Friday 30 September 2016

After the storm 2

Another storm yesterday, but the patch stayed pretty much the same - 7 Wheatear, 2 Blackcap, 1 Grey Plover, 1 Grey Heron and 52 Pink-footed Geese. A female Chaffinch was new in.
Blackcap
Grey Plover
Pink-footed Geese
A bit of an Aurora at about midnight

Wednesday 28 September 2016

After the storm

Out on the patch again after yesterday's south westerly storm, surprisingly it had brought 2 Blackcaps and a Lesser Whitethroat to the garden. Around the rest of the patch there was little change with 3 Grey Plover, 4 Knot, 1 Kestrel, 1 Golden Plover, 1 Grey Heron, 10 Wheatear, 21 Twite and 71 fly over Pink-footed Geese.
Grey Plover
Kestrel
Knot
Twite
Wheatear

Tuesday 27 September 2016

More Lights

A bit of a show of the Aurora last night, not as good as on Sunday night though.

Monday 26 September 2016

Last Night's Show

Stunning show of the Aurora last night, a few photos taken from the garden between 9pm and 10pm.

Sunday 25 September 2016

Pegger

Not a great deal on the patch - 3 Blackbirds and a Lesser Whitethroat in the garden, juv Peregrine hunting around the Loch and 70 Pink-footed Geese over.
Peregrine
Pink-footed Geese
Blackbird
Lesser Whitethroat

Saturday 24 September 2016

RBF

So being as it was blowing a 50mph southerly gale, I thought that I would head out onto the 'Island' for a seawatch, besides hundreds of Gannets, after 3 hours all I had seen was 15 Black-tailed Godwits, so I headed back home. I had already checked the garden a few times this morning - 1 Goldcrest and a female Blackcap, so I wasn't expecting much when I checked it again, and there in front of the kitchen window - Red-breasted Flycatcher, the 3rd record for the garden and only the 4th I've seen at Scatness.
Red-breasted Flycatcher
Black-tailed Godwits

Thursday 22 September 2016

Boost

   Birds started arriving yesterday afternoon starting with a Little Bunting at the top of one of the Geos before flying off towards the cow fields in a south-easterly gale, needless to say I couldn't relocate it, Whinchat, Barred Warbler and Jack Snipe were in among the docks.
    Today was most pleasant with virtually no wind and birds started showing themselves a bit better, in the garden there was 1 Yellow-browed Warbler, a Chiffchaff and a Goldcrest, 28 Pink-footed Geese flew south over the house with a Pale-bellied Brent in amongst them. In the docks there was a Lesser Whitethroat, another Yellow-browed and 2 Blackcaps with 2 flyover Grey Plovers. Around the Loch there were 5 Grey Herons, 3 Swallows and a Lapland Bunting. A Whinchat was by West Voe car park.
Yellow-browed Warblers
Brent Goose and Pink-footed Geese
Lapland Bunting
Whinchat
The Docks
Tonight's Sunset

Tuesday 20 September 2016

Collared

More hard work on the patch, I only managed 2 Lesser Whitethroats, 1 Grey Plover, 14 Golden Plover and a neck-collared Greylag Goose.
Golden Plovers
Neck-collared Greylag


The movements and history of today's collared Greylag Goose -
Loch of Clumlie, south Mainland, Shetland HU4017  16/07/2011
Setter Marsh, Spiggie HU3715 20/08/2011
Setter Marsh, Spiggie HU3715 17/10/2011
Boddam, Mainland HU3915 17/11/2011
Ringasta, Mainland HU3714 11/12/2011
Boddam, Mainland HU3915 29/01/2012
Boddam, Mainland HU3915 15/02/2012
Boddam, Mainland HU3915 11/03/2012
Culsetter HU3715 02/04/2012
Spiggie, Shetland HU3715 28/08/2012
Spiggie, Shetland HU3715 30/08/2012
Ringasta, Shetland HU3714 17/09/2012
Ringasta, Shetland HU3814 03/10/2012
Spiggie, Shetland HU3715 07/10/2012
Ringasta, Shetland HU3814 14/10/2012
Loch of Hillwell HU3713 19/10/2012
Ringasta, Shetland HU3814 24/12/2012
Ringasta, Mainland HU3714 06/01/2013
Boddam, Mainland HU3915 12/01/2013
Spiggie, Shetland HU3715 16/03/2013
Setter Marsh, Spiggie HU3716 30/08/2013
Setter Marsh, Spiggie HU3716 31/08/2013
Quendale HU3712 07/10/2013
Spiggie, Shetland HU3715 01/12/2013
Boddam, Mainland HU3915 26/01/2014
Loch of Clumlie, south Mainland, Shetland        HU4017 27/09/2015
Loch of Clumlie, south Mainland, Shetland HU4017 20/12/2015
Loch of Clumlie, south Mainland, Shetland HU4017 12/03/2016
Loch of Clumlie, south Mainland, Shetland HU4017 26/03/2016
Loch of Clumlie, south Mainland, Shetland HU4017 27/08/2016
Old Scatness, Mainland, Shetland HU3910        20/09/2016


Sunday 18 September 2016

Grape Lovers

3 Grey Plovers on the patch today and not much else - 1 Blackcap and 2 Ruff.
Grey Plovers

Saturday 17 September 2016

Sir Lancy

Over three hours thrashing the patch today  - nowt! Three hours for 3 Ruff and 2 Blackcaps!
Just off the patch at the Sumburgh Hotel there was a Lanceolated Warbler, so I nipped across the bay to have a squint at that.
Initially it was showing like this -

 
And then a bit better -
 

Then even better - 
 

And finally in the hand -

And today's birds from Scatness -
Blackcap
Ruff

Friday 16 September 2016

Barred

On the patch today - 2 Willow Warblers, 1 Whinchat, 1 Shoveler, 1 Bar-tailed Godwit, 3 Grey Heron, 1 Golden Plover, 2 Pink-footed Geese, 1 Lapland Bunting, 1 Little Stint and a Barred Warbler.
Barred Warbler
Bar-tailed Godwit with Curlews
Grey Heron
Little Stint