed Warbler on Out Skerries
Wheatear on Out Skerries
East Isle hill
View towards the marsh
Common Rosefinch in 'our' garden
Garden List 3: Willow Warbler, Yellow-browed Warbler (2), Rosefinch
