25th November 2023 Unst NNW4 Overcast

Plenty of birds and a Humpback Whale seen moving north having presumably been displaced by yesterday's strong north-westerly gales. On returning home Brenda promptly picked out a Waxwing sat in our willows.

Skaw: 2 Red-throated Diver, Great Northern Diver, Sooty Shearwater, 16 blue Fulmar, 10 Glaucous Gull (2 1cy, 1 2cy, 2 3cy & 5ad), 120 Kittiwake, 2 Black Guillemot, c.120 Guillemot & 46 Little Auk.

Millfield: Waxwing.

Great Northern Diver passing Skaw

Sooty Shearwater passing Skaw

blue Fulmar passing Skaw

Little Auks passing Skaw

Glaucous Gull passing Skaw

22nd November 2023 Unst W6 Overcast

A steady trickle of Herring and Great Black-backed Gulls were arriving in off the sea at Norwick from 8.30am to 8.45am that included a single 1cy Glaucous Gull.

21st November 2023 Unst SW2 Overcast

Norwick: Merlin, Woodcock, Skylark, 2 Great Tit, 2 Goldcrest, 5 Redwing & Chaffinch.

18th November 2023 Unst SE5 Overcast

We completed the Icelandic Greylag Goose count for north Unst that totalled just less than 400.

Skaw: Pink-footed Goose.

NorthDale: Pink-footed Goose.

Burrafirth: Barnacle Goose.

17th November 2023 Unst NW2 Clear

Uyeasound: Bar-tailed Godwit & Grey Wagtail.

Grey Wagtail at Uyeasound

16th November 2023 Unst NNW2 Overcast

I decided to walk to Skaw where I was rewarded with a White-billed Diver sat on the sea offshore.

Norwick: 4 Woodcock, 2 Great Tit, 2 Robin, 10 Redwing & 4 Chaffinch.

Skaw: White-billed Diver, Water Rail, Robin & 5 Redwing.

White-billed Diver off Skaw

15th November 2023 Unst N3 Overcast

I teamed-up with Brydon and we covered Skaw, Norwick and a few of the sites at Baltasound.

Skaw: Siberian Chiffchaff.

Norwick: Great Spotted Woodpecker, Dunnock, Goldcrest, 3 Chaffinch & 8 Mealy Redpolls.

Baltasound: Chiffchaff.

Siberian Chiffchaff at Skaw

14th November 2023 Unst N2 Overcast

Norwick: Merlin, Woodcock, Robin, 2 Great Tit, Fieldfare, 10 Redwing, 2 Chaffinch, Greenland Redpoll, 8 Mealy Redpoll & Lesser Redpoll.

NorthDale: Reed Bunting.

12th November 2023 Unst NNW2 Overcast

Norwick: 1cy Glaucous Gull.

11th November 2023 Unst N4 Clear

Burrafirth: 2cy Glaucous Gull.

2cy Glaucous Gull at Burrafirth

9th November 2023 Unst SSW2 Clear

Norwick: Great Northern Diver, Hen Harrier, Sparrowhawk, Merlin, Woodcock, Purple Sandpiper, 3 Robin, Waxwing, 2 Song Thrush, 10 Redwing, 3 Blackcap, 2 Chiffchaff, 2 Goldcrest, 2 Great Tit, 20 Mealy Redpoll, Goldfinch & 2 Chaffinch.

Skaw: Long-tailed Duck, Robin, Fieldfare, 5 Redwing & 2 Brambling.

NorthDale: Blackcap.

Burrafirth: Scaup, Jack Snipe, Robin, 15 Fieldfare & Redwing.

Hen Harrier at Norwick

8th November 2023 Unst SE4 Overcast

A Puffin was just off Norwick beach and there was a Dunnock present in our garden.

7th November 2023 Unst N1 Overcast

 I returned home to images of a Waxwing that Brenda had photographed in our garden.

6th November 2023 Unst S1 Clear

Norwick: Woodcock, Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Robin, Blackcap, 2 Chiffchaff, Goldcrest, Great Tit, Redwing, 3 Redpoll & 7 Brambling.

5th November 2023 Unst SE3 Overcast

Norwick: Long-tailed Duck, Water Rail, 2 Woodcock, Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Robin, Dunnock, Blackcap, 3 Goldcrest, Great Tit, Song Thrush, 8 Redwing, Siskin, Chaffinch, 6 Brambling & Northern Bullfinch.

Skaw: Water Rail, Woodcock & Goldcrest.

Haroldswick: Chaffinch.

Northern Bullfinch at Norwick

3rd November 2023 Unst ENE4 Rain clearing

I waited for the rain to clear before heading to Skaw where it seemed very quiet albeit I did see Orca even though it wasn't the black-and-white number that I was hoping to see! A circuit of Norwick proved very quiet too.

Skaw: Merlin, 4 Woodcock & 6 Snow Bunting.

Norwick: Woodcock, Great Spotted Woodpecker, 3 Robin, 2 Blackcap, Siskin, 25 Mealy Redpoll, 3 Chaffinch & 6 Brambling.

2nd November 2023 Unst SE4 Showers

There seemed a few more Redpolls present again today so plenty of head-scratching but the bird of the day appeared among in the form of a late autumn Little Bunting.

Norwick: Great Northern Diver, Sparrowhawk, Woodcock, 1cy Glaucous Gull, 4 Woodpigeon, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, Dunnock, Robin, Blackcap, Great Tit, 4 Waxwing, 10 Redwing, 25 Mealy Redpoll, Greenland Redpoll, Lesser Redpoll & 4 Brambling.

NorthDale: Pink-footed Goose, Hen Harrier, 25 Mealy Redpolls & Little Bunting.

Little Bunting at NorthDale

Mike's home!

1st November 2023 Unst NE4 Showers

The highlight of the day appeared early as a Rough-legged Buzzard flew northeast over Norwick.

Norwick: Rough-legged Buzzard, Merlin, Woodcock, 3 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Robin, Great Tit, 3 Waxwing, Fieldfare, 6 Redwing, 20 Mealy Redpoll & 6 Brambling.

Burrafirth: Scaup.

Skaw: Merlin, 2 Jack Snipe, Water Rail, Song Thrush & 7 Snow Bunting.

NorthDale: Robin & 20 Mealy Redpoll.

Haroldswick: Robin, Chiffchaff, 6 Fieldfare, 2 Redwing, Snow Bunting & Siskin.

Rough-legged Buzzard over Norwick

31st October 2023 Unst NNE5 Overcast

During the morning flocks of 7 Waxwings and 7 Mealy Redpolls visited our garden. We'd not long arrived at Graham & Mary's when Brydon phoned to say he was watching a mixed flock of Redpolls including both Hornemann's and Coues's.

Millfield: 7 Waxwings & 7 Mealy Redpoll.

Baltasound: Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll, 2 Coues's Arctic Redpoll & 10 Common Redpolls.

Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll at Baltasound

Coues's Arctic Redpoll at Baltasound

Coues's and Hornemann's Arctic Redpolls at Baltasound