Gripped off !

We all want to see rare birds and Shetland is probably the best place to see them, but not at the moment. All my pals down south are quite rightly gripping me off, big time. Today alone has seen no more than 6 lifers on offer around the south of the UK with Collared Flycatcher, Crested Lark, Eastern Bonelli's Warbler, Savi's Warbler, Pallid Harrier and Pallid Swift. I am sure in the up and coming months i will (hopefully) be getting my own back with the vast array of rarities these wonderful isles produce annually, but looks like i will have to wait. Yesterdays optimism for today was forgotten as i struggled in the wind to find anything of note, the Mealy Redpolls increased to 6 with the Lesser Whitethroat for company still. New birds were a Swallow at the Houb and a Chiffchaff at the top of the road. Still, as they say "there is always tomorrow" !