30th October 2023 Unst NE6 Clear

A strong cold wind dominated the day. A late afternoon visit to Valyie failed to produce anything new but on returning home a female Hawfinch sat in the middle of our lawn under our feeders was a nice surprise.

Norwick: Long-tailed Duck, Merlin, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, Robin, Goldcrest, Fieldfare, 6 Redwing, 3 Mealy Redpoll, 20 Brambling & female Hawfinch.

Great Spotted Woodpecker at Valyie

One of the features of the Autumn has been the influx of nominate form GSWs. I've uploaded a sound recording of one calling a few ago here.

29th October 2023 Unst NE6 broken high cloud

Birding proved hard work in the windy conditions today.

Skaw: Water Rail, 4 Skylark, 15 Snow Bunting, Siskin & 6 Mealy Redpoll.

Norwick: 2 Woodcock, 3 Robin, Great Tit, Ring Ouzel, Fieldfare, 4 Redwing, Song Thrush, Siskin, Chaffinch & 20 Brambling.

28th October 2023 Unst SE2 Showers

After a circuit around Norwick we completed the monthly SOTEAG beached bird surveys and then met up with Chris R who had found a Ruff at Haroldswick.

Norwick: Merlin, 2 Woodcock, Jack Snipe, Great Spotted Woodpecker, 4 Robin, Dunnock, 2 Waxwing, 2 Blackcap, 3 Goldcrest, Ring Ouzel, 15 Fieldfare, Redwing, Siskin, 6 Mealy Redpoll, female Northern Bullfinch & 45 Brambling.

Burrafirth: 2 Swallow, Robin, Wheatear, 2 Chiffchaff, 2 Goldcrest, Mistle Thrush, 20 Fieldfare, 10 Redwing & Song Thrush.

Haroldswick: Ruff & 2 Yellowhammer.

Female Northern Bullfinch at Norwick

Jack Snipe at Norwick

Chiffchaff at Burrafirth

Ruff at Haroldswick

Yellowhammer at Haroldswick

27th October 2023 Unst SE1 Overcast

Norwick: Pink-footed Goose, 2 Dunlin, Long-eared Owl, 5 Robin, Dunnock, 10 Waxwing, Blackcap, 2 Goldcrest, Great Tit, 13 Fieldfare, 20 Redwing, 30 Mealy Redpoll, Siskin, Chaffinch, 45 Brambling

Burrafirth: Swallow, 20 Fieldfare & 10 Redwing.

Haroldswick: Chiffchaff.

NorthDale: Wheatear.

Long-eared Owl at Norwick

Waxwings over Norwick

Swallow at Burrafirth

Wheatear at NorthDale

26th October 2023 Unst SE6 Clear

A look at the weather charts yesterday evening showed overnight southeasterly winds emanating from the Black Sea, so being very late October, it went through my mind that another Pied Wheatear might be on... but I quickly dismissed such thoughts as fanciful! It dawned clear but was combined with a rather brisk cold wind. Completing a circuit of Norwick had produced a few flocks of Waxwings flying north but I had little else to show for my morning. My lunchtime break was punctuated by 5 Waxwings briefly dropping into our garden. Early afternoon I teamed-up with Adrian Kettle for a walk around Haroldswick. I pointed out the field where Brydon, Micky & Mike had found Unst's first Pied Wheatear, but as far as we could see, it unfortunately wasn't playing host to another today. We then headed to Burrafirth to take a look for yesterday's Bluethroat but there was no sign of it. However, as we left, we were driving through Sotland when a Wheatear flew up from the road ahead of us... one look at its 'tail pattern' and we both knew that we were in, so as we exchanged excited glances and words to that effect, I jammed on the brakes... it landed on a fence-post, we both raised our bins and brilliant... there was a female Pied Wheatear! First images secured through the windscreen, we soon abandoned the car and followed it for a kilometer as it steadily headed inland. We last saw it flying into the sheltered valley leading to Quoys.

Norwick: 2 Long-tailed Duck, Knot, Dunlin, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Robin, 37 Waxwing, 2 Blackcap, Goldcrest, 2 Great Tit, 4 Fieldfare, 7 Redwing, 2 Song Thrush, Siskin, 2 Redpoll, 2 Chaffinch & 20 Brambling.

Haroldswick: Knot.

Burrafirth: Woodcock, Dunnock, 30 Fieldfare & Pied Wheatear.

Female Pied Wheatear at Sotland

ebird European range of Pied Wheatear

Met Office surface pressure chart

25th October 2023 Unst E3 Overcast

I spent more time birding but there appeared to be fewer birds present although my persistence was eventually rewarded with finding a Bluethroat at Burrafirth - the first I've seen this Autumn and only the second this year.

Skaw: Merlin, Robin, Chiffchaff, Fieldfare & 2 Song Thrush.

Norwick: 2 Grey Heron, Pink-footed Goose, 3 Long-tailed Duck, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, Skylark, 8 Robin, 3 Blackcap, 2 Chiffchaff, 14 Goldcrest, 6 Waxwing, 4 Fieldfare, 13 Redwing, Song Thrush, Great Tit, 2 Reed Bunting, Siskin, 20 Mealy Redpoll, 2 Chaffinch & 50 Brambling.

NorthDale: 3 Reed Bunting.

Burrafirth: Water Rail, Short-eared Owl (plus another found dead), Robin, Bluethroat, 2 Blackcap, Chiffchaff, 4 Goldcrest, 6 Fieldfare, 6 Redwing, Siskin, 30 Mealy Redpoll.

Bluethroat at Burrafirth

24th October 2023 Unst SE3 Clear

I spent most of the day working but just had time for a quick circuit of Norwick seeing a similar selection of species as during recent days. 

Norwick: 7 Woodcock, 3 Great Spotted Woodpecker, Pied Wagtail, Dunnock, 4 Robin, 3 Skylark, Garden Warbler, 3 Blackcap, Chiffchaff, 14 Goldcrest, Great Tit, 3 Song Thrush, 15 Redwing, 10 Fieldfare, 6 Waxwing, 40 Snow Bunting, Siskin, 35 Mealy Redpoll, 6 Chaffinch & 55 Brambling.

Great Spotted Woodpecker at Millfield

ever-present on our feeders!

23rd October 2023 Unst WSW2 broken high cloud

A nice day of weather made for a very pleasant day with a small arrival of Woodcock and a male Northern Bullfinch proving the highlights.

Skaw: Woodcock, Blackcap, Goldcrest, 2 Redwing, Song Thrush & Northern Bullfinch.

Norwick: 2 Red-throated Diver, 4 Long-tailed Duck, 4 Woodcock, Water Rail h, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 3 Robin, Skylark, 7 Blackcap, 9 Goldcrest, Great Tit, Fieldfare, 15 Redwing, 2 Song Thrush, Waxwing, 2 Tree Sparrow, 2 Chaffinch, 70 Brambling & Hawfinch.

NorthDale: Short-eared Owl, 2 Blackcap, Goldcrest, Yellowhammer & Chaffinch.

Burrafirth: 3 Common Scoter, Short-eared Owl, Dunnock, 2 Goldcrest, 10 Fieldfare & 10 Redwing.

Haroldswick: 2 Woodcock, 3 Goldcrest, 10 Fieldfare, 10 Redwing & Waxwing.

Northern Bullfinch at Skaw

A sound-recording of it calling here

Tree Sparrow at Norwick

Great Tit at Norwick

Great Spotted Woodpecker at Norwick

Short-eared Owl at NorthDale

Yellowhammer at NorthDale

Short-eared Owl at Burrafirth

Dunnock at Burrafirth

21st October 2023 Unst E5 high cloud

There was no sign of the Northern Treecreeper at Valyie this morning but we found a Continental Coal Tit at Haroldswick and then a flock of c.25 Mealy Redpolls that contained a Coues's Arctic Redpoll at Northdale.

Norwick: Pink-footed Goose, 6 Common Scoter, 6 Wood Pigeon, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, Robin, 6 Goldcrest, Great Tit, 10 Redwing, 5 Waxwing, 2 Northwestern Redpoll, 60 Brambling & Hawfinch.

Haroldswick: Great Spotted Woodpecker, Song Thrush, 2 Goldcrest, Continental Coal Tit, 5 Fieldfare, 10 Redwing & Waxwing.

NorthDale: Yellowhammer, Coues's Arctic Redpoll, c.25 Mealy Redpoll, c.5 Northwestern Redpolls, Lesser Redpoll, Brambling & Hawfinch.

Great Spotted Woodpecker at Valyie

Great Spotted Woodpecker at Millfield

Continental Coal Tit at Haroldswick

Great Spotted Woodpecker at Haroldswick

Coues's Arctic Redpoll at NorthDale