After an hour's seawatch that produced an adult Glaucous Gull I walked around Skaw seeing several Blackbirds, a Redwing and a Fieldfare. We then walked to Valyie where we flushed our first 2 Woodcock of the year. As we made our way down the hill alarming Corvids alerted us to a juvenile White-tailed Sea-Eagle flying in off the sea - brilliant! It made its way straight towards us with both Ravens and Hooded Crows in pursuit. Much to our surprise it landed in the adjacent field presumably tired and relieved to have made landfall. All too soon it took flight and headed across the valley and began circling over Clibberswick hill where it appeared to land near the summit. We then saw another Woodcock in Haroldswick before taking a drive to Uyeasound where we couldn't see the King Eider.
Holsen's road; 2 Moorhens, 3 Redwings
Lamba Ness seawatch 9.00am-10.00am; 80N Fulmar, 30N Gannet, ad N Glaucous Gull, 18N Kittiwake, 31N Guiilemots
Skaw; 5 Blackbirds, Fieldfare, Redwing
Norwick; juv (2cy) White-tailed Sea-Eagle, 2 Woodcock, Robin, 8 Blackbirds
Haroldswick; Woodcock
Uyeasound; 13 (11ad,2juv) Whooper Swans, 3 Mute Swans (2ad, juv), 6 Long-tailed Ducks,
Baltasound; 3ad European White-fronted Goose
Holsen's road; 2 Moorhens, 3 Redwings
Lamba Ness seawatch 9.00am-10.00am; 80N Fulmar, 30N Gannet, ad N Glaucous Gull, 18N Kittiwake, 31N Guiilemots
Skaw; 5 Blackbirds, Fieldfare, Redwing
Norwick; juv (2cy) White-tailed Sea-Eagle, 2 Woodcock, Robin, 8 Blackbirds
Haroldswick; Woodcock
Uyeasound; 13 (11ad,2juv) Whooper Swans, 3 Mute Swans (2ad, juv), 6 Long-tailed Ducks,
Baltasound; 3ad European White-fronted Goose
White-tailed Sea-Eagle against the cliffs of Lamba Ness
likely the first land that it saw after leaving Norway!
Juvenile (2cy) White-tailed Sea-Eagle at Norwick
The third we've seen on Unst but the second in successive years at Norwick. John Lowrie Irvine had recently just messaged me to say that he was watching Sea-Eagles in Norway and just yesterday evening I'd been enviously reading about the numbers Julian Bell is currently seeing in southwest Norway here.
