Rare Bird Alert News
Red-backed Shrike male, Wood Warbler, Hawfinch, Pied Flycatcher at Helendale, Lerwick. Waxwing at Sandveien, Sound, Lerwick. Hawfinch in garden at Sandwick. Hawfinch in garden at Scalloway. Wood Warbler at West Burrafirth, Bridge of Walls. Pied Flycatchers x 4, Ring Ouzel at Geosetter. Ring Ouzel at Quendale. Pied Flycatchers x 2 at Quendale Mill. Wryneck at Clumlie, Boddam. Wood Warbler in plantation at Vidlin. Red-backed Shrike in garden at Spiggie. Pied Flycatcher, Mealy Redpolls x 4 at Brae. Hawfinch at Sandgarth, north of Voe.
Waxwing at Burravoe, White-billed Diver at Vatsetter, Turtle Dove on Yell.
White-billed Diver at sea from MV.Resolute, Red-spotted Bluethroat, Icterine Warbler, Red-backed Shrike, Wrynecks x 5, Pied Flycatchers x 6, Ring Ouzels x 2, Black Redstarts x 2 on Out Skerries.
Icterine Warbler, Pied Flycatcher at Northdale, Pied Flycatcher at Skaw, Unst.
The last of my Roamwild birders feeders arrived yesterday and I managed to get them set up late evening. I woke up seriously early and went straight to peer out of the stable door at the bird feeders. A big bulky bird was sitting in the tree, another Hawfinch! A female this time, it was looking agitated and kept looking up and down. A few Siskins also in the garden (15 later on). I suddenly realised why the Hawfinch was looking agitated – the ginger and white fluffy cat was sitting motionless under the fuchsia bush, which is about 2ft from the main feeders and half a foot from the main bird bath! I don't know if this cat had been out all night or if it was let out early, but this is not good for my birds. I adore cats as you all know, but this could be an issue. If I hadn't got up at that time, I wonder how many Siskins or other birds its had for breakfast over the course of the last few weeks? A short while later a dark brown tabby cat also inspected the garden, but carried on and jumped over the wall out of the garden.
The Starlings are not happy at all. However the Siskins, House Sparrows and my Robin are very happy feeding inside the Starling proof cages on the fat ball feeder, peanut and mealworm feeder, general seed feeder, sunflower heart feeder and *niger seed feeder (*didn't buy an add on cage for this one as Starlings don't like it for some reason). I still have peanuts and seed accessible to Starlings in other feeders though, I can't be totally mean.
From my house it looked a little foggy on the horizon, but I could still see the harbour, so not too bad here at all. It took me a while to get out of the house, as I have overdone the gardening and I ache all over. As I headed south, the fog was like pea soup. Went to Quendale Mill and had fabulous views of two striking male Pied Flycatchers, several Lesser Whitethroats, Chiffchaffs, House Sparrows, male and female Blackcaps, Starlings and Oystercatchers.
Grutness Pier and the pool: main highlight was a Bonxie hurtling over the pool with a presumed gull's egg and being mobbed by every gull in the area – a huge commotion! Fabulous views of several Lesser Whitethroats, male Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs catching flies from the large boulders on the pier and all along the stone walls alongside the pool. Also saw a couple of Twite here, pair of Mallard and 5 Turnstones. A Common Tern flew over and a Black Guillemot was on the sea. In the Grutness garden, which is looking exceptionally pretty with its yellow, red and multi-coloured Tulips, Honesty plant (think that's what it was) – in the garden, there were Lesser Whitethroats, Chiffchaffs, House Sparrows and some Starlings.
Walked back to the car and went to Sumburgh Quarry to see if we had an Alpine Accentor?! (one found in a quarry at Ivinghoe, Bedfordshire today). Nothing here apart from Fulmars, a Wren and a few Starlings. Drove home in the fog. Its amazing to find that some driver's don't bother to put on their fog lights – I don't think they realise how dangerous this could potentially be.
I'm hoping for a Turtle Dove in my garden, fingers crossed!
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Cats are a real pain aren't they. How many bird baths have you got Penny, I thought I could see three in your picture of the area? Might be worth just leaving the main one there and putting a mesh fence around it, you know, that brown plastic 2" square mesh stuff, at least it would stop the cats getting in there whilst the birds are bathing. Or have it up on a pedestal of some sort?
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