Friday 30 September 2022
30th September 2022 Unst SSE8 Overcast
Thursday 29 September 2022
29th September 2022 Unst N1 Overcast
Norwick: Long-tailed Duck, 25 Lapwing, Common Redstart, 2 Song Thrush, 12 Redwing, Fieldfare, Blackcap, 5 Yellow-browed Warbler, 3 Chiffchaff, 4 Goldcrest, 8 Common Redpolls, 2 Siskin, 2 Chaffinch, 3 Brambling,
28th September 2022 Unst NE4 Overcast
27th September 2022 Unst NE3 Clear
Norwick: Blackcap, Garden Warbler, Barred Warbler, 3 Yellow-browed Warblers, Chiffchaff, 2 Chaffinches, 3 Brambling & Common Rosefinch.
26th September 2022 Unst NW5 Rain
Saturday 24 September 2022
24th September 2022 Unst NW2 Clear
The weather was nice again this morning being almost calm and clear.
Skaw: Blackcap.
Norwick: 2 Ruff, 2 Song Thrush, Barred Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, 4 Blackcap, 2 Chiffchaff & 3 Common Rosefinch.
Friday 23 September 2022
23rd September 2022 Unst WSW2 Overcast
A nice calm day that soon brightened to warm autumnal sunshine. It was immediately apparent there were more Meadow Pipits on the ground and a few Skylarks overflying heading south.
Skaw: c.25 Skylarks & Snow Bunting.
Norwick: Slavonian Grebe, Merlin, 2 Kestrel, 5 Ruff, Water Rail, c.20 Skylarks, 2 Blackcap, 3 Yellow-browed Warblers, Chiffchaff, Pied Flycatcher, Chaffinch, Redpoll sp. heard & 3 Common Rosefinches (one bearing a ring).
NorthDale: ringtail Hen Harrier, Lesser Whitethroat, Blackcap & Reed Bunting.
Thursday 22 September 2022
22nd September 2022 Unst SW5 Overcast
A dull start to a breezy day that soon brightened with the highlight being a walk around Norwick producing c.5 Yellow-browed Warblers.
Norwick: 2 Ruff, Whinchat, Song Thrush, Lesser Whitethroat, 3 Blackcaps, Garden Warbler, c.5 Yellow-browed Warblers, Chiffchaff & Pied Flycatcher.
Wednesday 21 September 2022
21st September 2022 Unst S3 Overcast
I didn't have much time to spend birding today and even that was curtailed by the promised rain arriving earlier than forecast.
Skaw: Whinchat.
Holsen's road: Whinchat.
Tuesday 20 September 2022
20th September 2022 Unst S3 Fog
Fog, low cloud and drizzle hampered birding all morning but the weather improved early afternoon.
Skaw: Whinchat, Song Thrush & 3 Common Redpoll.
Norwick: Kestrel, 3 Ruff, Song Thrush, Blackcap, Garden Warbler, Yellow-browed Warbler, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff & 2 Chaffinches
Monday 19 September 2022
19th September 2022 Unst NNW2 Overcast
It was really nice that the wind had dropped away overnight and once the cloud cleared it became sunny and pleasantly warm. Unfortunately it remained disappointingly quiet.
Skaw: Whinchat, Blackcap and 2 Lapland/Snow Buntings heard only flying very high overhead.
Norwick: 3 Ruff, Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Blackcap, Yellow-browed Warbler, Chiffchaff, Chaffinch and 2 Lapland/Snow Buntings heard only flying very high overhead .
Sunday 18 September 2022
18th September 2022 Unst N4 Overcast
As the first 10 days of the month all had birding potential I failed to make it to work at all but I've then worked 5 of the following 7 that rather speaks for itself! Today I didn't work - mistake! The land proved really quiet - I saw more birders than birds! A flog through endless fields in the hope of flushing a Great Snipe resulted in nothing more than wet feet - again! With no sea-watching opportunities here this Autumn, Dante's images of Great Shearwaters passing North Ronaldsay seemed all the more gripping!
Norwick: Song Thrush, Blackcap, Yellow-browed Warbler, Chiffchaff, Pied Flycatcher & 2 Chaffinch.
Friday 16 September 2022
16th September 2022 Unst NNW5 Overcast
What a difference a week makes... with strong cold northwesterly winds now dominating it's feeling increasingly wintry, so no surprise that passerine migration seems to have ground to a complete standstill. Having spent two consecutive days working on mainland I arrived home in time to visit Valyie seeing just a few lingering migrants.
Wednesday 14 September 2022
14th September 2022 Unst NW3 Squally showers
With the wind in the northwest a few more Redpoll were evident but the highlight was a Black-throated Diver off Norwick beach.
Skaw: 3 Whinchat, 2 Common Redpoll.
Norwick: Black-throated Diver, 2 Ruff, Tree Pipit, Redstart, Barred Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Blackcap, Yellow-browed Warbler, Wood Warbler, 3 Willow Warbler, Spotted Flycatcher, 3 Pied Flycatcher, Chaffinch, 5 Siskin, Redpoll sp. heard & Common Rosefinch.
Tuesday 13 September 2022
13th September 2022 Mainland & Unst NW5 Overcast
With the forecast wind making for a not so promising day, or so I thought, I headed to work on mainland for the day. Of course, no sooner than I arrived and Brydon found an Arctic Warbler in Halligarth! A flock of 7 Red Grouse were nice and whilst I only had time to glance at three gardens, all in the Toft area, I saw a single passerine migrant in each... a Willow Warbler, a Spotted Flycatcher and a Pied Flycatcher. On returning home I only had time for a quick walk to Valyie seeing my first Chaffinches of the Autumn.
Norwick: 2 Garden Warbler, 2 Blackcaps, Yellow-browed Warbler, Spotted Flycatcher, Pied Flycatcher & 2 Chaffinches.
Monday 12 September 2022
12th September 2022 Unst WNW4 Rain clearing
We bid a fond farewell to Dante & Lauren who today deserted us in favour of North Ronaldsay but who can blame them! Some heavy rain at dawn cleared early morning although a westerly wind freshened and drizzle set in during the afternoon.
Skaw: Kestrel, Grey Wagtail, 2 Whinchat, Redstart, Blackcap, Pied Flycatcher & 6 Siskin.
Sunday 11 September 2022
11th September 2022 Unst S2 Clear
After a calm, clear and cold night it was almost a surprise that there were any migrants remaining on the island but it seemed obvious that there had been something of a clear-out.
Skaw: Whinchat, Redstart, 3 Willow Warbler & 4 Siskins.
Saturday 10 September 2022
10th September 2022 Unst
Another calm morning with an early morning flock of 31 Ravens moving southeast and plenty of common migrants still on the island. My highlight was seeing my first 2 Yellow-browed Warblers of the year.
NorthDale: Whinchat, Redstart, Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Garden Warbler, 4 Willow Warbler, 20 Siskin, Reed Bunting & 31 Ravens (flock flying southeast).
Skaw (with Chris Redgard): Kestrel, Grey Wagtail, 4 Whinchat, 2 Redstart, Yellow-browed Warbler, 6 Willow Warbler, Pied Flycatcher, Red-backed Shrike & 15 Siskin.
Friday 9 September 2022
9th September 2022 Unst NE4 Overcast
It was windier than expected with a colder edge to the wind than in recent days. There seemed generally fewer common migrants in evidence today although the numbers of Siskins continues to increase and there were a couple of Common Redpoll among the flocks. My recent run of good fortune continued in the form of finding a second for Unst along the burn at Skaw - a Common Kingfisher! As it evaded my camera I was delighted that Robbie tracked it down in the same stretch of the burn an hour or so later being a Birthday Unst tick for him - Happy Birthday Robbie!
Burrafirth (with Dante): Merlin, 4 Whinchat, Redstart, 3 Blackcap, 3 Common Whitethroat, Chiffchaff, 15 Willow Warbler, Spotted Flycatcher, 32 Siskin & Common Redpoll.
Norwick: 2 Redstart, Tree Pipit, 2 Blackcap, Garden Warbler, 3 Willow Warbler, 3 Spotted Flycatcher & 4 Pied Flycatcher.