7th January 2017 Sandwick to Unst Overcast but calm

After disembarking the overnight ferry from Aberdeen at 7.30am our first stop was Sandwick where we spent nearly an hour awaiting sunrise on what proved a calm mild day. Walking along the road bordering the partially flooded stubble field produced 20 Lapwings, 20 Redshank, 10 Turnstone and an overflying flock of 35 Golden Plover before locating the wintering first-winter Killdeer. More of a surprise was seeing a farmer deliberately flushing a flock of 25 Greylag Geese by firing flares into the sky. The Geese flew over us and we picked out 2 White-fronted Geese among them that landed a mile away where views on the deck revealed them to be an adult and first-winter European White-fronts - nice but not nearly as gripping as the Pett Taiga Bean Geese! A quick visit to Muckle Roe proved third-time unlucky as we again failed to see Mark's drake Green-winged Teal with just 25 Wigeon and 4 Tufted Duck being present. Toft to Ulsta produced at least 15 Black Guillemots but no sign of the Killer Whales seen here yesterday. The ferry crossing from Gutcher to Belmont added a smart drake Long-tailed Duck. Haroldswick beach produced 2 Ringed Plovers and 8 Rock Doves. In light of the recent gales we were pleased to see the recently-planted Willows were still in our garden (!) as was the Robin along with 2 Redwings and 25 Twite. I saw 23 species on Unst so I won't be rivaling Matt anytime soon!

 First-winter Killdeer at Sandwick

Whilst clearly attempting to winter in its favoured stubble field at Sandwick, Killdeer is one of the earliest Spring migrants among North American waders with Spring migration commencing in February so it might not linger much longer...  that said, the previous one I saw on Shetland was present intermittently from April 2007 to April 2008 and clearly paired to a Ringed Plover when I saw it.

First-winter and adult European White-fronted Geese with Greylag Geese at Sandwick

Adult European White-fronted Geese at Sandwick

Adult and first-winter Black Guillemots off Toft

First-winter Black Guillemot off Toft

Adult-winter Black Guillemots off Toft

 Second-winter Kittiwake off Ulsta
On this individual P5 shows a small black tip so proves a close match to Pacific Kittiwakes seen off Japan http://eastsussexbirding.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/3rd-march-2012-hachichojima-ferry.html

4th Januaury 2017 Old Lodge

A very enjoyable morning spent with JFC & RJF walking the Old Lodge circuit where the birding highlight was a loose flock of 5 Common Crossbills.

Male Common Crossbill at Old Lodge

 Female Common Crossbill at Old Lodge


Common Crossbill at Old Lodge
a few orange/reddish hues to this individuals plumage are perhaps suggestive of it being a first-winter male although it doesn't seem to show any hint of a pale greater-covert bar

3rd January 2017 Beachy W1 Sunny

Nice sharp visibility for a visit to Beachy where a Little Egret, 200 Skylarks, 2 Stonechats, 2 Song Thrushes, 40 Corn Buntings 70 Goldfinches and 30 Linnets were seen. On our return home whilst driving past a cattle field at Tarring Neville JFC picked out 2 Cattle Egrets. We couldn't turn back until Southease but they were still present feeding unconcerned by the busy road.

Cattle Egrets at Tarring Neville

31st December 2016 Dungeness Overcast

An overcast grey day to see the much-discussed 'grey' first-winter female Stonechat that DNA re-analysis has identified as a Common Stonechat. It proved mobile but we watched it for 90 minutes or so. A visit to the RSPB reserve produced the drake Ring-necked Duck and the returning Long-eared Owl again wintering behind the Dipping Pond. A drive to the point and in the first roadside flock of Gulls encountered an argentatus Herring Gull was immediately obvious and it took JFC just a couple of minutes to pick out a first-winter Caspian Gull. On our way back past Scotney we noticed Matt and Paula who were watching a pair of displaying Bewick's Swans that soon took flight heading towards Dungeness.

First-winter female Common Stonechat at Dungeness

 Drake Ring-necked Duck at Dungeness RSPB

 Long-eared Owl at the Dipping Pond

 

argentatus Herring Gull at Dungeness (JFC)

First-winter Caspian Gull at Dungeness

Pair of Bewick's Swans at Scotney

Foreign Trip Reports

For daily species lists from Thailand in November 2015 with some images see:

http://eastsussexbirding.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/29th-november-2015-khao-yai.html



For daily species lists from Thailand in November 2014 with some images see:

http://eastsussexbirding.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/27th-november-2014-lam-pak-bia-sandspit.html



For daily species lists from Taiwan in November 2013 with some images see:

http://eastsussexbirding.blogspot.co.uk/2013_11_01_archive.html

For daily species lists from Cyprus in April 2013 with some images see:

http://eastsussexbirding.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/11th-april-2013-cape-greco-s1-clear.html

For daily species lists from Hegura-jima in October 2012 with some images see:

http://eastsussexbirding.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/29th-september-2012-hegura-jima-wsw2.html

For daily species lists for a winter trip to Japan in February 2012 with some images see:

http://eastsussexbirding.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/1st-march-2012-rausu.html

For daily species lists from Pt. Pelee in May 2011 with some images see: 

http://eastsussexbirding.blogspot.co.uk/2011/05/1st-may-2011-pt-pelee.html



For daily species lists from Hegura-jima in November 2010 with some images see:

http://eastsussexbirding.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/171010-hegura-jima-japan.html



For daily species lists from Hegura-jima in September 2009 with some images see:

http://eastsussexbirding.blogspot.co.uk/2009/09/21st-september-2009-hegura-jima.html



For daily species lists from Hegura-jima in May 2009 with some images see:

http://eastsussexbirding.blogspot.co.uk/2009/05/10th-may-2009-waijima-japan.html



For daily species lists for a trans-Pacific crossing Japan, Russia, Alaska to Vancouver in April 2008 with some images see:

http://eastsussexbirding.blogspot.co.uk/2008/04/20th-april-2008-kobe.html

For a trip report for India in December 2005 with some scanned slides see:

http://eastsussexbirding.blogspot.co.uk/2005/12/india-171205-8106.html

For a trip report for Hawaii in December 2004 with some scanned slides see:

http://eastsussexbirding.blogspot.co.uk/2004/12/hawaii-111204-311204.html

For a trip report for Qinghai, China in June 2004 (no images added yet) see:
http://eastsussexbirding.blogspot.co.uk/2004/06/16604-14704-qinghai-china.html

For a trip report for New Caledonia and Australia in December 2003 with some scanned slides see: 

http://eastsussexbirding.blogspot.co.uk/2003/12/6603-311213-australia-new-caledonia.html



For a trip report for south-east Brazil in June 2003 (no images added yet) see:

http://eastsussexbirding.blogspot.co.uk/2003/06/26603-19703-south-east-brazil.html

For a trip report of a week's birding in winter in California in January 2003 with some scanned slides see:

http://eastsussexbirding.blogspot.co.uk/2002/12/california-301202-6103.html

For a trip report for southeast Australia in December 2002 with some scanned slides see:

http://eastsussexbirding.blogspot.co.uk/2002/12/southeast-australia-71202-301202.html



For a trip report for Sulawesi & Halmahera, Indonesia in May 2002 (no images) see:
http://eastsussexbirding.blogspot.co.uk/2002/05/25502-15602-sulawesi-halmahera-indonesia.html

For a trip report for Ecuador in December 2001 with some scanned slides see:
http://eastsussexbirding.blogspot.co.uk/2001/12/ecuador-13-th-december-2001-to-4-th.html




For a trip report for Chile in October 2001 (no images added yet) see:
http://eastsussexbirding.blogspot.co.uk/2001/10/311001-241101-chile.html

For a trip report for New Zealand in December 2000 (no images added yet) see:
http://eastsussexbirding.blogspot.co.uk/2000/12/101200-6101-new-zealand.html

For a trip report for Papua New Guinea in June 2000 (no images added yet) see:
http://eastsussexbirding.blogspot.co.uk/2000/06/27600-25700-papua-new-guinea.html

For a trip report for Western Australia in December 1999 (no images added yet) see:
http://eastsussexbirding.blogspot.co.uk/1999/12/71299-12100-western-australia.html

For a trip report combining three trips to Thailand in March 1992, February 1999 and May 1999 (no images added yet) see:

http://eastsussexbirding.blogspot.co.uk/1992/03/thailand-19392-4492.html

For a trip report for Madagascar in July 1998 with some images see:

http://eastsussexbirding.blogspot.co.uk/1998/07/15798-to-31798-madagascar.html

For a trip report for Singapore and Malaysia in April 1998 (no images added yet) see:
http://eastsussexbirding.blogspot.co.uk/1998/04/10498-4598-singapore-malaysia.html

For a trip report for Singapore & Darwin, Australia in July 1997 with some scanned slides see:

http://eastsussexbirding.blogspot.co.uk/1997/07/167-3897-singapore-darwin-australia.html

For a trip report on the Langtang & Goisankund treks, Nepal in April 1997 (no images added yet) see:

http://eastsussexbirding.blogspot.co.uk/1997/04/26497-17597-langtang-goisankund-trek.html

For a trip report on India in February 1997 (no images added yet) see:

http://eastsussexbirding.blogspot.co.uk/1997/02/14297-22297-india.html

For a trip report for Peru in October 1996 (no images added yet) see:

http://eastsussexbirding.blogspot.co.uk/1996/10/peru-101096-281096.html

For a trip report for Jamaica in July 1996 (no images added yet) see:

http://eastsussexbirding.blogspot.co.uk/1996/07/8796-22796-jamaica.html

For a trip report for The Philippines in March 1996 (no images added yet) see:

http://eastsussexbirding.blogspot.co.uk/1996/03/31st-march-to-14th-april-1996.html

For a trip report for Argentina in February 1995 (no images added yet) see:

http://eastsussexbirding.blogspot.co.uk/1995/02/11295-4395-argentina.html

For a trip report for Kenya in July 1994 (no images added yet) see:

http://eastsussexbirding.blogspot.co.uk/1994/07/8794-24794-kenya.html

For a trip report for Ecuador in February 1994 (no images added yet) see:

http://eastsussexbirding.blogspot.co.uk/1994/02/7294-1394-ecuador.html

For a trip report for Sabah, Borneo in July 1993 (no images added yet) see:

http://eastsussexbirding.blogspot.co.uk/1993/06/20693-10793-sabah-borneo.html

For a trip report for the Falklands, Antarctica, Tierra del Fuego and south-east Brazil in January 1993 (no images added yet) see:

http://eastsussexbirding.blogspot.co.uk/1993/01/7193-26193-antarctica-chile-argentina.html

For a trip report combining three trips to Thailand in March 1992, February 1999 and May 1999 (no images added yet) see:

http://eastsussexbirding.blogspot.co.uk/1992/03/thailand-19392-4492.html

For a trip report to Venezuela in March 1991 (no images added yet) see:

http://eastsussexbirding.blogspot.co.uk/1991/03/1731991-6491-venezuela.html

For a trip report to South Africa in November 1990 (no images added yet) see:

http://eastsussexbirding.blogspot.co.uk/1990/11/41190-241190-south-africa.html

For a trip report to Costa Rica in February 1990 (no images added yet) see:

http://eastsussexbirding.blogspot.co.uk/1990/02/19290-8390-costa-rica.html

For a trip report to Nepal in January 1989 (no images added yet) see:

http://eastsussexbirding.blogspot.co.uk/1989/01/1189-28189-nepal.html

For a trip report to Singapore & southern Malaysia in August 1988 (no images added yet) see:

http://eastsussexbirding.blogspot.co.uk/1988/08/22888-4988-singapore-southern-malaysia.html

For a trip report to Florida in June 1987 (no images added yet) see:

http://eastsussexbirding.blogspot.co.uk/1987/06/23687-11787-florida.html

For a trip report to The Gambia in April 1987 (no images added yet) see:

http://eastsussexbirding.blogspot.co.uk/1987/04/15487-22487-gambia.html

For a trip report to California & Arizona in August 1986 (no images added yet) see:

http://eastsussexbirding.blogspot.co.uk/1986/08/2886-29886-california-arizona.html

For a trip report to Texas in March 1985 (no images added yet) see:

http://eastsussexbirding.blogspot.co.uk/1985/03/29385-20485-texas.html

For a trip report to Washington DC, USA in August 1984 (no images added yet) see:

http://eastsussexbirding.blogspot.co.uk/1984/08/11884-24884-washington-dc-usa.html

For a trip report to Israel in March 1983 (no images added yet) see:

http://eastsussexbirding.blogspot.co.uk/1983/03/27383-10483-israel.html