31st August 2026 Unst SE3 Clear

A few lingering migrants were still present at sites that we visited in north Unst but the highlight of the day was Mike kindly showing us a Great Brocade that he'd trapped overnight in Baltasound.

Skaw: Black-tailed Godwit, 28 juvenile Sanderling, Lesser Whitethroat & 2 Willow Warbler.

Norwick: juvenile Merlin, 8 Snipe, 8 juvenile Sanderling, 5 Swallow,  4 Pied Wagtail, White Wagtail, Lesser Whitethroat, 3 Willow Warbler & 1cy Pied Flycatcher.

Haroldswick: Pied Flycatcher.

Baltasound: Chiffchaff.

Juvenile Black-tailed Godwit at Skaw

Great Brocade

30th August 2026 Unst NE3 Overcast

A cooler morning feeling distinctly autumnal.

Skaw: Garden Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Chiffchaff & Willow Warbler.

Norwick: 4 Knot, 11 Sanderling (10 juv. & 1 ad), 6 Swallows, 6 Pied Wagtails, 1cy Stonechat, 2 Pied Flycatchers, Garden Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Chiffchaff & 8 Willow Warblers.

NorthDale: Garden Warbler & 2 Willow Warblers.

Burrafirth: 3 Snipe, Knot, Garden Warbler, Chiffchaff & 2 Willow Warblers.

Haroldswick: Whinchat & Pied Flycatcher.

Pied Flycatcher and Willow Warbler at Norwick

1cy Pied Flycatcher at Norwick

Pied Flycatcher at Haroldswick

Whinchat at Haroldswick

29th August 2026 Unst N4 Overcast

After a few days of promising easterlies there was switch to a northerly airflow. On climbing the hill to Valyie I heard a Hooded Crow alarming from behind me, so I spun around to take a look just in case it was in pursuit of a Pallid Harrier... and it was!! A superb, tiny, juvenile male.

Norwick: 4 Knot, 10 juvenile Sanderling, juvenile male Pallid Harrier, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Pied Flycatcher, Blackcap & 7 Willow Warblers.

Skaw: Snipe, 2 Garden Warblers & 2 Willow Warblers.

1cy male Pallid Harrier at Norwick

Mike P has kindly informed me that it is the seventh Pallid Harrier for Unst with 2 recorded in 2003, 1 in 2011, 2 together in 2015 and 1 in 2025.

28th August 2026 Unst SE1 Clear

Skaw: Merlin, Garden Warbler, Chiffchaff & 2 Willow Warbler.

Norwick: Kestrel, Knot, 6 Swallows, Garden Warbler, 8 Willow Warblers & Siskin.

NorthDale: Garden Warbler & 2 Willow Warblers.

Mike ran a moth trap in our garden overnight and a few migrants were caught being a Dark Spectacle (Mike trapped another in Baltasound overnight being the first records for Unst), a worn Small Mottled Willow, a Turnip Moth (both second records for Unst), a The Crescent, a Bright-line Brown-Eye and 30 Setaceous Hebrew Character.

Dark Spectacle at Norwick

27th August 2026 Unst SE3 Partly overcast

Skaw: 3 Garden Warblers, Chiffchaff & Willow Warbler.

Norwick: 3 Snipe, 3 Knot, 2 juvenile Sanderling, Great Spotted Woodpecker, 6 Swallows, 8 Pied Wagtails, Barred Warbler, 3 Garden Warbler, 3 Chiffchaff, 8 Willow Warbler, adult Pied Flycatcher & 6 Siskin.

Burrafirth: 2 Willow Warblers.

Adult Pied Flycatcher at Norwick

26th August 2026 Unst SE1 Overcast clearing

Skaw: Merlin, 2 Snipe, 3 Ruff, 12 juvenile Sanderling, 6 Swallows, Pied Wagtail, Barred Warbler, Garden Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat & 3 Willow Warblers

Norwick: 2 Knot, 2 juvenile Sanderling, juvenile Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Barred Warbler & 4 Willow Warblers.

Juvenile Great Spotted Woodpecker at Norwick

of the Continental nominate form major

25th August 2026 Unst SE1 Clear

A thin scatter of migrants today with the highlight being two Barred Warblers present together in our garden, one of which was watched bathing in the dew on our lawn. 

Skaw: 3 Teal, 2 Snipe, 2 juvenile Sanderling, 7 Swallows, 3 Pied Wagtails, Barred Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat & Willow Warbler.

Norwick: Snipe, 5 Knot, 2 juvenile Sanderling, 5 Pied Wagtails, 2 Barred Warblers, Garden Warbler & 4 Willow Warblers.

Burrafirth: 2 Snipe, 5 Willow Warbler & Chiffchaff.

Haroldswick: Merlin, 2 Quail flushed, 9 Ruff, Knot & 3 Willow Warblers.

1cy Barred Warbler at Skaw

First seen by James on the 23rd the current individual is rather dishevelled in comparison to the one present on the 16th & 17th.

One of the two 1cy Barred Warblers present together in our garden today

Garden Warbler at Norwick

24th August 2026 Unst SW1 Overcast

We spent most of the day off island but on our return saw the Barred Warbler at Skaw and one in our garden.

Skaw: 6 Swallow & Barred Warbler.

Norwick: Barred Warbler.

1cy Barred Warbler in our garden

20th August 2026 Unst N4 Drizzle & Showers

Skaw: 2 Swallows, Snipe, Bar-tailed Godwit & Willow Warbler.

Norwick: Merlin, 2 Knot, Willow Warbler, Spotted Flycatcher & Common Rosefinch.

Northdale: Willow Warbler.

Burrafirth: 2 Chiffchaff & 4 Willow Warblers.

Haroldswick: Willow Warbler.

Spotted Flycatcher at Norwick

19th August 2026 Unst NE5 Showers

Unfortunately there was no competing with Fair Isle and south mainland Shetland today!

Skaw: 2 Swallows, White Wagtail & Chiffchaff.

Norwick: Chiffchaff.

18th August 2026 Unst NE4 Overcast

Skaw: 3 Snipe, 5 Sanderling (3 juveniles), 2 Swallows, juvenile Stonechat & Chiffchaff.

Norwick: 2 Snipe, Black-tailed Godwit, Chiffchaff & 2 Willow Warblers.

17th August 2026 Unst W2 Overcast, drizzle

Skaw: 4 Snipe, 3 juvenile Sanderling, Swallow, Barred Warbler & Willow Warbler.

Norwick: Merlin, Snipe, juvenile Stonechat, 2 Chiffchaff & Willow Warbler.

Swallow at Skaw

Juvenile Stonechat at Norwick

16th August 2026 Unst Calm Overcast

We were hopeful that a few migrants might arrive as the westerly wind slackened to calm overnight but during an early morning circuit of Norwick they remained decidedly thin on the ground. Subsequently finding a showy Barred Warbler at Skaw therefore nicely exceeded our expectations! I spent the afternoon birding with James W our highlight being catching-up with a leucistic Northern Wheatear that has been present at Lund for at least a couple of weeks.

Norwick: 2 Common Snipe & 1 Chiffchaff.

Skaw: 2 Common Snipe, 1cy Barred Warbler & 2 Willow Warblers.

Haroldswick: Willow Warbler.

Lund: leucistic Northern Wheatear.

Baltasound: Siskin.

1cy Barred Warbler at Skaw

Video here

leucistic Northern Wheatear at Lund

Video here

14th August 2026 Unst W3 Rain clearing

A walk around Norwick produced our first 2 Willow Warblers of the autumn.

Norwick: Merlin, juvenile Wood Pigeon, Chiffchaff, 2 Willow Warblers & Tree Sparrow.

First-winter Willow Warbler at Norwick

Snout at Norwick

Unknown to Unst 5+ years ago but now regular. A recent colonist of Shetland.

13th August 2026 Unst S1 Overcast

Skaw: 4 Sanderling (2 juveniles), 5 Swallows & juvenile Stonechat.

Norwick: 2 Siskin.

12th August 2026 Unst S3 Partly overcast

Skaw: 6 Sanderling (4 juveniles), 2 Swallows & juvenile Stonechat.

Norwick: Chiffchaff.

Juvenile Stonechat at Skaw

Adult and recently fledged juvenile Red-throated Divers on the sea off Norwick

10th August 2026 Unst NW5 Partly overcast

Norwick: 3 Snipe, adult Sanderling & juvenile Collared Dove.

9th August 2026 Unst SW5 Squally showers

We were pleased to find Shetland's earliest ever autumn Woodchat Shrike whilst walking around Norwick this morning. The only other August record for Shetland away from Fair Isle - also a juvenile - was found by my parents on Out Skerries in 1997. With thanks to Mike P for a summary of the previous records.

Norwick: 3 Merlin, juvenile Woodchat Shrike, Chiffchaff & Tree Sparrow.

Juvenile Woodchat Shrike at Norwick (video here)

The second that I've been fortunate to find on Unst.

5th August 2026 Unst NE6 Overcast

Skaw: 2 Swallows & Garden Warbler.

4th August 2026 c.50km NW of Fethaland E3 freshening to ENE5 Light rain

An enjoyable day spent at sea c.50km northwest of Fethaland courtesy of Will Miles with plenty of Storm Petrels on the wing. My personal highlights were seeing 2 Wilson's Storm Petrels making several passes of the boat, a somewhat distant Leach's Storm Petrel, c.300 European Storm Petrels and a 'blue' Fulmar.

European Storm Petrels off Fethaland

Wilson's Storm Petrel off Fethaland

Leach's Storm Petrel off Fethaland (Andrew Russell)

Andrew did extremely well to obtain these images as the Petrel was at a considerable distance in choppy seas!