9th April 2025 Unst N3 Overcast

Skaw: Pink-footed Goose, 3 Redwing & Chiffchaff.

Norwick: Barnacle Goose, Woodpigeon, 2 Collared Dove, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Goldcrest, 5 Brambling & 2 Chaffinch.

Pink-footed Goose at Skaw

Redwing at Skaw

Greylag Goose & Barnacle Goose at Norwick

8th April 2025 Whalsay SE1 Overcast

The drake Velvet Scoter was again with Eider at Symbister and there was a Chaffinch at Huxter.

Female Chaffinch at Huxter

7th April 2025 Unst SE3 Overcast

Skaw produced a Pink-footed Goose, my first Kestrel of the year and the Willow Warbler. Norwick added my first 3 Brambling of the year.

 

Pink-footed Goose being chased-off by a Greylag at Skaw

6th April 2025 Unst ESE2 partly overcast

Skaw produced my first Willow Warbler of the year and Norwick was playing host to 4 Woodpigeons, 2 Collared Doves, a Robin, a Chiffchaff and our first Linnet of the year.

Willow Warbler at Skaw

The earliest I've seen in Shetland with my previous earliest being on the 9th April.

Linnet at Norwick

Equalling my previous earliest date on Shetland.

5th April 2025 Unst ENE4 Overcast

A quick look at Haroldswick produced a Redwing.

Wheatear at Sound, Yell

Having literally only just arrived by a day or two this male is already singing.

4th April 2025 Unst NE4 Overcast

A quick look at Haroldswick beach produced a Pied Wagtail, 3 Wheatears and a Snow Bunting.

An Otter photographed through the windscreen

3rd April 2025 Unst NE2 Clear

I saw my first Wheatear of the year at Uyeasound beach.

2nd April 2025 Unst S5 Clear

A quick look at Norwick produced a Chiffchaff and saw me catch-up with the Great Tit seen yesterday by Phil. Ordaal added my first House Martin of the year and on my way home there were 2 House Martins and a Swallow hawking insects in Baltasound.

Great Tit at Norwick

House Martin at Ordaal

1st April 2025 Unst S3 Clear

A Goldcrest in our garden and an overflying alba Wagtail signalled a more promising day and a quick look around Norwick produced 12 Wood Pigeons, the White Wagtail, a Chiffchaff, another Goldcrest, a Fieldfare, a Redpoll, a Chaffinch and my first Hawfinch of the year. I was therefore reluctant to leave, but the 1st April marks the start of the bird breeding season and I had an induction booked at a construction site in respect of a new survey contract. Induction successfully completed, I commenced my first walkover. Around halfway around the site, along a sparsely-vegetated burn, I found my first sub-Saharan migrant of the year - a Great Reed Warbler!! Definitely a case of just what you least expect, just when you least expect it! The whole experience was only marred by it having chosen a place that has no public access, ensuring that I would remain the sole observer.

Male Hawfinch at Norwick

Great Reed Warbler

As far as I can see it's the second-earliest British record. My first rarity find of the year and only the second Great Reed Warbler that I've found since living on Shetland.

30th March 2025 Unst N5 Overcast clearing

The day brightened and the northerly wind dropped in strength at around lunchtime so we completed the monthly beached bird survey. Our highlights were our first Pied Wagtail of the year and a couple of smart nominate nivalis Snow Buntings on Haroldswick beach. Meanwhile, Matt & Anne had seen a White Wagtail at Norwick that we subsequently caught-up with whilst walking the beach there.

Snow Buntings of the nominate form nivalis at Haroldswick

Pied Wagtail at Haroldswick

White Wagtail at Norwick

29th March 2025 Lunna SW2 Partly overcast

I spent the morning working at Lunna where the White-billed Diver was still present and whilst distant, prolonged scope views in nice light revealed it is a 2cy.

2cy White-billed Diver off Outrabister, Lunna

The detail that can be captured in a cropped DSLR image from even a very distant (c.1.5km) subject never ceases to amaze me!

28th March 2025 Unst SW7 Overcast

A walk around Norwick produced 3 Chiffchaff (one in song), a Goldcrest and our first Redpoll of the year that appeared to be a straightforward male Lesser.

Male Lesser Redpoll at Norwick

23rd March 2025 Unst SSE5 Hazy

The ongoing south-easterlies finally produced a few hoped-for early-season Spring migrants that saw us see five species for the first time on Unst this year.

Holsens road: Woodpigeon, Black Redstart & Mistle Thrush,

Skaw: Stonechat, Robin, Chiffchaff, Goldcrest & Siskin.

Norwick: Woodpigeon, Black Redstart, Robin, Chiffchaff, Goldcrest & 3 Chaffinch. 

Uyeasound: c.400 Long-tailed Duck, second-cycle Kumlien's/Thayer's Gull.

Caldback: Meadow Pipit & Carrion Crow.

Black Redstart along Holsens road

The earliest date in the year that I've recorded the species on Unst beating my previous earliest date of 30th March.

Mistle Thrush along Holsens road

Seen during March in three previous Springs with the 17th March being the earliest date in a year.

Chiffchaff at Skaw

Seen during March in all but one year since living on Unst with the earliest date in a year being the 17th March.

Goldcrest at Skaw

Male Black Redstart at Norwick

Kumlien's/Thayer's Gull at Uyeasound

Meadow Pipit at Caldback

22nd March 2025 Unst SSE7 Hazy with rain arriving

Whilst it's obviously still very early Spring in Shetland, considering the south-easterly airflow, it was a disappointment that we failed to see anything more than the lingering Stonechat at Skaw and Woodpigeon at Norwick before the forecast rain duly arrived. During the wet and windy conditions thereafter, we did see 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls on Norwick beach.

Male Stonechat at Skaw

21st March 2025 Unst SSE5 Hazy

With something of a south-easterly airflow we checked a few sites that produced a male Stonechat at Skaw and a Woodpigeon & 5 Chaffinches at Norwick.

Harry Britton has kindly forwarded the ringing details of the colour-ringed Twite seen at Valyie on the 15th March. It was ringed on Bressay on the 9th December 2024.

20th March 2025 Unst SW4 Partly overcast

A day spent gardening but the first Sparrowhawk I've seen on Unst this year and the first 2 Chaffinches we've seen in our garden this year hinted at a few new arrivals.

18th March 2025 Unst SW2 Clear

A visit to Uyeasound produced 1,000 Long-tailed Duck with 550 present on Easter Loch. The second-cycle Kumlien's/Thayer's Gull was still present.

Second-cylcle Kumlien's/Thayer's Gull at Uyeasound

17th March 2025 Lunna, mainland Shetland SW3 Clear

Completing a Great Northern Diver survey from Lunna revealed a mark decline in the numbers present compared to my previous visit on the 13th, but rather ironically, produced my first White-billed Diver of the year.

15th March 2025 Unst W5 Overcast

Nicer weather than forecast, so we completed the Twite survey around Norwick that included a colour-ringed individual that has been seen by others over the last fortnight and a singing Goldcrest.

Singing male Goldcrest at Norwick

the earliest date in the year that I've seen the species on Unst.

Colour-ringed Twite at Norwick

The colour-combination appeared to be an orange ring above a pink ring on the left leg and a yellow/orange ring above a metal ring on its right leg. It was first seen by Frank Josephs on the 27th February.

14th March 2025 Yell N3 Overcast

I spent the day working on Yell where the highlight was seeing my first Stonechat of the year.

Female Stonechat at Burravoe

13th March 2025 mainland Shetland & Unst N1 Overcast

Further signs of Spring, with a day spent working on mainland and an evening look around Norwick producing our first encounters of the year for five species being Bar-tailed Godwit, Dunlin, Goldcrest, Chaffinch and Siskin. On our return to Unst, we took a look at Uyeasound where we were treated to another encounter with the Kumien's/Thayer's Gull in fading late afternoon light.

Second-cycle Kumlien's/Thayer's Gull at Uyeasound