31st October 2004 Kilrenny, Fife. Calm

MASKED SHRIKE 1 juv. ex. UK487

Masked Shrike at Kilrenny (Ray Wilson)

30th October 2004 Beachy 7.55am – 1.00pm

Little Egret 1
Merganser 7W
Marsh Harrier 1 out to sea from Birling
Peregrine 1
Golden Plover 3
Lapwing 3
Tawny Owl 2
Short-eared Owl 1
Woodpigeon 1,100
Skylark 7
Pied Wagtail 5
Black Redstart 3
Stonechat 4
Swallow 1
Redwing 3
Ring Ouzel 1
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1
Chiffchaff 2
Blackcap 1
Goldcrest 30
Firecrest 5
Linnet 10
Reed Bunting 3
Brambling 1

27th October 2004 Fair Isle SE3 overcast

Lapwing 4

Jack Snipe 2
Woodcock 1
Moorhen 1
Kittiwake 1
Short-eared Owl 1
Woodpigeon 2
Skylark 30
Fair Isle Wren 5
Robin 2
Whinchat 1
Black Redstart 1
Pallas’s Leaf Warbler 1 bright individual
Chiffchaff 7 including 2 tristis
Blackcap 5
‘Eastern’ Lesser Whitethroat 1
‘Northern’ Bullfinch 25
Reed Bunting 1

26th October 2004 Fair Isle Calm

Heron 2

Shag 50
Pink-footed Goose 2
Greylag Goose 75
Wigeon 10
Mallard 1
Merlin 2
Lapwing 4
Redshank 10
Curlew 2
Golden Plover 3
Jack Snipe 2
Moorhen 1
Black Guillemot 1
Woodpigeon 1
Rock Dove 15
Grey Wagtail 1
Meadow Pipit 20
Skylark 75

Waxwing 1

Fair Isle Wren 6

Dunnock 1

Bluethroat 1

Robin 10
Whinchat 1
Blackbird 75
Fieldfare 80
Redwing 60
Song Thrush 40
Chiffchaff 5 including 2 tristis
Blackcap 5

‘Eastern’ Lesser Whitethroat 1

Goldcrest 1
Raven 5

Great Grey Shrike

Chaffinch 1

Brambling 40

‘Northern’ Bullfinch 40

Yellowhammer 3

Snow Bunting 7

Reed Bunting 1

Little Bunting 1 ex. found near Pund

25th October 2004 Fair Isle Strong NNE 6 – 8

Heron 1

Fulmar 10
Shag 10
Greylag Goose 200
Pink-footed Goose 2
Barnacle Goose 5
Lapwing 15
Turnstone 10
Snipe 15
Woodcock 2
Moorhen 1
Black Guillemot 1
Herring Gull 250
Great Black-backed Gull 10
Rock Dove 30
Woodpigeon 1
Eastern Short-toed Lark 1
Skylark 100
Meadow Pipit 5
Waxwing 70
Fair Isle Wren 1

Bluethroat 1

Blackbird 150
Fieldfare 300
Redwing 250
Song Thrush 70
Mistle Thrush 1
Chiffchaff 5 including c.2 tristis
Blackcap 5
Starling 25
House Sparrow 30
Raven 1
Brambling 60
Chaffinch 3
Twite 12

Mealy Redpoll 1-2

‘Northern’ Bullfinch 30

Reed Bunting 1

24th October 2004 Fair Isle Calm becoming light NE in afternoon

Heron 1
Gannet 2
Fulmar 100
Shag 70
Greylag Goose 100
Pink-footed Goose 2
Teal 1
Wigeon 8
Lapwing 4
Redshank 1
Turnstone 5
Snipe 30
Woodcock 1
Moorhen 1
Rock Dove 15
‘Eastern’ Short-toed Lark 1 We found it whilst checking through the Skylarks in a field at Springfield. Streaked crown, pale supercilium, lack of trailing edge, small size, breast-side patches dark, long tertials cloaking primaries, plain breast. Call ‘trillit’. Overall very grayish. White outer tail feathers. Pale broad crescent below eye giving impression of broad eyering. Streaked mantle, scapulars hanging over coverts. Median and greater coverts fringed pale. Black centers to median coverts forming line across wing. Bill short and conical.
Skylark 150
Meadow Pipit 30
Waxwing 30
Fair Isle Wren 4
Robin 10
Whinchat 1
Blackbird 300
Fieldfare 300
Redwing 150
Song Thrush 70
Starling 30
Chiffchaff 7
Blackcap 5
‘Eastern’ Lesser Whitethroat 1
House Sparrow 30
Jackdaw 1
Hooded Crow 1
Raven 2
Chaffinch 4
Brambling 50
Twite 30
‘Northern’ Bullfinch 60
Yellowhammer 1
Snow Bunting 49
Lapland Bunting 1
Reed Bunting 1
Yellowhammer 1

23rd October 2004 Fair Isle West 1-2, cold, overcast

Heron 2
Cormorant 1
Shag 10
Greylag Goose 30
Teal 2
Wigeon 8
Long-tailed Duck 2
Eider 10
Merlin 1-2
Lapwing 17
Purple Sandpiper 2
Redshank 5
Snipe 12
Woodcock 1
Bonxie 1
Water Rail 1
Moorhen 1
Short-eared Owl 2
Rock Dove 12
Skylark 100
Meadow Pipit 50
Rock Pipit 1
Grey Wagtail 1
Waxwing 2
Fair Isle Wren 4
Robin 10
RUFOUS-TAILED ROBIN 1 Olive-brown upperparts contrasted with rufous tail and some rufous edges to the tertials and secondaries. Pale eye-ring. Breast white scallops on grey. Undertail coverts white. Pale pink legs. Pinkish base to bill. Flicked its tail and sometimes its wings. Brilliant! UK486
Whinchat 1
Blackbird 50
Fieldfare 100
Song Thrush 5
Redwing 100
Song Thrush 100
Starling 30
Chiffchaff 5 (including 2 tristis)
Blackcap 6
Goldcrest 1
Hooded Crow 3
Raven 2
House Sparrow 30
Brambling 55
Greenfinch 2
Twite 40
‘Northern’ Bullfinch 20
Yellowhammer 2



 Rufous-tailed Robin on Fair Isle (Hugh Harrop)

22nd October 2004 Lerwick to Tingwall to Fair Isle

Lerwick to Tingwall Airport to 9.00am

Heron 1
Lapwing 3
Fieldfare 25
Redwing 3
Hooded Crow 4
Raven 5

Fair Isle 9.35am – 6.00pm. Calm and sunny.

No sign of Chestnut-eared Bunting

Heron 2

Greylag Goose c.200 mainly south
Pink-footed Goose 3
Barnacle Goose 8
Wigeon 11
Lapwing 11
Purple Sandpiper 1
Jack Snipe 2
Snipe 60
Woodcock 1
Black Guillemot 1 w/p
Moorhen 1
Water Rail 1
Owl sp. 2 (Long-eared or Short-eared) one seen briefly at dusk and another seen flying high south out to sea at dusk
Rock Dove 30
Skylark 12
Rock Pipit 5
Meadow Pipit 10
Fair Isle Wren 4
Dunnock 3
Robin 7
Bluethroat 1
Whinchat 1
Ring Ouzel 1
Blackbird c.1,000
Fieldfare 1,000
Song Thrush 1
Redwing c.600
Blackcap 4
‘Eastern’ Lesser Whitethroat 2
Chiffchaff 2
Starling 10
House Sparrow 15 including female with white in wings recalling Snowfinch!
Brambling 28
Greenfinch 2
Linnet 1
Mealy Redpoll 2
‘Northern’ Bullfinch 20 Very large with call reminiscent of Trumpeter Finch being far more nasal that the typical pure Bullfinch call.
Reed Bunting 1

21st October 2004 Drive from Dumfries to Cove and Aberdeen Rain with near gale force wind

Whooper Swan 6 flew south on leaving Aberdeen harbour

Pink-footed Goose 15
Eider 50
Woodcock 1 Girdle Ness
Guillemot 10 Girdle Ness
Skylark 10
Blackbird 25
Fieldfare 100
Redwing 10
Hume’s Yellow-browed Warbler 1 Cove. Dark bill and legs. Dark eye-stripe, pale cheeks and ear-coverts and whitish supercilium. Greyish crown and shawl. Weakly marked median covert bar being almost just a whitish mark. Greater covert bar white with black border at least as wide. White tips to tertials. Whitish underparts appeared sullied grey. Call a rapid high-pitched speeded-up ‘chew-it’.
Goldcrest 5

17th October 2004 Beachy 7.30 – 12.00 Drizzle NW1-2

Little Egret 2

Merlin 1
Swallow 15
House Martin 120
Pied Wagtail 8
Ring Ouzel h
Dartford Warbler 1 in gorse south of Belle Toute
Blackcap 5
Chiffchaff 10
Goldcrest 25
Firecrest 3
Reed Bunting 2

16th October 2004 Beachy Sunny and clam NW 1-2

Little Egret 3 Cow Gap beach

Sparrowhawk 3
Hobby 1 Cow Gap
Peregrine 1
Lanner/hybrid 1 over field opposite Belle Toute wood - female on size as very large. Upperwings bluish, long pale buff supercilium.
Golden Plover 1
Short-eared Owl 4 Cow Gap
Skylark 11
Swallow 13
House Martin 36
Meadow Pipit 10
Grey Wagtail 2
Pied Wagtail 10
Wheatear 1
Ring Ouzel 6
Blackbird 3
Song Thrush 5
Blackcap 1
Chiffchaff 7
Goldcrest 11
Long-tailed Tit 10
Raven 2
Goldfinch 30
Siskin h
Redpoll 1
Clouded Yellow 2

9th October 2004 Beachy 7.00am – 12.00pm

Brent Goose 1

Marsh Harrier 1
Merlin 1
Skylark 5
Swallow 50
Pied Wagtail 25
Blackcap 2
Chiffchaff 3
Goldcrest 7
Brambling 2
Goldfinch 200
Siskin 1
Reed Bunting 1

3rd October 2004 Beachy 7.00am – 12.00pm. Calm for first 90 minutes then strengthening SW wind and heavy showers

Gannet c.10W

Grey Heron 1
Kestrel 1
Kittiwake 2
Skylark c.6
Swallow c.5
Alba Wagtail 10
Yellow Wagtail h
Blackcap 3
Whitethroat 1
Chiffchaff 10
Goldcrest 6
Raven 1
Goldfinch c.20
Reed Bunting 1

2nd October 2004 Minsmere 7.00am – 3.00pm. Sunny with W3

Greylag Goose c.100

Canada Goose c.100 including a brown-breasted bird indicative of a Barnacle hybrid
Barnacle Goose c.100
Red-breasted Goose 1 adult with feral Barnacle and Canada Geese
Shoveler c.5
Wigeon c.5
Teal c.50
Marsh Harrier 1 prob 2yr male
Kestrel 1 Burgess Hill
Avocet c.5
Golden Plover 1
Dunlin c.12
Curlew Sandpiper 1 juv. buff wash across breast, scaly upperparts, long decurved tapering bill
Little Stint 1 a cold white individual somewhat recalling a Semi-p
Spotted Redshank c.5
Black-tailed Godwit c.8
Bar-tailed Godwit 1
Curlew c.10
Curlew 1 1st-w male Smaller and paler than accompanying Curlews. Bill short and tapering to a fine-point had fleshy-pink basal third to lower mandible. Pale supercilium set-off against dark loral stripe. Neck and upper breast had buff suffusion but more restricted than accompanying Curlews. On flanks had irregular black spots that sometimes formed two neat rows on white background. Legs bluish-grey but shorter than Curlew. Basal colour of tail white with many narrow black bars traversing it. White underwings. Upperside of outer primaries black with white shaft streaks tio outermost primaries. Lack of contrast between inner-wing coverts and secondaries. White rump extending a fair way up back.
Snipe c.5
Baird’s Sandpiper 1 juv. A small elongated Wader with scaly scalloped upperparts. Short slightly decurved black bill. Dark crown with whitish loral spot and a buffy narrow pale supercilium. Breast buff with diffuse streaking forming a pectoral band. Upperparts scaly due to broad whitish fringes to feathers with dark centers especially to scapulars. Long tertials and long primaries projecting. Black legs.
Reed Warbler 1
Yellow-browed Warbler 1 very bright individual with snowy white tips to primaries and tertials.
Bearded Tit c.10