Tuesday 17 May 2022

17th May 2022 Unst SE5 Overcast

With a scatter of scarce migrants across Shetland (and elsewhere) yesterday, I felt sure that I'd find something of interest today... an overcast dawn, a light southeasterly, mid-May, Shetland... well, I did manage to find three yearticks, but that's probably a reflection of my Spring so far, and I only saw singletons of each... are the formerly common migrants the new scarce? For the first time this Spring I also met plenty of other birders (and there were others that I didn't meet working the island too), none of whom had seen very much, or at least not at the time that I met them, and most/all were wishing they were on Fair Isle or Out Skerries (so no change there!!). So, what were the 'three'... Sandwich Tern, Common Whitethroat and Lesser Whitethroat! 

Common Whitethroat at Norwick

Lesser Whitethroat at NorthDale

Sandwich Tern at Norwick
... whilst watering the garden I heard a familiar call. Sporting a white forehead, presumably a 3cy individual like last year's colour-flagged individual.