15th October 2018 Unst SW3 Clear

After a very clear and virtually calm night it was a considerable surprise that so many migrants had remained on the island. Early morning at Valyie produced 3 Robin, my first Dunnock of the Autumn, the Great Grey Shrike that had been found yesterday morning, 50 Redwing, 20 Blackbirds, 3 Chiffchaffs, 2 Blackcaps, 2 Goldcrests and 50 Brambling. Skaw was also productive with my first Woodcock of the Autumn, 3 Robin, 200 Redwing, a Blackcap, a Chiffchaff, a Yellow-browed Warbler and a Goldcrest. A trip to the shop in Baltasound ensured we checked a few sites there but it seemed generally quiet apart from several fields full of Golden Plover, Redwings and a single Goldcrest at Clingera and 5 Common Crossbills at Setters Hill.

Sunrise at Norwick

First-winter Great Grey Shrike at Valyie

Silver Y moth at Valyie

House Sparrows at Skaw

I infrequently see House Sparrows at Skaw and never a flock this size. They flew off high to the northeast(!) but were seen to return a few minutes later.

Common Crossbills at Setters Hill

14th October 2018 Unst NW2 Overcast

Nice to be out all day today in pleasant weather and plenty of migrants on the island. Plenty of Redwings, Fieldfares and Blackbirds and a couple each of Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs and Goldcrests at Skaw. NorthDale provided my 'bird of the day' as a Siberian Chiffchaff was showing nicely and calling (most that I've seen since living on Shetland have been silent). Haroldswick added a Pink-footed Goose, my first Water Rail of the Autumn, a smart Greenland Wheatear and my only Yellow-browed Warbler of the day. The Barred Warbler was still at Norwick and a Whinchat showed nicely in the warm evening sunshine.

Redwings over Skaw

Goldcrest at NorthDale

Siberian Chiffchaff at NorthDale

Water Rail at Haroldswick

Male Greenland Wheatear at Haroldswick

Whinchat at Norwick

Wheatear at Norwick

13th October 2018 Unst SW5 Overcast

From the outset a good arrival of Thrushes and Finches was obvious with 3 Song Thrushes, c.500 Redwing, c.50 Fieldfare, c.50 Blackbirds and c.100 Brambling and c.30 Chaffinches seen throughout the day. A Peregrine flew over Valyie and yesterday's first-winter Ficedula was still present as were 5 Blackcaps, 4 Chiffchaffs and 4 Goldcrests. A female Hawfinch appeared in our garden late morning. We enjoyed a coffee with Wilma seeing a Barred Warbler, a Chiffchaff and a Goldcrest in the process. An evening visit to Skaw produced a Mistle Thrush.

Raven & Peregrine over Valyie

Brambling at Valyie

Fieldfares over Valyie

First-winter male Ficedula sp. at Leawart

Brian, Geoff & Martin found this bird yesterday and immediately flagged-up its extensive white primary patch when drawing other observers' attention to it. Being viewed in the strong wind it was difficult to see much critical detail and the light was so poor it was impossible to obtain any useful images. It was performing much better today in the increasingly calm conditions. The tertial pattern and moult contrast in its greater coverts would appear to age it as a first-winter, and its inky-black longest uppertail-coverts sex it as a male. The identification of some first-winter Ficedula is incredibly difficult (impossible in the field?) compounded by the hybridization of  Collared and Pied Flycatchers producing birds with intermediate appearance and further hindering the understanding of the complete variation of pure bred birds. Whilst the white primary patch protruding beyond its primary coverts (see Shirihai & Svensson 2018), almost ghosted collar (even the suggestion of concealed white feather centers in its nape) and the white on its outer tail feathers reaching the tips could be construed as pro-Collared features, but being a male, it might then be expected that its primary patch extends onto its outer primaries and I didn't get the impression of it showing much white in the tail. However, intriguingly, whilst it twice failed to show any response to two playbacks of the song of Pied Flycatcher, it twice responded vigorously to the playback of the song of Collared Flycatcher - on the second occasion immediately flying in from c.50m. Whilst I've personally no firm feelings as to its identity, I will find it one of the most thought-provoking birds of the Autumn.

More on the identification of Ficedula here from which I've copied the image below of a Collared Flycatcher trapped at Spurn 30th August 2010:

and here from which I've copied the image below:

Collared Flycatcher (left) and Pied Flycatcher (right) at Ottenby

Female Hawfinch at Norwick

Dunlin at Norwick

Barred Warbler at Norwick

Mistle Thrush at Skaw

12th October 2018 Unst SE6 Misty

The strong wind increased earlier than forecast making birding difficult pretty much from first light but it was evident that a good few Redwings and Brambings had arrived overnight. Valyie had produced a Robin and a Goldcrest and a Pied Flycatcher and Robin was nearby at Leawart. Our garden held another Robin and 4 Brambling and 2 Chaffinches. Haroldswick added more Redwings and Bramblings but little else was evident albeit Ungrista plantation was playing host to a Song Thrush. During a late visit to the headland at Skaw there were 4 Barnacle Geese present although it proved difficult to walk into the wind! A tired Brambling was seen to be quickly taken by a feral Cat and on the drive home we saw several tired Chaffinches feeding along the roads.

Brambling at Haroldswick

11th October 2018 Unst SE4 Misty

An early start as the weather felt ideal to produce a few migrants and the first bird I saw was a newly-arrived Robin at Leawart. But then, disappointment, as a check of Valyie produced just a couple of Redwing, a Chiffchaff, a few Brambling and the Chaffinch. The wind had increased making birding difficult and Haroldswick failed to produce a migrant as did Hagdale. I returned home and was soon watching a Goldcredt and 3 Brambling in our garden. A look at Norwick added a Barred Warbler and another Goldcrest and an afternoon return to Valyie added a Yellow-browed Warbler and c.4 Goldcrests. There was just time to visit Skaw that held a Black Redstart, a Blackcap and a Chiffchaff.

Goldcrest at Norwick beach

10th October 2018 Unst S3 Drizzle clearing

A switch to a more southerly airflow but my early morning circuit produced the same suite of migrants with just 5 Redwing and a Blackcap seen at Skaw and then 2 Redwing, a Black Redstart, the Yellow-browed Warbler, 3 Brambling and a Chaffinch at Leawart and a Chiffchaff at Valyie. I decided to walk the geos at Lamba Ness that produced a single Chiffchaff and a single Eastern Lesser Whitethroat. We then saw the Eastern Lesser Whitethroat at Haroldswick but a check of a couple of sites at Baltasound drew a blank.

Bramblings and Chaffinch at Norwick

Black Redstart at Norwick

Chiffchaff at Lamba Ness

Rock Pipit at Lamba Ness

Whilst littoralis typically undergoes a post-breeding moult in Aug/Sept rendering them unidentifiable from petrosus, with this individual showing several traits (grey crown, pale supercilium & pinkish-tinged throat) of the subspecies, I'd be surprised if it wasn't one.

Al returning from Foula?

9th October 2018 Unst S2 Overcast

Whilst it was drizzling early morning and we saw very few migrants all day it was nice to spend the day birding in virtually calm conditions. Valyie produced a Redwing, a Blackcap, a Yellow-browed Warbler, a Chiffchaff, 4 Brambling and a Chaffinch. All I could find at Skaw were a couple of Fieldfare and Lamba Ness failed to add to the tally! Haroldswick arguably produced our bird of the day being another 'Eastern' Lesser Whitethroat and Burrafirth added a Long-tailed Duck on Loch of Cliff and another 2 Redwings. Clingera was playing host to a single Yellow-browed Warbler.

Eastern Lesser Whitethroat at Haroldswick

Sunset over Housi Field, Unst