Wednesday 15 May 2019

15th May 2019 Unst S1 Clear

A bright sunny morning after a clear night. A pair of Swallows were sat on our washing line, the flock of Tree Sparrows had increased overnight to 18 and the male Chaffinch was still singing in our garden. I saw 2 Collared Doves sat together on wires as I drove through Norwick and a singleton present at Skaw was the only migrant I'd seen when on walking the headland I found an obliging Shore Lark - superb. Lamba Ness played host to a Swallow, 2 White Wagtails and a Redpoll flew over heading north. Norwick added a male Pied Flycatcher but otherwise very few other migrants were in evidence with just a Sparrowhawk, a Kestrel, a Sanderling, a Blackcap and 3 Chiffchaffs seen. I'd been out of phone signal for over an hour when I received a message that Robbie had kindly sent me to say that he'd found a Common Nightingale at the Shore Station, Burrafirth. I soon joined Mike looking for it and we were successful in obtaining a few brief views. Finally, a walk around Haroldswick produced a Sparrowhawk, a female Whinchat, a Blackcap, a Chiffchaff and 4 Tree Sparrows. 


Shore Lark at Skaw



Tree Sparrows at Millfield



Male Pied Flycatcher at Norwick




Common Nightingale at Burrafirth
the first I've seen on Unst