30th June 2018 Unst NE1 Clear

A good look around Norwick revealed the continued presence of the male Black-headed Bunting but otherwise just a single Sanderling and a single Chiffchaff were seen.

Male Black-headed Bunting at Norwick

Silver-Y Moth on Burrafirth beach

Easting beach, Unst

As close as we got to finding a Pied Crow!

29th June 2018 Unst NE1-2

Adult Kittiwake off Clibberswick

A nice calm day for a boat trip around Lamba Ness

28th June 2018 Yell

A colour-ringed Herring Gull at Mid Yell appears to have been ringed by the North Thames Gull group.

Herring Gull N4TT at Mid Yell, Yell

Map-winged Swift along the Kame of Sandwick, Yell

26th June 2018 Unst

On our way home from Yell Brydon kindly sent a message to say that Harry Edwards had seen the Rosy Starling in his garden, that being enroute, proved too tempting to ignore.

Rosy Starling at Baltasound

22nd June 2018 Unst W4 Overcast with drizzle

The day started early as it was still light enough a few minutes after midnight for a Wheatear to be hopping around our garden! A Glaucous Gull overflew Norwick where a Sanderling and Siskin were both still present but there was no sign of the Black-headed Bunting today.

Glaucous Gull over Norwick

21st June 2018 Unst W5 Overcast with light rain

A quick look at Norwick before the wet and increasingly windy weather arrived produced a single Sanderling, a Siskin and the Black-headed Bunting.

Black-headed Bunting at Norwick

actually another photo from yesterday when the light was so much better!

20th June 2018 Unst W2 Clear

A good start to the day was provided by seeing a Killer Whale from our garden thanks to a tip off from Brydon that offshore fishermen had seen a couple heading in the direction of northeast Unst. Whilst I normally walk to Norwick and back as I was on my way to work we drove down to the bus shelter. We'd only walked c.50m when I heard an unfamiliar call and soon located a male Black-headed Bunting! Whilst it's the fourth I've now been fortunate enough to find in the UK it's the first 'Spring' male. On getting home at around 5pm I took a walk down to Norwick and was pleased to find it still present now feeding alongside a Siskin.

 Male Black-headed Bunting at Norwick

12th June 2018 Unst NW3 Overcast

George Rogers had seen a Rosy Starling in his garden at Baliasta yesterday so we headed across there during my lunchbreak to see it being pursued by a Common Gull that clearly had intentions on taking it! Fortunately the Rosy Starling survived the pursuit and joined a flock of Starlings at the sunken garden before briefly sharing an adjacent field with a juvenile Iceland Gull. We had to leave all too soon but nice to have seen a Rosy Starling during the current influx.

Rosy Starling with Common Gull in pursuit at Baliasta

Juvenile Iceland Gull at Baliasta

9th June 2018 Unst NNE2

You always hope that by being out conducting breeding bird surveys it might produce the odd surprise, but being June, you don't expect that to be two species of Geese with firstly a pair of Barnacle Geese with a pair of Greylags and then an overflying flock of 5 Pinkfeet (my first of the year) accompanied by another Barnacle Goose at Lamba Ness this morning.

Barnacle, Greylag and Pink-footed Geese at Lamba Ness

Otter on Yell

8th June 2018 Lerwick

The Bearded Seal was present on its favoured slipway...

Bearded Seal at Victoria Pier, Lerwick

2nd June 2018 Unst W2 Fog clearing

A Pied Flycatcher present in our garden at 4.15am soon moved to Norwick but proved to be virtually the only migrant seen all day. However, an Otter in the fog and then a pod of c.8 Risso's Dolphins in calm seas off Ramnageo were memorable.

Pied Flycatcher at Norwick

Otter in the fog

Risso's Dolphins off Ramnageo

1st June 2018 Unst. Calm and sunny with fog rolling in and out all day

An early morning walk around Norwick produced two singing Marsh Warblers. This evening I caught-up with a summer-plumaged Black-throated Diver off Norwick but it was probably closer to the tip of Lamba Ness.

Black-throated Diver off Norwick / Lamba Ness