We caught the pre-dawn ferry off Unst at 6.30am connecting with the 7.15am ferry off Yell. As we approached Lerwick we received the news that we wanted to hear that Britain's first Siberian Accentor was still present in a small quarry on Mossy Hill. Felt incredibly tense as we then raced south but were greeted by a line of birders watching the Accentor that was seen immediately. Watched it pretty much non-stop for a couple of hours being difficult to take one's eyes off such a brilliant bird. We then took a break seeing a Buff-breasted Sandpiper accompanying a Ruff at Boddam but little in evidence at Sumburgh so we headed back to the quarry for more views of the Accentor now performing in the sun. It had moved to a second quarry and we watched it move back and forth between the two several times. Good to see George Kinnard had made it up from Sussex overnight and he'd probably even managed to get there just before us!
Buff-breasted Sandpiper 1
Ruff 1
SIBERIAN ACCENTOR 1 BOURC/IRBC 533
Siberian Accentor at Mossy Hill Quarry
Backdrop looking towards Geosetter
Foula in the distance
Backdrop looking towards Geosetter
