Rare Bird Alert News
Red-backed Shrike fem. at Culsetter, Loch of Spiggie. Wood Warbler, Pied Flycatcher at Helendale, Wood Warbler at Burn of Sound, Waxwings x 6 at Isleburgh Hostel, Lerwick. Wryneck, Pied Flycatchers x 2 at Geosetter Burn. Pied Flycatcher, Ring Ouzel at Hoswick. Bluethroat in quarry, Ring Ouzels x 2, Pied Flycatcher at Quendale. Wryneck, Wood Warbler, Pied Flycatcher at Loch of Hillwell. Red-backed Shrike male at Sumburgh Hotel. Wryneck in garden at Grutness. Wood Warbler in plantation at Vidlin. Wood Warbler by Beach Road, Wryneck, Wood Warbler at North Punds, Levenwick. Ring Ouzel in quarry at Sumburgh Head. Green-winged Teal at Loch of Trondavoe. Eastern Subalpine Warbler in garden at Scatness. Wryneck at Ringasta. Pied Flycatcher at Brae Community Woodland. Ring Ouzels x 4 on Mossy Hill, Pied Flycatcher male at Scousburgh.
Pied Flycatchers x 7 on Fetlar.
Bluethroat, Icterine Warbler, Wrynecks x 7, Red-backed Shrike,
Wood Warbler, Pied Flycatchers x 2, Ring Ouzels x 2, Black Redstarts x 2 on
Out Skerries.
Pied Flycatcher at Gutcher, Yell.
Mealy Redpolls x 4, Glaucous Gull at Baltasound, Unst.
My
electrician was supposed to be at my house today to finish some work, including putting in an extractor
fan in the bathroom and putting up a new chrome towel rail, so I knew I
wasn't going anywhere for a few hours, but he warned me last night he
wasn't well, and confirmed this morning that he still wasn't well. So,
being as I didn't get out early for birding, I changed my plans for the
day.
Its
extremely unusual for me to stay at home on my day off, when there were
so many good birds to see and potentially find. Did I miss anything I
haven't seen before? No, otherwise I would have left the house. My late
mother's plants, which have been in pots since we sold the family home
in 2019, have been seriously pot bound for a long time now. With a
gloriously sunny and warm day here, I felt I just had to focus and get
these sorted. I went to the garden centre again and bought four more
bags of seaweed compost and more large pots – I'm probably their
best customer over the last few weeks!
It
was 18c here today and almost too hot! My postman Donald said it was
too hot for him and another man chatting to me mid evening when I was
gardening said he was thinking of emigrating somewhere cooler after the
heat today! They wouldn't have coped with the serious heat down south! I had a single Fieldfare on Gallows Hill behind my house and an almost black feral pigeon amongst the Rock Doves. Had the usual Siskins, Bramblings, House Sparrows, Starlings and Collared Doves in the garden.
After repotting and sorting out all my pots in the patio area I
went to the chinese takeaway and had my tea sitting outside in the garden – I wasn't expecting to be able to do this in early May! I then started work in the front garden. I replanted a type of hebe that was
pot bound (already here when I moved in) into the front border of the
garden and also with lots of hard work and digging out slate and stones I
transplanted two of my mother's largest plants: Brachyglottis 'Sunshine'. I have seen these all over Shetland, so hopefully they will do well in my garden. Got the hose pipe out and watered everything and came indoors at 10.30pm!
My builder is coming tomorrow to insulate and put in my new floor. I have had to wait weeks and weeks to get this done. I don't think he works on Saturday's normally, so he's working an extra day to get the job done for me, which I appreciate. He is also going to insulate the two outside walls in the office, but don't think that will get done tomorrow as well. Whilst this is going on, I will finish sorting out pots and plants in the front garden and dig over the border with the Elder, Rowan Tree and Rhubarb, as I have bought some new plants to put in there. New plants bought recently and potted up today were Thyme (my thyme didn't survive the Winter in Lerwick), Borage, Purple Sage, Hebe (Veronica). Blackbird singing again on the top of a tall conifer
until after dark!
See Jill's account of migrants on her blog here, including a stonking male Bluethroat in the quarry at Quendale.
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