21st October 2026 Unst SE5 Showers

Norwick: 3 Woodcock, 20 Snipe, 2 Robin, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, 4 Goldcrest, 3 Fieldfare, c.30 Redwing, c.40 Brambling & Mealy Redpoll.

Skaw: 2 Barnacle Geese, Chiffchaff, 6 Redwing & 6 Mealy Redpoll.

Haroldswick: Blackcap & 2 Chaffinch.

Burrafirth: Peregrine, Jack Snipe, Brambling & 30 Mealy Redpoll.

Mealy Redpolls at Skaw

20th October 2026 Unst SE5 Overcast

Norwick: Kestrel, 2 Sanderling, Robin, Chiffchaff, 2 Goldcrest, Fieldfare, 3 Redwing. c.20 Brambling, c.6 Chaffinch, 3 Mealy Redpoll, Common Rosefinch & Tree Sparrow.

1cy Common Rosefinch at Norwick

Based on our flight views and its call as it flew from the crop everything seemd fine for Common Rosefinch. But on landing in a sycamore and turning side-on, its heavily-streaked underparts brought thoughts of how to exclude the remote possibility of it being a House Finch! However, its bill structure and primary projection quickly dispel any such thoughts. Close examination of the above images reveal a deep scarlet tinge to the bases of some of its outer tail feathers, so presumably it's a male. Interestingly, this link draws attention to Birds of South Asia The Ripley Guide (2005) by Pamela C. Rasmussen and John Anderton portraying 1cy individuals of the eastern roseatus group of subspecies having more heavily and coarsely streaked underparts than the erythrinus group. Furthermore, it states that in The Birds of the Palearctic fauna (Vaurie 1959), females of the north-east Siberian C.e. grebnitskii are said to be 'darker, greyer and browner, and more heavily streaked'.

19th October 2026 Unst S5 Clear

Norwick: Sparrowhawk, Robin, Blackcap, 2 Chiffchaff, 14 Fieldfare, 2 Song Thrush, 17 Redwing, Chaffinch, 12 Brambling, Siskin & Snow Bunting.

Skaw: Kestrel, 4 Long-tailed Duck, Blackcap, Song Thrush, Chaffinch & 'Northwestern' Redpoll.

Baltasound: Red-flanked Bluetail & 1cy Chestnut Bunting.

Snow Bunting at Norwick

'Northwestern' Redpoll at Skaw

1cy Chestnut Bunting at Baltasound

Red-flanked Bluetail at Baltasound

18th October 2026 Unst SW3 Clear

A very quiet day saved by Brydon at the eleventh hour!

Norwick: 2 Sanderling, 2 Blackcap, Chiffchaff, 8 Redwing, Song Thrush & 6 Brambling.

Skaw: Long-tailed Duck, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Redwing & Chaffinch.

Burrafirth: 2 Chiffchaff.

Haroldswick: Grey Heron. 2 Redwing & 25 Chaffinch.

Baltasound: 1cy Chestnut Bunting.

1cy Chestnut Bunting at Baltasound

17th October 2026 Unst WNW4 Showers

Norwick: 10 Snipe, Sanderling, 2 Robin, 4 Blackcap, 4 Chiffchaff, Siberian Chiffchaff (calling), 9 Redwing, Song Thrush, 25 Brambling, 2 Chaffinch & Tree Sparrow.

Baltasound: Red-flanked Bluetail, Chiffchaff & Siskin.

Uyeasound: Barnacle Goose, 2 Scaup & Bluethroat.

Lund: 2 Long-tailed Duck.

Siberian Chiffchaff at Norwick

Red-flanked Bluetail at Halligarth

Male Merlin at Westing

16th October 2026 Unst WNW3 Clear

Norwick: 4 Snipe, 4 Robin, 5 Blackcap, 3 Chiffchaff, Song Thrush, 35 Brambling, 2 Chaffinch, Siskin & Tree Sparrow.

Skaw: Chiffchaff, 3 Song Thrush, Redwing & Brambling.

Haroldswick: Great Northern Diver, Jack Snipe, 10 Redwing & 6 Chaffinch.

Otter

15th October 2026 Unst SW5 Showers

Norwick: Robin, Stonechat, Chiffchaff, Pied Flycatcher, Song Thrush, Redwing, 5 Brambling & 8 Chaffinch.

Skaw: Oystercatcher, Sanderling, Song Thrush, Redwing & Brambling.

Burrafirth: 2 Long-tailed Duck, ringtail Harrier sp. & Sanderling.

14th October 2026 Unst S3 Partly overcast

It soon became another very windy day. It was good the Isabelline Wheatear was still present at Skaw looking super-distinctive in the overcast conditions.

Norwick: Blackcap, Pied Flycatcher, Song Thrush, Chaffinch & Tree Sparrow.

Skaw: Oystercatcher, Sanderling, Isabelline Wheatear, Chiffchaff, 5 Redwings, Song Thrush.

NorthDale: Fieldfare & 6 Redwings.

Isabelline Wheatear at Skaw

13th October 2026 Unst S6 Rain clearing

A wet and windy day with a large influx of argentatus Herring Gulls. It then came as a surprise to find an Isabelline Wheatear at Skaw! We also caught-up with seeing a Red-flanked Bluetail that had been found yesterday.

Norwick: 2 Pied Wagtail, Robin, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Pied Flycatcher, Song Thrush, 30 Redwing, 5 Brambling & 2 Chaffinch.

Skaw: 2 Oystercatcher, Jack Snipe, Isabelline Wheatear, Blackcap, Mistle Thrush, Redwing & Brambling.

Burrafirth: Red-flanked Bluetail.

Isabelline Wheatear at Skaw

Mike Pennington kindly let us know it is the eighth record for Shetland. Previous records are 2 on Fair Isle, 2 in south mainland and singles on Whalsay, Fetlar and Out Skerries.

Red-flanked Bluetail at the Shore Station

Pied Flycatcher at Norwick

12th October 2026 Unst & mainland Shetland SSE2 Clear

After a quick look around Norwick we headed to a dental appointment in Lerwick that very conveniently allowed a brief visit to Easter Quarff to enjoy close views of the Grey-cheeked Thrush - the first that I've seen in the UK since one on Scilly in October 1983!

Norwick: Jack Snipe, Stonechat, Blackcap, 3 Song Thrush, 5 Redwing, 25 Brambling & 2 Chaffinch.

Easter Quarff: Grey-cheeked Thrush.

Easter Loch: c.8 Goldeneye, Scaup & c.20 Tufted Duck.

Grey-cheeked Thrush at Easter Quarff

11th October 2026 Unst N2 Clear

Norwick: Pink-footed Goose, 2 Merlin, Swallow, Wheatear, 2 Robin, 4 Blackcap, Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Chiffchaff, Yellow-browed Warbler, 1cy Great Grey Shrike, Song Thrush, 15 Brambling, Chaffinch & Tree Sparrow.

1cy Great Grey Shrike at Norwick

Our first brief view was our best when its pale lores, extensively pink-based bill extending onto its upper mandible and extent of its white primary patch made it appear rather intriguing. We then spent much of the day attemtpting to improve upon our views and photographs but unfortunately without success. Lefranc & Worfolk (2022) illustrate the variation that can be shown by first-winter excubitor (Plates 15 & 19) and Stephen Menzie documented a first-winter female that was genetically an excubitor that showed similar lores and bill-pattern in Dutch Birding 44: 359-363.