Show off

A brisk northerly wind but good spells of sunshine was the order of the day. A good check round patch as usual but nothing to show for it, apart from the very showy Purple Sandpipers at the Houb.

Elsewhere on the isle, the female Scaup is still on Sandwick Loch and a Woodcock was up at Skaw.
Elsewhere, pals from the Wirral have embarked on a 3 week tour of Antarctica catch all there goings on at Southern Seas Seawatchers.

Change

The cold northerly wind has returned but thankfully it had something to show for it ? The usual Greylag flock that was so elusive yesterday returned to the fields in front of the house with a count of 48. The Knot was still at the Houb, a Hooded Crow was on the beach feasting on a washed up seal carcass and a Merlin upset the calm by exercising the Ringed Plovers.

A drive around the isle was in danger of being unproductive, thankfully an Iceland Gull was at Hamister, showing quite well at times. Not sure on the age, 2w? Also a Woodcock flew by.

When I returned home the postman had delivered a complimentary copy of this Italian birdwatching journal. Complimentary because they published my Cowbird photo for their Western Paleartic review 2009. My best return for photos, 4 journals in a month. Must be doing something right ?

Knot alot

Since the relative highs of Wednesday its as you would expect, very quiet. A trip into Lerwick yesterday meant a visit to the catch, again no white-winged gulls ? This must be a record low for Shetland with just the odd record here and there. A text off Jon also yesterday to let me know the Black-throated Diver had now made its way up to Skaw, but returned in fading light so no prospects of grabbing a photo. Dougie and his better half visited today and a quick scoot round Brough only produced the Knot still at the Houb. Even the Greylags in front of the house have dwindled to a measly 5 from the dizzy heights of 55.  It can't be to long until something half decent turns up surely ?

Snow at last !

For the most it was blue skies and sunshine with just the occasional snow shower. No wind meant a clam sea to scan although it didn't produce anything different. 7 Great Northern Divers, a single Red-throated, scores of Long-tailed Ducks and a lone Guillemot. The Knot was at the Houb with the Golden Plovers. A check of the cabbages above the rig produced 2 Skylarks and 10+ Twite.

Whilst photographing a very obliging Blackbird (makes a change) a male Snow Bunting flew by calling, fortunately it didn't go straight through and showed incredibly well in a ditch beside the road. This makes up for the ones I missed last year (funnily enough in the same spot) and also made a nice patch tick.

Ducks

A bitterly cold day but thankfully we had some good spells of sunshine. Managed to add another to the year list with a male Goldeneye scoped on Vatshoull Loch, this is the only loch i can see from patch that gets any kind of wildfowl. A Song Thrush was on patch at the Houb and for a change stuck around so i could get a picture and a 'long-billed' Starling was in the garden. Had a quick drive around the isle but the only birds of note were a Coot (probably the Vatshoull bird i missed) and the Scaup still on Sandwick Loch.

Ticking along

Still very cold with intermittent snow showers means a lot more being inside than out at the moment. A call from John Laurie this morning alerted me to a Knot just beside my house with the local Golden Plover flock, as much as i tried i could not get it onto the garden list so hopped in the car and drove round to add it to the year list. The Greylag flock persists in front of the house still with 55 being the maximum count yesterday. A check of the Houb in the faint hope of a Little Auk resting in the bay paid off with the Black-throated Diver again, over at Challister Ness. Thats 2 more to the list and thankfully passed the 50 mark.

Bandwagon

You may or may not be aware but down in the South Mainland a battle has comenced ? A patch yearlist competition is taking place between Steve Minton (Scatness), Rob Fray (Virkie/Toab), Gary Bell (Sumburgh), Paul Harvey (Quendale) and Russ Haywood (Quarff). Not one to miss a challenge, though not exactly geographically correct i have entered Brough into the mix. If nothing else it will be a good gauge against some of Shetlands premier birding hotspots.
Full Brough list can be found here.

Bird news today, the 2 Whitefronts were once again in front of the house and seem to be of the Greenland race, though closer inspection would help to be sure, and a Mistle Thrush was new associating with the Fieldfares.