28th April 2024 Unst NE3 Clear

Under clear skies it was nice to see some diurnal passage very early this morning before work that included 3 Brambling that flew due east out to sea from Skaw until being lost to view.

Skaw: 2 Great Northern Diver, Pied Wagtail, Robin, 2 Ring Ouzel & 5 Brambling.

Norwick: Sparrowhawk, Moorhen, 2 Long-eared Owl, 5 Blackcap, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Goldcrest, Ring Ouzel, 3 Snow Bunting, Siskin, 4 Brambling, 2 Chaffinch & Hawfinch.

Ring Ouzel overflying Norwick

Hawfinch overflying Norwick

Snow Bunting at Norwick

27th April 2024 Unst SE4 Overcast clearing

Norwick: Great Northern Diver, 2 Long-tailed Duck, Sparrowhawk, 2 Pied Wagtail, 4 Wheatear, 2 Goldcrest, 5 Ring Ouzel, 25 Blackbird, 4 Song Thrush, 6 Redwing, 3 Siskin, 5 Brambling & 4 Chaffinch.

NorthDale: Whooper Swan, Blackcap, singing Willow Warbler & Carrion Crow.

Skaw: 35 Oystercatcher, 4 Wheatear, Ring Ouzel, Redwing, Jackdaw & Brambling.

Ring Ouzel at Norwick

Willow Warbler at NorthDale

bearing a ring

Jackdaw at Skaw

26th April 2024 Unst Calm Overcast clearing

Skaw: Sparrowhawk, Pied Wagtail, Wheatear & Carrion Crow.

Norwick: Wheatear, Robin, Chiffchaff, 2 Siskin, 6 Brambling & Chaffinch.

Haroldswick: 2 Common Sandpiper, 3 Wheatear, Redwing, Brambling.

Burrafirth: Pink-footed Goose.

Common Sandpipers at Haroldswick

25th April 2024 Unst NE4 Light showers

I completed two Common Bird Census squares and on a visit to the shop we took a look at the Great Grey Shrike that Mike found yesterday.

Skaw: Robin.

Norwick: 2 Great Northern Diver, Sparrowhawk, 2 Pied Wagtail, Robin, Goldcrest, 6 Chaffinch, 2 Brambling, 8 Redwing & 3 Siskin.

NorthDale: Whooper Swan, Moorhen & Great Grey Shrike.

Siskin at Norwick

Great Grey Shrike at NorthDale

22nd April 2024 Unst NW5 Overcast clearing

Very slow going in the never-ending northerlies...

Norwick: 4 Great Northern Divers, Whimbrel, Dunnock, Wheatear, Redwing, 7 Siskin & 3 Snow Buntings.

Snow Bunting at Norwick

20th April 2024 Unst NW3 Overcast

I completed my third and final 'first count' Black Guillemot transect again recording a healthy population of Black Guillemots but single Pied Wagtail, Wheatear and Redwing were the only migrant passerines seen. I then took a quick look around Norwick.   

Norwick: 3 Great Northern Diver, 7 Barnacle Geese, Blackcap, 2 Chiffchaff, 2 Goldcrest & Chaffinch.

Black Guillemots

Barnacle Geese at Norwick

17th April 2024 Unst NE3 Showers clearing to warm sunshine

Just finishing surveying for the day coincided with a marked improvement in the weather, so in the now warm sunshine, I decided to make a visit to Clingera as the willows along the entrance track had the first 'green haze' of Spring and plenty of pollen spikes. It proved a good move, as right at the start of the entrance track, a Coues's Arctic Redpoll jumped off the ground and onto a fencepost before flying off towards Ordale - my first rarity find of the year!

Baltasound: 2cy Glaucous Gull & Coues's Arctic Redpoll

Coues's Arctic Redpoll at Clingera

15th April 2024 Unst E3 Overcast

Given the calmer conditions I completed my second Black Guillemot transect of the season that again produced a good count compared to the same time last year. I then took a look around Norwick.

Norwick: Grey Heron, 3 Long-tailed Duck, 4 Wood Pigeon, 2 Swallow, Robin, Dunnock, Blackcap, Goldcrest, Redwing, Siskin, Brambling & 8 Chaffinch.

12th April 2024 Unst SW7 Overcast clearing

Millfield: Great Northern Diver, 3 Long-tailed Duck, Swallow, Pied Wagtail, Chiffchaff, Chaffinch & Tree Sparrow.

Baltasound: Pink-footed Goose, Swallow & Sand Martin.

Tree Sparrow in our garden

11th April 2024 Unst WSW7 Overcast

Millfield: 2 Barnacle Geese, Swallow & Dunnock.

10th April 2024 Unst W5 Partly overcast

 Millfield: Swallow, Dunnock, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, 4 Chaffinch, 2 Brambling & Goldfinch.

9th April 2024 Unst WSW1 Clear

With the first calm conditions from dawn and a forecast of four hours of daylight before the onset of rain, I decided to complete my first Black Guillemot survey of the season necessitating at 5.00am start. Whilst walking the cliffs north of Skaw 2 Jackdaws flew ashore and headed straight inland. Nearer to the Holm of Skaw I encountered a pod of c.8 Risso's Dolphins that seemed very content milling around close inshore. Whilst watching them my first Bonxie of the year flew west. I then checked Norwick seeing my first Swallow and  Yellowhammer of the year. The promised rain arrived but on checking the Haroldswick pool rosa regosa on our way home from the shop it was playing host to my first Willow Warbler of the year.

Skaw: Great Skua, Pied Wagtail, Robin, 5 Icelandic Redwing, 2 Jackdaw & Chaffinch.

Norwick: Grey Heron, 2cy Glaucous Gull, Woodpigeon, Swallow, Dunnock, Robin, 2 Icelandic Redwing, 2 Goldcrest, 8 Siskin, 5 Chaffinch, Brambling & Yellowhammer

Haroldswick: Willow Warbler.

pre-sunrise at 5.15am

Black Guillemot off the North Cliffs

encouragingly numbers were slightly up compared to the first walk of this stretch of coastline last year

Risso's Dolphins west of the Holm of Skaw

Female Yellowhammer at Norwick

Male Pied Wagtail at Norwick

Willow Warbler at Haroldswick

8th April 2024 Unst SW7 Overcast

Skaw: Fieldfare, 3 Redwing & Chiffchaff.

Haroldswick: Wheatear.

7th April 2024 Unst SSW6 Clear

Norwick: Great Northern Diver, Grey Heron, Sparrowhawk, Great Tit, House Martin, male Blackcap, 3 Goldcrest, Song Thrush, 3 Redwing, Robin, Dunnock, 8 Chaffinch, 4 Brambling, Hawfinch, female Northern Bullfinch, 3 Goldfinch & 15 Siskin.

Goldfinch at Norwick

Siskin at Norwick

female Northern Bullfinch at Norwick

5th April 2024 Unst E5 Wintry showers

Despite the ongoing wintry weather the Heogs produced my first Wheatear of the year - a smart male - and a Carrion Crow.

1st April 2024 Unst NE4 scattered cloud

Nice weather for the start of this year's breeding bird survey over familiar ground. Plenty of breeding bird activity but a distinct paucity of migrants. A subsequent visit to Skaw produced my first White Wagtail and Rook of the year on Unst.

singing Shetland Wren performing its courtship display

female White Wagtail at Skaw

31st March 2024 Unst E1 Overcast

With perfect weather conditions I was given the go-ahead to commence a new survey effort a day early. As I was completing a long coastal transact, I was ever-hopeful of finding my first Shetland March Wheatear but it wasn't to be. However, it certainly felt Spring-like seeing plenty of cliff-nesting seabirds back on their ledges.

Guillemots appearing as precarious as ever on their chosen ledges! 

Kittiwakes noisily back on territory too.

these were to be recorded as 'a string of Razorbills', but they looked ok to me:-)