Birding North Unst: August 2024

Saturday 31 August 2024

31st August 2024 Unst S2 Broken cloud

Skaw: Peregrine, Whinchat & Garden Warbler.

Norwick: 3 Garden Warblers, Lesser Whitethroat, Greenish Warbler & Pied Flycatcher.

Whinchat at Skaw

Peregrine over Skaw

an intriguingly rufous individual

Friday 30 August 2024

30th August 2024 Unst

A thin scatter of migrants including a Common Rosefinch felt promising. Whilst it feels like I've known Tom Gale for years, I finally met him for the first time only last week. Whilst on Unst, Tom's been extremely busy completing the fieldwork for his PhD, so today was the first chance to spend some time birding together... and what better way to start... on walking together less than 300m into Valyie, Tom picked out and identified a Greenish Warbler! I returned late afternoon to spend some more time watching it during which time it was nice to hear it call - if just the once!

Skaw: Whinchat, Garden Warbler & Common Rosefinch.

Norwick: Fieldfare, Reed Warbler, Barred Warbler, Garden Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Greenish Warbler & Pied Flycatcher.

Haroldswick: Grey Heron.

Burrafirth: Blackcap & 3 Willow Warbler.

Common Rosefinch along Holsens road

Garden Warbler at Skaw

Reed Warbler at Norwick

Greenish Warbler at Valyie

Wednesday 28 August 2024

28th August 2024 Unst S3 Clear

Norwick: Pied Flycatcher.

Burrafirth: Sand Martin & Willow Warbler.

Pied Flycatcher at Norwick

27th August 2024 Unst SSE5 Rain

Norwick: Sand Martin.

Baltasound: 6 Black-tailed Godwit.

Uyeasound: Ruff.

26th August 2024 Unst WSW4 Overcast

Norwick: Hawfinch.

Saturday 24 August 2024

24th August 2024 Unst SW4 Clear

A slightly unseasonable Hawfinch was the highlight of the day.

Skaw: Sand Martin.

Norwick: 2 Knot & Hawfinch.

1cy Sand Martin at Skaw

Friday 23 August 2024

23rd August 2024 Unst SW2 Overcast

Skaw: Sand Martin.

Norwick: 4 Knot & Lesser Whitethroat.

Thursday 22 August 2024

22nd August 2024 Unst SW Light rain clearing

After a look around Norwick we headed for the south of the island where there was no sign of the Ring-necked Duck today but an assortment of waders.

Norwick: 2 Knot, Lesser Whitethroat & Garden Warbler (recording here).

Baltasound: 21 Black-tailed Godwit & 5 Knot.

Uyeasound: 6 Black-tailed Godwit & 4 Ruff.

1cy Black-tailed Godwit at Uyeasound

Wednesday 21 August 2024

21st August 2024 Unst SW3 Overcast

With ongoing westerlies passerine migrants have been extremely thin on the ground and it was therefore almost a surprise to see a Lesser Whitethroat and a Garden Warbler at Norwick this morning! Peter Hunter then kindly put out the news of a pod of large Dolphins approaching Uyeasound that was quickly relayed by Brydon. Sam & Tom quickly identified them as Bottle-nosed Dolphins being only the second documented record for Shetland after Adrian & Tracey Kettle saw Shetland's first on the 21/12/22. Whilst watching them from Uyeasound harbour alongside Mike & Margaret, Steven Spence very kindly offered us a trip out in his boat to obtain closer views. On our way home we stopped at Dam Loch where we were surprised to see the drake Ring-necked Duck was back in residence having spent a few days on the same loch in early June.

Bottle-nosed Dolphins off Uyeasound

Eclipse drake Ring-necked Duck on Dam Loch

Wednesday 14 August 2024

14th August 2024 Unst WSW Overcast clearing

Skaw: Reed Warbler & Willow Warbler.

Norwick: Long-eared Owl, Garden Warbler & Marsh Warbler.

Burrafirth: Garden Warbler.

Reed Warbler at Skaw

Marsh Warbler at Norwick

An overall sandy-coloured Acro with a long primary projection being equivalent the length of the exposed tertials. Dark-centred tertials with contrastingly broad pale fringes and tip of the longest tertial just exceeding the tips of the secondaries. Blackish primaries with conspicuous white fringes and tips. Rump/utc's lacking warmth being concolorous with mantle colour. Short but thick and broad-based bill. More here.