Monday 27 February 2023
27th February 2023 Unst N2 Overcast
Sunday 26 February 2023
26th February 2023 Unst W3 Drizzle
Drizzle persisted on and off for much of the morning but it became drier in the afternoon so we took a look at a few sites that produced our first Long-eared Owl and Siskins for the year.
Norwick: Great Northern Diver, Sparrowhawk, Merlin & Stock Dove.
25th February 2023 Unst N4 Overcast
We completed the monthly SOTEAG beached bird surveys for Norwick and Burrafirth.
Norwick: Red-throated Diver, Great Northern Diver, 2 Whooper Swans, Stock Dove, 2 Woodpigeon, Woodcock & Meadow Pipit.
Wednesday 22 February 2023
22nd February 2023 Unst NW3 Overcast
21st February 2023 Unst SSW2 Overcast
As the day dawned calm we spent a couple of hours walking the coastline at Muness where seeing 33 Great Northern Divers proved the highlight being my record site count. We then drove to Westing where a roadside flock of 21 Snow Buntings kept flying up onto overhead wires but no Gulls had gathered. As the forecast rain hadn't arrived I then took a walk around Norwick.
Muness: 33 Great Northern Divers, Pink-footed Goose & 8 Long-tailed Duck.
Westing: 21 Snow Buntings.
Monday 20 February 2023
20th February 2023 Unst W9 Showers
With a westerly gale battering the island I headed to Westing soon being joined by Robbie.
Westing: Iceland Gull, Glaucous Gull & Viking Gull.
Saturday 18 February 2023
18th February 2023 Unst NW2 Wintry showers
Being a calm dry morning we were just ready to head out when a hailstorm arrived to be followed by light snow that was enough to lay as a dusting. Replaced by blue skies we headed to Uyeasound and started to walk the coast south. A search through plenty of Eider and Long-tailed Ducks failed to produce anything else when another hailstorm arrived that soon became heavy rain so it was beginning to feel a mistake! Undeterred, after the shower had passed through, we continued towards Belmont. A scan across Loch of Heogland produced a few Teal, Wigeon and Goldeneye so it seemed worthy to take a look through the scope. Among the first Teal I looked through and there was a vertical white stripe I've been hoping to see for years - of a drake Green-winged Teal - a long overdue find tick! Whilst we enjoyed views of it through the scope and obtaining a few distant record shots, for no apparent reason, it suddenly took flight alongside a pair of Teal and flew off high towards Fetlar until we lost the trio from view. A scan of the bays beyond the loch produced 23 Red-throted Divers and then a huge White-billed Diver. Whilst we both enjoyed some nice scope views it was really too far to photograph so as it was low tide I scrambled across the seaweed-covered tombolo and onto the Holm of Heogland. Whilst closer, I was now looking into the sun and it soon put some distance between us heading south in the direction of Linga.