Up early and eager for it to get light as it was a calm dry morning for a pleasant change. The first migrant I saw was a Yellow-browed Warbler at Leawart, quickly followed by several Redwings, a Song Thrush, a Barred Warbler and a Chiffchaff at Valyie. At Skaw I at last bumped into the Blyth's Reed Warbler that was found by Geoff and friends a few days ago. Whilst watching the Warbler I inadvertently flushed a Lapland Bunting from the track, that circled a couple of times, before heading along the cliffs towards Lamba Ness. I was then driving to Haroldswick when I met Al driving in the opposite direction. I convinced him to turnaround to take a look together along the line of docks at Haroldswick pool just in case we could refind the Pechora Pipit in today's much better weather and then across the hillside opposite in case the Eastern Yellow Wagtail was still present. I'd just started to drive when I glimpsed a Wagtail drop near a small pool. I stopped in the road and waited for Al to join me and suggested it was worth checking - we walked towards the pool and out popped an alba Wagtail onto the driveway - damn! As we turned to return to our cars I heard a hard 'pit...pit...pit' call and picked out a Pipit flying low overhead and perhaps rather boldly exclaimed 'Pechora'! In all honesty, being probably less than 500m from where I'd found it a couple of days ago, and actually being in the process of going in search of it, rather helped my confidence! Al agreed that it sounded good, and as we'd seen it dropping behind the nearby croft, we parked-up and went in search. Entering the two small long grassy / weedy fields we immediately flushed two Rock Pipits and then a Meadow Pipit. We continued to walk the long grass to the end of the next field and probably within 5m of the far fence, up flew the Pechora Pipit, called the once and obligingly landed on the fence - brilliant! But almost immediately it flew, calling as it went and dropped back in near the small pool. I didn't have my Smartphone so could just text those I had phone numbers for and Al had left his phone in his car but fortuitously Geoff was passing and he kindly put the news out. A Barred Warbler flew past whilst most of the birders on the island gathered (only those involved in the second organised flush had been successful in seeing it a few days ago) and after a few more flight views and the odd glimpse on the deck Al and I headed off to look for the Wagtail but a close encounter with a large bull caused the only adrenaline rush there! If anything, it then felt colder and with the clear conditions few birds were in evidence at further sites that I checked. Burrafirth added a Moorhen being only the second I've seen on Unst and a Song Thrush. I returned to Haroldswick late afternoon to see if the Pipit was performing any better - but it wasn't - but John Nadin picked out a Little Bunting in a nearby garden and there was a Blackcap feeding along the beach.
Sunrise over Norwick beach
Merlin, like me, in search of a migrant or two!
Lapland Bunting at Skaw
Blyth's Reed Warbler at Skaw
Pechora Pipit at Haroldswick
A sound-recording of its call can be heard here
Birders watching the Pipit
Blackcap at Haroldswick
