19th April 2021 Unst S4 Clear

Still breezy but an improvement on yesterday. There was a Wheatear and a Brambling in our garden. Burrafirth was playing host to a Pink-footed Goose, a Woodpigeon, a Pied Wagtail, 7 Wheatears and a Redwing. On arriving at Skaw I'd seen a 2cy Iceland Gull, a Woodpigeon, a Pied Wagtail, 2 Wheatears, a Redwing and a Brambling before walking to the beach, where I heard a commotion, and there was the Sea-Eagle flying over the sea heading for Lamba Ness where it cleared the cliffs and flew over the wartime buildings near the tip before continuing low south and out of view followed by an angry entourage of Gulls and Ravens! I walked out to the headland where there was a Hen Harrier floating around. A walk around Norwick produced another encounter with the Hen Harrier now heading for NorthDale, 3 Sparrowhawks, a Merlin, a Woodpigeon, 2 Pied Wagtails, 4 Wheatears and a Brambling.

 

Pink-footed Goose & Greylag Goose at Burrafirth

White-tailed Sea-Eagle over Lamba Ness

2cy female Hen Harrier at Skaw

2cy female Hen Harrier at Norwick

Female Sparrowhawk at Vaylie

As nice as it is to see a good number of Spaarowhawks on the island I only saw a single passerine whilst at Valyie today!

18th April 2021 Unst S6 Clear

A strong southerly wind made for challenging conditions today as most places visited lacked much shelter. A Chiffchaff present in our garden gave me hope of an arrival of migrants but it proved a false dawn (for me at least). Skaw was still playing host to the male Blue-headed Wagtail, a White Wagtail, 2 Wheatears and the male Blackcap. A walk around Norwick added a Sparrowhawk, a 2cy Iceland Gull, a Grey Plover, 10 Woodpigeons, 2 Pied Wagtails, 3 Wheatears and yesterday's Chiffchaff.

Male Blue-headed Wagtail at Skaw

Sonogram from a sound-recording of a flight call obtained at Skaw (left) yesterday (here) proving an near-identical match to a sonogram obtained of a M.f. flava obtained by Manceau Lionel in France the day before (here)

colour-ringed Rock Pipit 10/4/21

Kjell Mork Soot has kindly replied with the ringing details of the colour-ringed Rock Pipit AEM seen on Norwick beach on the 10th April. It was ringed at Lista Bird Observatory, south Norway as a first-winter male on the 24th September 2018 and subsequently seen at Wimereux, Pas-de-Calais, France on 11th March 2019. Kjell added some additional thoughts ''I think this bird is colour marked on migration in Southern Norway. The bird has been wintering in France (they often return to the same locality every winter), and this spring it has gone to south-east  England (from France) and has flown along the east coast of UK to Shetland. From there it will go to breeding ground further north in Norway. This spring a lot of colour ringed  Rock Pipits are seen in south east in England. I think some may have come from France.''

17th April 2021 Unst S3 Overcast

Another day where the cold wind increased during the day. Whilst at Skaw I saw a Peregrine, a Redwing, 2 Wheatears, the Blue-headed Wagtail, the 5 White Wagtails, a Pied Wagtail and 2 Chiffchaffs. At Lamba Ness there was a Teal, a Redwing and 3 Wheatears. A walk around Norwick produced 3 Sparrowhawks in the air together, a Woodpigeon, 2 Wheatears, a Pied Wagtail, a Chiffchaff, 2 Goldcrests, a Chaffinch and my first Brambling of the year. At Burrafirth I saw a pair of Wigeon, a Sparrowhawk, 2 Wheatears and a Pied Wagtail. Haroldswick added a Sparrowhawk, a Collared Dove and my first Carrion Crow of the year and NorthDale a Sparrowhawk and 2 Woodpigeon. Whilst mowing our lawn a Sand Martin looped around our house before heading for the beach and from the comfort of an armchair I found the bird of the day being a transitional-plumaged White-billed Diver sat off the south cliffs of Lamba Ness.

Male Blue-headed Wagtail at Skaw

Chiffchaff at Skaw

Teal at Lamba Ness

Brambling at Norwick

my latest 'earliest' date since living on Unst

White-billed Diver off Lamba Ness

16th April 2021 Unst S5 Clear

Clear overnight and another bright but far windier day than yesterday. A walk around Norwick had produced a Sparrowhawk being chased by a Fulmar, my first Sand Martin of the year, the White Wagtail and a Song Thrush when we heard a Raven 'cronking' and saw Greylags taking to the air so looked up to the sight of an immature White-tailed Eagle virtually hanging in the air above us before it drifted off west. Mike found a male Blue-headed Wagtail at Skaw so we made a visit early this evening by which time there were also 5 White Wagtails present, 5 Wheatears, my first Blackcap of the year and 3 Chiffchaffs.

Sand Martin at Norwick

exactly matching my previous earliest date on Shetland that was in 2019

Fulmar mobbing a Sparrowhawk at Norwick

Immature White-tailed Eagle at Norwick

The lack of a moult contrast in its secondaries point to it being a 2cy. The third year in a row that we've seen one over Norwick.

Male Blue-headed Wagtail at Skaw

the first Yellow Wagtail I've seen on Shetland since 2017

Chiffchaff at Skaw

bearing a shiny new metal ring

Male Blackcap at Skaw

Exactly the same date that I saw my first for the year last year.

15th April 2021 Unst S2 Overcast

A nice calm albeit frosty morning after a very clear night. A Wheatear was on the fenceline outside our house, 2 Redwings were still behind our house and my first Swallow of the year was on fencelines at NorthDale. A walk around Norwick produced a female Merlin bearing a metal ring, my first White Wagtail of the year, a Pied Wagtail and 3 Redwings. There was a Wheatear along Holsens road and Skaw produced my first Chiffchaff of the year and the Wheatear was still present there with another seen on Lamba Ness where the blue Fulmar was also present and a few Puffins offshore.

Swallow at NorthDale

White Wagtail at Norwick

Chiffchaff at Skaw

blue Fulmar at Lamba Ness

14th April 2021 Unst W4 Overcast

There was still a cold wind today but the cloud cleared around midday making for a sunny afternoon. A visit to Skaw produced a Merlin, a Bonxie, 2 Woodpigeons, 3 Redwings and our first Wheatear of the year. A walk around Norwick added my first Barnacle Goose of the year, a Merlin, 2 Puffins, 2 Woodpigeons, 6 Redwings, a singing Goldcrest and a Great Tit. Burrafirth was still playing host to a few Gulls including a 2cy Glaucous Gull.

Wheatear at Skaw

my latest 'earliest' Wheatear since living here

Barnacle Goose at Norwick