9th October 2020 Unst N1 Overcast

I started at Valyie where it seemed a little quieter for migrants than in recent days albeit I saw 4 Blue Tits, the Common Rosefinch and the Little Bunting. Skaw added a Jack Snipe and another Blue Tit and Brenda saw 2 Blue Tits in our garden. During a visit to Quoys I found my first Bullfinch of the year - it appeared large but its call sounded very ordinary and it certainly wasn't trumpeting! On returning to Norwick I heard some Redpolls overflying heading towards Valyie so I made another visit and was pleased to refind the Arctic Redpoll from a couple of days ago. It appeared smaller than some of the accompanying Northwestern Redpolls, and whilst employing a little playback of Coues's Arctic Redpoll, it was the only bird present to show any interest by first attempting to land on my shoulder and then my cap! Thinking it would be my 'bird of the day', Brydon found a Lanceolated Warbler at Baltasound that Mike caught and we enjoyed seeing it be released... and it flying and disappearing straight into cover.

Jack Snipe at Skaw

Bullfinch at Quoys

Northwestern Redpoll at Valyie

Arctic Redpoll at Valyie

I've struggled assessing the size of this Redpoll but whilst alongside a Northwestern Redpoll today it appeared both smaller and sleeker that I think pushes it firmly into the territory of being a Coues's. As it is associating with Northwestern Redpolls it is of course worth bearing in mind that Shirihai & Svensson (2018) note that the breeding population of Redpolls in Iceland includes pale birds that appear identical to Arctic Redpoll and have biometrics intermediate between the hornemanni and exilipes that might require naming...

Lanceolated Warbler at Baltasound

7th October 2020 Unst NW3 Overcast

For a pleasant change there was plenty of early morning visible diurnal migration over Norwick with a few flocks of Meadow Pipits, Redwings, a Fieldfare, several flocks of Brambling and even 8 Goldcrests were seen to take to the air and fly as a loose flock inland from Valyie. Whilst this was nice to see it also likely resulted in what amounted to a very brief encounter with an Arctic Redpoll that flushed from the ground at Valyie with c.8 Redpolls that I took to be a small flock of Mealy Redpolls at the time. They all alighted in the sycamores and having only secured a few images of the Arctic the entire flock took flight calling but I anticipated/hoped that they would simply circle around before settling again. But there was a flock of c.20 Redwings flying overhead and inland at the time and much to my horror the Redpolls climbed-up into the sky to initially loosely associate with the Thrushes for a while before separating from them until I lost them as specks high in the sky heading towards Saxa Vord camp. Whilst at Valyie I also saw c.10 Robins, a Yellow-browed Warbler, the Common Rosefinch and 2 Little Buntings. Geoff & Robbie then very kindly helped us set a new window at our house that took a fair while during which time a Common Redstart, a Chiffchaff, 2 Blackcaps, a Goldcrest and a Blue Tit spent varying times in our garden and a few Brambling overflew. During the afternoon I headed for Lamba Ness seeing a Jack Snipe, 2 Bluethroats and another 10 Robins. Skaw added a Yellow-browed Warbler and 3 Chiffchaffs.

Redwings moving overhead from the off this morning

Arctic Redpoll at Valyie

Whilst the bird was immediately arresting when in flight among the other Redpolls by virtue of its large white rump and overall white ground-colour it didn't strike me as large as the recent Hornemann's Arctic Redpolls seen at Skaw and Burrafirth, and in fact, little different in size to the accompanying Redpolls - not that I paid them much attention with the brevity of the encounter - so perhaps they were Northwestern rather than Mealy Redpolls that would undermine my size assessment? Hopefully it will yet resurface on the island ...

First-winter female Bluethroat at Lamba Ness

the other was a male

6th October 2020 Unst E5 Rain clearing

Not too much time for birding today but we were pleased to catch-up with an adult Great Grey Shrike roaming around the Ungirsta mires this evening that had been found nearby earlier in the day.

Great Grey Shrike at Ungirsta

5th October 2020 Unst SE3 Clear

A nice calm morning to be out birding and there were still plenty of migrants lingering on the island with good numbers of Redwings, Song Thrushes, Robins, Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs and Goldcrests seen at most sites visited. We also saw a Common Redstart at Baltasound, a Siberian Chiffchaff and Yellow-browed Warbler at Clingera, Rob Dowley's Red-breasted Flycatcher at Baliasta, a Spotted Flycatcher at Norwick, Reed Buntings at Lamba Ness and Norwick, the Little Bunting and Common Rosefinch at Valyie and a Blue Tit in our garden. It was also really good to see Graham & Mary Bundy out birding today and that they'd found a Yellow-browed Warbler at NorthDale.

Common Redstart at Baltasound

Red-breasted Flycatcher at Baliasta

Spotted Flycatcher at Norwick

Blue Tit at Millfield

3rd October 2020 Unst SE5 Rain clearing

Another wet and windy start to the day. From the off there were birds in our garden including a Redwing, 2 Blackcaps, a Goldcrest, a Chaffinch and a surprise Blue Tit - bearing a ring. On the way to Skaw I saw a Water Rail, a few Redwings, 2 Song Thrushes, a couple of Phylloscs flick across the road and a Wheatear so my hopes were high. It was then something of a disappointment that Skaw proved rather similar to yesterday with 14 Redwings, 2 Song Thrush, a Robin, 8 Blackcaps, 3 Chiffchaffs, 2 Goldcrests, a Chaffinch and a Reed Bunting seen. A look around Norwick added 3 Swallows, a Dunnock, 2 Stonechats, 30 Redwings, 10 Blackcaps, 5 Chiffchaffs, 2 Yellow-browed Warblers, a Goldcrest, 20 Bramblings and a Greenland Redpoll and 2 Blue Tits (one bearing a ring) at Leawart and a party of 5 at Valyie. A walk out on Lamba Ness produced a Long-tailed Duck, 10 Robins, a Dunnock, a Red-backed Shrike, a Little Bunting, 6 Lapland Buntings and a Snow Bunting. However, the highlight of the afternoon were the flocks of  Barnacle Geese arriving over Lamba Ness that amounted to 670 including a leucistic individual. I met Mike at Burrafirth where we saw a Long-tailed Duck, a Blackcap, 2 Chiffchaffs, 3 Reed Buntings and the lingering Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll along the burn and 2 Blackcaps, a Chiffchaff, a Yellow-browed Warbler and 6 Bramblings at the Shore Station.

Blue Tit at Millfield

Blue Tit at Leawart

Blue Tits flying off high towards NorthDale

Dunnock at Norwick

Barnacle Geese over Lamba Ness

leucistic Barnacle Goose at Lamba Ness

Red-backed Shrike at Lamba Ness

Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll at Burrafirth

2nd October 2020 Unst SE6 Rain clearing

A wet and windy start to the day that soon improved. Skaw in the early morning rain held a selection of bedraggled common migrants including Song Thrushes, Redwings, Robins, Blackcaps and Goldcrests. Norwick added a Sparrowhawk, 2 Swallows, 10 Blackcaps, 2 Yellow-browed Warblers, 2 Chiffchaffs, a Willow Warbler, 2 Goldcrests, 3 Greenland and 3 Mealy Redpolls. I said farewell to Jamie at NorthDale where it felt appropriate that we found a nicely coloured-up Little Bunting. I revisited the Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler but it was still proving furtive at the Shore Station where I also saw a Stonechat, a Yellow-browed Warbler and the Little Bunting.

Little Bunting at NorthDale

1st October 2020 Yell, Fetlar & Unst SE4 Rain

Whilst it dawned as wet as it was forecast it wasn't as windy so having spent an uneventful 3 hours at work I spent my first break revisiting the Arctic Warbler that Jim had relocated at Gutcher this morning. Just back at work and I received the news that there was a possible Two-barred Greenish Warbler on Fetlar that proved too tempting to ignore. I arrived at Gutcher a minute too late for the ferry to see it exiting the harbour and heading for Hamars Ness. I stopped my car in the Fetlar queue and the ferry crew happened to see me do so and turned the ferry around and returned to the harbour - where else in the World would you benefit from such brilliant service - thank you! I joined Dave Bywater and Andy Cook at the Lodge but frustratingly always found myself at the wrong end of the gardens for the few glimpses it afforded to the others as the weather deteriorated. Dave then mentioned there was a Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler at Burrafirth so I headed for the 3.30pm ferry whereupon getting a phone signal I saw that Jamie had struck gold and had obtained a brilliant image - gripping! I made my way to Burrafirth where it was relocated just prior to dusk behind the smoke house - superb! Very well done Jamie!

Arctic Warbler at Gutcher

Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler at the Shore Station