Shetland Mainland - 5th October

The weather forecast was for a windy day with a damp start to the morning and so I decided to have a lay-in and set the alarm for 06:45, I eventually got out of bed at 07:15 and out in the field (well into the car anyway) by 08:00. A Pied-billed Grebe was present at Loch of Spiggie and while I decided to go birding before twitching the grebe the weather was pretty nasty and news came through that the grebe was present and so I decided to head for it first off. I arrived at the road on the west side of the Loch and soon got onto the Pied-billed Grebe, there were around 30 birders present. It was distant and I was somewhat disapointed by the views and had to scrounge some scope views to even be confident that it was at least a grebe. I spent around an hour here and the grebe would frequently disapear into the marginal vegetation for periods of time. Also here were two Swallow, a Slavonian Grebe and several Tufted Duck but it was cold and very windy and so I didn't spend much time looking at anything but the grebe. The Pied-billed Grebe had first been found here on 4th November 2017 remaining until 18th April 2018 and so it looks like it may spend another winter at Loch Spiggie.

Loch of Spiggie perhaps gives an impression of how cold and windy it was

Pied-billed Grebe - Loch of Spiggie, Mainland Shetland

Slavonian Grebe and Tufted Duck - Loch of Spiggie, Mainland Shetland

I then headed north along the west shore of the Loch of Spiggie stopping occasionally but there was little to be seen but for 22 Whooper Swan at the northern end of the loch.

Whooper Swan - Loch of Spiggie, Mainland Shetland

Whooper Swan - Loch of Spiggie, Mainland Shetland

The Cooss - Loch of Spiggie, Mainland Shetland

I continued north through Scousburugh and to Geosetter and spent an hour or so birding here. It was very slow and the only birds I recorded of note were a single Goldcrest, a male Reed Bunting and an Icelandic Redwing.

View over Bay of Scousburgh to Northern Ness and Colsay

The rariety hotspot of Geosetter

Top end of Geosetter, its quite tough work getting up this far as one has to scramble 

along near verticle grassy slopes

Icelandic Redwing - Geosetter, Mainland Shetland

Icelandic Redwing - Geosetter, Mainland Shetland

I then headed to the east coast of the island and birded Levenwick, Upperton and Southpunds and then north to Northwick and Northwick Burn but saw very little. There was a rostrata type Common Redpoll and Icelandic Redwing at Upperton, two Swallow at Levenwick and two Swallow and another Icelandic Redwing at Hoswick but in the strong winds it was very slow going. I spent more time enjoying the landscape than expecting to find a rare, stiil, forecast is for a better day tomorrow so its all to play for......

Leven Wick Bay - Mainland Shetland