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.

Chill

A check around patch in the bitterly cold northerly wind and snow was just what i needed to forget about last nights result ! Other than a Robin diving for cover that was it, or so i thought. Approaching home c.20 geese in 2 flocks converged on the flock already feeding in front of the house. Once in the warmth scanned through the 40+ Greylags to find 2 White-fronted Geese, a welcome garden and patch tick. Hopefully they will be around tomorrow so i can assign them to race and try for better pictures.

Big Day Blues

A big day in the life of any Man City fan today, so thought it best to be out of the house doing something until the game arrives. Decided to join Dougie for a spot of birding off isle with the Black-bellied Dipper at Scalloway high on the list. After walking up the burn to the 'big green barn' and no sign we headed back to the car, thankfully some 3/4 of the way down the Dipper appeared in front bombing down the burn. Frustrated by the briefest of views it decided not to fly back up the burn but settle on the roof of the house down by the car, where it stood for a good couple of minutes.

Next up was the catch for Gulls, nothing out of the ordinary so turned my attention elsewhere.

 A trip over to Clickimin produced a Stonechat but as expected not much else.

 

Keep your distance

A bitterly cold day but thankfully no rain. A good check of patch early on produced nothing other than the resident Song Thrush and Robins. A trip over to Sandwick for a female Scaup was thankfully fruitful and a call from John Laurie was most welcome, he had found 4 European Whitefronts in front of Jon's house up at Skaw. As is usual for geese they were very wary and kept there distance well. Lets hope they get bored and fly a couple of miles south to my patch.

Unexpected

Back home finally to wind and rain, not that i am complaining. The past couple of days haven't exactly been the weather for getting out and about, so it was nice to wake up this morning to no rain and a much eased wind. The local Greylag flock has set up camp in front of the house with a count of 40 today and a Robin still resides in the garden. The Water Rail, last seen at the end of November still remains in my neighbours garden, with another neighbour telling me one has been resident also in their garden this winter. On a return visit to try and photograph the Water Rail, which never happened i unexpectedly turned up a female Hawfinch, quite a nice surprise.

Also around patch there has been an influx of thrushes, with Redwings and Fieldfares absolutely everywhere.

Just like bloody buses

What a great way to spend a Sunday ? News of a probable American Bittern at Marton Mere gave hope of a decent days birding. Problem was i never really counted on the amount of standing about involved, staring at the reeds around the mere constantly checking, telling yourself that dark blob is just mangled reeds. Suffice to say after 9 hours of standing i was bloody frozen, and more importantly American Bittern-less. The only saving grace was a supporting cast made up of 3 Long-eared Owls, Short-eared Owl, Peregrine, Cetti's Warbler and 4 Bitterns. Bloody typical i spend all that time at Moore for 1 and end up with 4, all in the space of 10 minutes. Oh well, working next couple of days and the big match on Tuesday then thankfully i can go home. I hope.

If at first you don't succeed ..

Another attempt for the Bittern at Moore NR thankfully paid off today. A brief view it may have been but a view all the same, thankfully no more trudging through the slush in the faint hope. Also at Moore another Adult Med Gull on Birchwood Pool. Also paid a visit to Frodsham for the Water Pipit wintering with its Meadow cousins.

More Moore

Decided on a visit to Moore again today with the hope one of these visits will result in a Bittern, again no such luck. Birchwood Pool was more rewarding though with hundreds of gulls assembled on the ice. Pick of the bunch was 2 adult Med Gulls whilst a juv Iceland Gull was visible on the grass bank towards Arpley landfill. Thousands of gulls were present today on Arpley but the cold under foot prevented me from getting closer and checking them out, maybe another day.

Back for seconds

Went back over, not so old ground on Sunday with Rostherne Mere the first port of call. A pleasant couple of hours in the relative comfort of the hide, unfortunately the wildfowl numbers seem to have dwindled, either that or just hidden ? So turned my attentions to a holly bush, used it seemed as a waiting area for the bird table.

Then made another attempt for the Bittern at Moore, again no luck with just 20+ Lesser Redpoll of note.

Too damn cold

A day out in the company of Malc & Al, with the latter doing a Cheshire year list. First stop a very cold and very frozen Moore NR, with the hope of 1 of the 2 Bitterns that have been seen recently. Not today though. A very good check on Arpley landfill failed to produce any white winged gulls. The feeding stations were more rewarding with a Willow Tit and Tree Sparrows. Next on the list was Rostherne Mere for a redhead Smew. After negotiating our way into the hide we managed to get a distant view of the Smew tight against the mere bank. Last up was Marbury CP for another go at Bittern, no joy here also. But a neck wrenching Tawny Owl more than made up for it. A good day but bloody glad to back indoors and in the warmth.

2010 Brough Yearlist

Local rarity
National rarity

1.1.10.
1. Starling
2. House Sparrow
3. Redwing.
4. Fieldfare
5. Herring Gull
6. Curlew
7. Turnstone
8. Kittiwake
9. Great Black-backed Gull
10. Raven
11. Great Northern Diver
12. Robin
13. Redshank
14. Gannet
15. Shag
16. Eider
17. Rock Dove
18. Hooded Crow
19. Fulmar
20. Long-tailed Duck
21. Wigeon
22. Greylag Goose
23. Oystercatcher
24. Snipe
25. Meadow Pipit
26. Mallard
27. Blackbird
28. Rock Pipit
29. Merlin
30. Grey Heron
31. Ringed Plover
32. Cormorant
33. Lapwing
34. Black Guillemot
35. Red-throated Diver
36. Golden Plover
37. Dunlin
38. Wren
39. Twite
40. Black-headed Gull
41. Common Gull
3.1.10.
42. Whooper Swan
22.1.10.
43. Song Thrush
23.1.10.
44. Hawfinch
45. Water Rail
28.1.10.
46. White-fronted Goose
29.1.10.
47. Mistle Thrush
48. Red-breasted Merganser
30.1.10.
49. Purple Sandpiper
1.2.10.
50. Knot
51. Black-throated Diver
2.2.10.
52. Goldeneye
3.2.10.
53. Guillemot
54. Skylark
55. Snow Bunting
12.2.10.
56. Common Scoter
11.3.10.
57. Collared Dove
16.3.10.
58. Jackdaw
59. Rook
21.3.10.
60. Little Gull
25.3.10.
61. Goldcrest
62. Chiffchaff
63. Chaffinch
64. Dunnock
26.3.10.
65. Brambling
66. Lesser Black-backed Gull
27.3.10.
67. Pied Wagtail
1.4.10.
68. Black Redstart
2.4.10.
69. Wheatear
7.4.10.
70. Great Skua
10.4.10.
71. Teal
72. Tufted Duck
12.4.10.
73. Razorbill
25.4.10.
74. Swallow
75. Willow Warbler
76. Shelduck
26.4.10.
77. Blackcap
78. Linnet
79. Arctic Skua
27.4.10.
80. Carrion Crow
28.4.10.
81. Whimbrel
30.4.10.
82. Wood Pigeon
3.5.10.
83. Common Redpoll
4.5.10.
84. Arctic Tern
85. Puffin
10.5.10.
86. Pied Flycatcher
12.5.10.
87. Lesser Whitethroat
13.5.10.
88. Long-eared Owl
15.5.10.
89. Wood Sandpiper
19.5.10.
90. Common Sandpiper
91. Grasshopper Warbler
28.5.10.
92. Sanderling
1.6.10.
93. Common Tern
2.6.10.
94. Garden Warbler
95. Spotted Flycatcher
11.6.10.
96. Osprey
9.7.10.
97. Bar-tailed Godwit
11.7.10.
98. Swift
3.8.10.
99. Storm Petrel
26.9.10.
100. Redstart
28.9.10.
101. Common Rosefinch
102. Yellow-browed warbler
29.9.10.
103. Whinchat
30.9.10.
104. Sedge Warbler
105. Siskin
1.10.10.
106. Sparrowhawk
2.10.10.
107. Reed Bunting
108. Red-throated Pipit
109. Richards Pipit
3.10.10.
110. Pink-footed Goose
111. Red-breasted Flycatcher
7.10.10.
112. Jack Snipe
6.11.10.
113. Lesser Redpoll