8th October 2018 Unst SW4 Overcast

The arrival of flocks of Great Black-backed and Herring Gulls continued in off the sea at Norwick where a look at Valyie produced a Yellow-browed Warbler, 5 Brambling, a Chaffinch and I heard a Redpoll fly south. NorthDale played host to a Pink-footed Goose and Haroldswick added a Yellow-browed Warbler present in the pool roses and a Grey Wagtail in the field with the cattle. We then headed south to Uyeasound where 3 Goldeneye, a Tree Sparrow and a Common Rosefinch proved the highlights.

Pink-footed Goose at NorthDale

First-winter Grey Wagtail at Haroldswick

Twite, House Sparrow & Tree Sparrow at Uyeasound

7th October 2018 Unst SW6 Rain

An early morning walk around Skaw before the forecast heaving rain arrived produced several large flocks of Great Black-backed Gulls and Herring Gulls arriving in off the sea as well as the lingering Blyth's Reed Warbler and 2 Blackcaps.

Great Black-backed and Herring Gulls arriving at Skaw

6th October 2018 Unst NW2 Scattered clouds

Up early and eager for it to get light as it was a calm dry morning for a pleasant change. The first migrant I saw was a Yellow-browed Warbler at Leawart, quickly followed by several Redwings, a Song Thrush, a Barred Warbler and a Chiffchaff at Valyie. At Skaw I at last bumped into the Blyth's Reed Warbler that was found by Geoff and friends a few days ago. Whilst watching the Warbler I inadvertently flushed a Lapland Bunting from the track, that circled a couple of times, before heading along the cliffs towards Lamba Ness. I was then driving to Haroldswick when I met Al driving in the opposite direction. I convinced him to turnaround to take a look together along the line of docks at Haroldswick pool just in case we could refind the Pechora Pipit in today's much better weather and then across the hillside opposite in case the Eastern Yellow Wagtail was still present. I'd just started to drive when I glimpsed a Wagtail drop near a small pool. I stopped in the road and waited for Al to join me and suggested it was worth checking - we walked towards the pool and out popped an alba Wagtail onto the driveway - damn! As we turned to return to our cars I heard a hard 'pit...pit...pit' call and picked out a Pipit flying low overhead and perhaps rather boldly exclaimed 'Pechora'! In all honesty, being probably less than 500m from where I'd found it a couple of days ago, and actually being in the process of going in search of it, rather helped my confidence! Al agreed that it sounded good, and as we'd seen it dropping behind the nearby croft, we parked-up and went in search. Entering the two small long grassy / weedy fields we immediately flushed two Rock Pipits and then a Meadow Pipit.  We continued to walk the long grass to the end of the next field and probably within 5m of the far fence, up flew the Pechora Pipit, called the once and obligingly landed on the fence - brilliant! But almost immediately it flew, calling as it went and dropped back in near the small pool. I didn't have my Smartphone so could just text those I had phone numbers for and Al had left his phone in his car but fortuitously Geoff was passing and he kindly put the news out. A Barred Warbler flew past whilst most of the birders on the island gathered (only those involved in the second organised flush had been successful in seeing it a few days ago) and after a few more flight views and the odd glimpse on the deck Al and I headed off to look for the Wagtail but a close encounter with a large bull caused the only adrenaline rush there! If anything, it then felt colder and with the clear conditions few birds were in evidence at further sites that I checked. Burrafirth added a Moorhen being only the second I've seen on Unst and a Song Thrush. I returned to Haroldswick late afternoon to see if the Pipit was performing any better - but it wasn't - but John Nadin picked out a Little Bunting in a nearby garden and there was a Blackcap feeding along the beach.

Sunrise over Norwick beach

Merlin, like me, in search of a migrant or two!

Lapland Bunting at Skaw

Blyth's Reed Warbler at Skaw

Pechora Pipit at Haroldswick

A sound-recording of its call can be heard here

Birders watching the Pipit

Blackcap at Haroldswick

5th October 2018 Unst WSW7 Showers

The strong westerly made for difficult birding and all I managed to see around Norwick was a Redwing, a Song Thrush and a Fieldfare. Other sites proved even quieter although there were 3 Wheatears together in a field at Haroldswick. Mike then somehow relocated the Spotted Redshank feeding in a narrow roadside ditch near Ungirsta being the first I've seen on Unst.

Redwing at Norwick

Spotted Redshank near Ungirsta

4th October 2018 Unst SW6 Rain clearing

Unpleasant weather conditions persisted for most of the day with the rain failing to clear much before mid-afternoon. There were clearly a few new arrivals as a look around Haroldswick, Norwick and Skaw produced a Pink-footed Goose, a Long-tailed Duck, 2 Song Thrushes, a Fieldfare, a Blackcap, a Common Rosefinch and 2 Bramblings.

Song Thrush at Norwick

my first of the Autumn

Common Rosefinch at Norwick

Fieldfare along Holsens road

my first for the Autumn

3rd October 2018 Unst NW1 Overcast

My early morning circuit had produced a Barred Warbler and a Yellow-browed Warbler and then a Blyth's Lesser Whitethroat. I returned for brunch and we set out again. As we reached Haroldswick I  decided to walk through the line of docks almost half-anticipating there should be a Little Bunting somewhere on Unst and it has proved a good place for the species in past Autumns. As I walked through a small Pipit took to the air, steeply climbed but probably to less than 15 feet and almost spiraled back to the ground - it hadn't called. Based primarily on it not calling, it ran through my mind '...that might be a Pechora!' I guess subconsciously those sort of thoughts frequently run through your mind only to usually be quickly dashed. I walked towards where it had dropped and then suddenly saw it stood upright, motionless, simply looking around. Raising my bins, 'bloody hell, it is a Pechora!! Brilliant, a find tick! As I instinctively raised my camera I thought that I saw it move to the left, so was pleasantly surprised to see that it hadn't, it was still there, still stood upright! I pretty much left my finger on the trigger and the image timings show that it remained in view for just 30 seconds before moving to the right and immediately out of view. I stood still, scanning, hoping to see it creeping around but I couldn't. After just a couple of minutes, for no apparent reason, a Pipit then took flight, remained silent, and it was off, away, across the pool and gaining height. I was pretty sure that it was it, and rattled off a few increasingly distant flight shots, before it dropped into the extensive area of grass the far side of the pool. Just in case it wasn't the Pechora, I walked back and forth through the dock but no sign. No phone signal, a dash to Boordanoost but Al was out, it hadn't returned to the line of docks, a signal from the viking ship but not strong enough for whatsapp to load the image, drive to the top of the hill and whatsapp/texts sent. The only previous time I had seen Pechora Pipit (here) in the UK I received the tragic news that one of the best rarity-finding friends, Kevin Johnston, had passed away, and in the immediate aftermath of seeing today's, I'd thought of Kev. Little did I know that literally just a few minutes after sending the first Whatsapp message, I'd be receiving an email containing the very sad news that one of my long-term birding friends - that I'd literally twitched the length and breadth of Britain and Ireland with - Steve Mawby, had lost his battle against pancreatic cancer and had passed away last Friday. So many memories. My thoughts are with his family. This one's for you Steve...

Blyth's Lesser Whitethroat at the Heritage Centre

Pechora Pipit at Haroldswick

1st October 2018 Unst NW4 Overcast

Being a cold morning I wasn't too surprised that I had failed to see a new migrant. However, Pete Aley and his teams have an enviable reputation for finding rarities on their regular Autumn visits to Shetland, and even with the weather seemingly against them this visit, Pete and Roy McCarthy found a River Warbler in the iris beds at Gardie at the south end of Loch of Cliff just west of Baliasta - a brilliant find and the first record for Unst. I joined the gathering birders and enjoyed some brief but nice views as it was coaxed into view before it settled into a discrete patch of irises where it was then showing very occasionally of its own accord.

Gardie

River Warbler at Gardie