20th August 2026 Unst N4 Drizzle & Showers

Skaw: 2 Swallows, Snipe, Bar-tailed Godwit & Willow Warbler.

Norwick: Merlin, 2 Knot, Willow Warbler, Spotted Flycatcher & Common Rosefinch.

Northdale: Willow Warbler.

Burrafirth: 2 Chiffchaff & 4 Willow Warblers.

Haroldswick: Willow Warbler.

Spotted Flycatcher at Norwick

19th August 2026 Unst NE5 Showers

Unfortunately there was no competing with Fair Isle and south mainland Shetland today!

Skaw: 2 Swallows, White Wagtail & Chiffchaff.

Norwick: Chiffchaff.

18th August 2026 Unst NE4 Overcast

Skaw: 3 Snipe, 5 Sanderling (3 juveniles), 2 Swallows, juvenile Stonechat & Chiffchaff.

Norwick: 2 Snipe, Black-tailed Godwit, Chiffchaff & 2 Willow Warblers.

17th August 2026 Unst W2 Overcast, drizzle

Skaw: 4 Snipe, 3 juvenile Sanderling, Swallow, Barred Warbler & Willow Warbler.

Norwick: Merlin, Snipe, juvenile Stonechat, 2 Chiffchaff & Willow Warbler.

Swallow at Skaw

Juvenile Stonechat at Norwick

16th August 2026 Unst Calm Overcast

We were hopeful that a few migrants might arrive as the westerly wind slackened to calm overnight but during an early morning circuit of Norwick they remained decidedly thin on the ground. Subsequently finding a showy Barred Warbler at Skaw therefore nicely exceeded our expectations! I spent the afternoon birding with James W our highlight being catching-up with a leucistic Northern Wheatear that has been present at Lund for at least a couple of weeks.

Norwick: 2 Common Snipe & 1 Chiffchaff.

Skaw: 2 Common Snipe, 1cy Barred Warbler & 2 Willow Warblers.

Haroldswick: Willow Warbler.

Lund: leucistic Northern Wheatear.

Baltasound: Siskin.

1cy Barred Warbler at Skaw

Video here

leucistic Northern Wheatear at Lund

Video here

14th August 2026 Unst W3 Rain clearing

A walk around Norwick produced our first 2 Willow Warblers of the autumn.

Norwick: Merlin, juvenile Wood Pigeon, Chiffchaff, 2 Willow Warblers & Tree Sparrow.

First-winter Willow Warbler at Norwick

Snout at Norwick

Unknown to Unst 5+ years ago but now regular. A recent colonist of Shetland.

13th August 2026 Unst S1 Overcast

Skaw: 4 Sanderling (2 juveniles), 5 Swallows & juvenile Stonechat.

Norwick: 2 Siskin.

12th August 2026 Unst S3 Partly overcast

Skaw: 6 Sanderling (4 juveniles), 2 Swallows & juvenile Stonechat.

Norwick: Chiffchaff.

Juvenile Stonechat at Skaw

Adult and recently fledged juvenile Red-throated Divers on the sea off Norwick

10th August 2026 Unst NW5 Partly overcast

Norwick: 3 Snipe, adult Sanderling & juvenile Collared Dove.

9th August 2026 Unst SW5 Squally showers

We were pleased to find Shetland's earliest ever autumn Woodchat Shrike whilst walking around Norwick this morning. The only other August record for Shetland away from Fair Isle - also a juvenile - was found by my parents on Out Skerries in 1997. With thanks to Mike P for a summary of the previous records.

Norwick: 3 Merlin, juvenile Woodchat Shrike, Chiffchaff & Tree Sparrow.

Juvenile Woodchat Shrike at Norwick (video here)

The second that I've been fortunate to find on Unst.

5th August 2026 Unst NE6 Overcast

Skaw: 2 Swallows & Garden Warbler.

4th August 2026 c.50km NW of Fethaland E3 freshening to ENE5 Light rain

An enjoyable day spent at sea c.50km northwest of Fethaland courtesy of Will Miles with plenty of Storm Petrels on the wing. My personal highlights were seeing 2 Wilson's Storm Petrels making several passes of the boat, a somewhat distant Leach's Storm Petrel, c.300 European Storm Petrels and a 'blue' Fulmar.

European Storm Petrels off Fethaland

Wilson's Storm Petrel off Fethaland

Leach's Storm Petrel off Fethaland (Andrew Russell)

Andrew did extremely well to obtain these images as the Petrel was at a considerable distance in choppy seas!

3rd August 2026 Hamnavoe, Yell N1 Partly overcast

Short-eared Owl 1 adult

Short-eared Owl at Hamnavoe

31st July 2026 Unst WSW4 Showers

 Norwick: Sanderling & Grey Wagtail.

30th July 2026 Hamnavoe, Yell W1 Overcast

A Merlin was seen mobbing/chasing a Sparrowhawk.

28th July 2026 Unst Calm & overcast

 Norwick: Sanderling, 2 Chiffchaff & 2 Tree Sparrows.

24th July 2026 Unst SW5 Showers

We completed the SOTEAG beached bird survey for north Unst.

Norwick: 2 Sanderling.

Burrafirth: Knot.

Adult Knot at Burrafirth

19th July 2026 Yell NW2 Clear

A day spent working on Yell where it was nice to chance upon a family party of Red Grouse.

Red Grouse on Yell

15th July 2026 Yell E1 Overcast clearing

A day spent working on Yell among a familiar line-up of upland moorland species.

Golden Plover on Yell

3rd July 2026 Uyeasound

 Wester Loch: Sand Martin.