It was my final full day on Shetland and I awoke to a dreary day with rain and a north-east wind. After a brief scan too sea at Scord I headed to Sumburgh Head and birded the farm area. Numbers of migrants had dropped off considerably from yesterday with a substantial fall in Blackcap, Goldcrest and Robin numbers. Barnacle Goose flocks were heading south and a large flock of around 175 birds roamed the Fitfull Head and Sumburgh area, a single albino amongst their ranks. The Little Bunting from yesterday was still around the farm but was rather flighty. The Great Grey Shrike was still in the boulder field at Grutness and showed a little better than yesterday's rather fleeting view. My eBird lists can be viewed here and here.
Barnacle Goose flock over Fitfull Head - Sumburgh, Mainland Shetland
Great Grey Shrike - Grutness, Sumburgh, Mainland Shetland
I then headed a short way north to Toab where a 1st winter Bluethroat showed occasionally but a little distantly in a potato field near to the post office. Also in this field were four Brambling and a Siskin. My eBird checklist can be viewed here.
Bluethroat - Toab, Sumburgh, Mainland Shetland
I then headed a short way north again to North Town close to Exnaboe. Here a lovely
Red-breasted Flycatcher showed well in a garden, calling frequently and occasionally being chased by
Robin's. My eBird checklist can be videwed
here.
Red-backed Shrike - North Town, Exnaboe, Mainland Shetland
With little else being in the south of the mainland I headed up to Asta, just to the west of Lerwick for an
Olive-backed Pipit that had been showing well in the Sycamore's around the village. This is a superb area that I had not visited before but am sure to head back to. After a little searching I located the pipit feeding in the leaf litter below the Sycamore's and spent a ten minutes with the bird before it flew, seemingly a short way south, and could not be relocated. My eBird checklist can be viewed
here.
Olive-backed Pipit - Asta, Mainland Shetland
Olive-backed Pipit - Asta, Mainland Shetland
Olive-backed Pipit - Asta, Mainland Shetland
I then headed back south with the intention of doing some general birding but decided to call in on the
Red-backed Shrike at Boddam which eventually showed fairly well as the rain began to fall. I wandered to the derelict cottage at the summit of the hill north of Boddam and in the garden here were a
Blue Tit (scarce on Shetland),
Yellow-browed Warbler and an
Olive-backed Pipit. My eBird checklist can be viewed
here.
Red-backed Shrike - Boddam, Mainland Shetland
I then birded Leebitten and Sandwick but saw relatively little, the highlights being two
Red-throated Diver and six
Swallow at Sandwick. My eBird checklists can be viewed
here and
here.
On my final day I only had an hour or so before needing to get my 10:10 flight back to London. I birded Grutness and saw relatively little, the Great Grey Shrike was still present and I had good views of a lovely male
Siskin. And that was it, time to head back to Hampshire after a fantastic trip to Shetland. My final eBird checklist can be viewed
here.
Siskin- Grutness, Sumburgh, Mainland Shetland
