We tried sea-watching twice during the morning from Skaw which produced large numbers of Gannets, Bonxies and some Puffins but unfortunately no
Long-tailed Skuas. We then tried Skaw , Norwick
and Baltasound seeing a few common migrants with the surprises being a
Greenshank and 3 Tree Sparrows at the School. An evening walk to Norwick beach produced two Great Northern Divers sat offshore.
Great Northern Diver 2
Barnacle Goose 5
Teal 4
Mallard 2
Dunlin 5
Whimbrel 2
Greenshank 1
Puffin c.15
Wood Pigeon c.10
Collared Dove 2
Swallow c.10
House Martin 1
Chiffchaff 2
Blackcap 2
Whitethroat 1
Lesser Whitethroat 1
Redwing 1
Pied Flycatcher 2
Tree Sparrow 3
Pied Wagtail 1
Tree
Pipit 2
Chiffchaff at Halligarth (JFC)
Most Chiffchaffs encountered appeared rather interesting and appear to show characters published for P.c. abietimus that in comparison to collybita include paler and greyer upperparts with only a slight brown-green wash, rump and uppertail-coverts often conspicuously greenish, paler underparts with only a slight brown-grey wash on their flanks, breast with only a slight yellow wash, grey wash on crown and hind-neck, slightly more obvious supercilum and slightly paler yellow-green fringes to the secondaries, primaries and tail feathers.
Most Chiffchaffs encountered appeared rather interesting and appear to show characters published for P.c. abietimus that in comparison to collybita include paler and greyer upperparts with only a slight brown-green wash, rump and uppertail-coverts often conspicuously greenish, paler underparts with only a slight brown-grey wash on their flanks, breast with only a slight yellow wash, grey wash on crown and hind-neck, slightly more obvious supercilum and slightly paler yellow-green fringes to the secondaries, primaries and tail feathers.
Male Pied Flycatcher at Halligarth (lower two JFC)
Lesser Whitethroat in the Baltasound pines
Tree Sparrows at Baltasound School (JFC)
Greenshank at Baltasound School (JFC)
