Rain and fog persisted for the first few hours during which I saw a Spotted Flycatcher, 2 Lesser Whitethroats and a Willow Warbler at Skaw and a female Bluethroat and 2 Willow Warblers at Burrafirth. Whilst walking to Norwick we heard a ticking Bunting and picked out a Rustic Bunting flying past us that fortuitously landed on a fence for a few seconds before flying off high east. We had a good search for it but couldn't relocate it. Otherwise we saw a Collared Dove, a Cuckoo, 7 Blackcaps, a Garden Warbler, 21 Tree Sparrows and a Chaffinch around Norwick. NorthDale proved quiet with just a Lesser Whitethroat seen. Haroldswick also proved very quiet with just a Garden Warbler seen. Brydon had found a Waxwing at Setters Hill that we saw on our way to the shop but on a quick check of a couple of other sites at Baltasound all we saw was a Chiffchaff. We returned home and were delighted to find the Rustic Bunting waiting for us in our garden - our first BB rarity in our garden. Brydon, Mike and a visiting tour group successfully saw it before it flew off high to the south. An early evening drive saw us catch-up with a Short-eared Owl that Mike had seen earlier in the day at Quoys.
Female Bluethroat in the rain at Burrafirth
Rustic Bunting at Norwick
Male Waxwing at Setters Hill
Rustic Bunting at Millfield
Short-eared Owl at Quoys
