SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!

Rare  Bird  Alert  News

MAINLAND

King Eider fem. still south of Lodberries, Lerwick.   

Ring Ouzel at Sumburgh Head.

Hawfinch still in garden at Ladysmith Road, Scalloway.  

TENGMALM'S OWL found dead at Lea Gardens, Tresta, SE of Bixter.

 

ISLANDS 

Common Crane just north of Uyeasound, Unst.

 

https://www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/latest_sightings.html 

 

One Hawfinch seen this morning along with 5 Siskins, 2 Bramblings, a Robin, House Sparrows including a partial leucistic bird, Starlings and Collared Doves in the garden.

 

Went into Lerwick to buy some dull teal coloured fleece fabric from Home furnishings, some mini cup hooks, cotton and some small bulldog clips from the post office, which in total cost me £25.40. I have had a much cheaper idea than buying or getting a bird hide made. I'm making a type of curtain to go across the far dining room entrance to the front porch and stable door. This means I will be able to open the top half of the stable door and photograph through the new curtain. I will take a photo and post it when I have finished it.

Mandarin Ducks (pair), plus Black-headed Gull

SETTER MARSH, LOCH OF SPIGGIE

Very distant – phone-scoped

 

 

From Lerwick I headed south to Loch of Spiggie to see the two very distant but flamboyant pair of Mandarin Ducks resting on the edge of a spit on Setter Marsh – there were two Black-tailed Godwits with them too. Took a phone-scoped picture, which I have not done for absolutely ages, which wasn't particularly brilliant, but you can see what they are! Better pictures I have taken of Mandarin Ducks here and here.

 

Went to Scatness and scanned all the gardens for any migrants, but it was late in the day and nothing found. At Sumburgh Head, there was no sign of this morning's Ring Ouzel or any Puffins on the cliffs, but plenty of seabird action with Fulmars etc etc. Wren singing on a stone wall briefly.

Fitful Head near Sumburgh 

 

 

Stopped to take some sunset pictures and then drove around Exnaboe, as not been here for ages and looped round back onto the main road and back home. Spent ages preparing my breakfast, lunch and tea for all day out tomorrow. I was shocked to see on the WhatsApp group a picture of a beheaded Tengmalm's Owl and it was thought that it may have been a Sparrowhawk that killed it – what a terribly sad end, poor thing! This owl was found in Lea Gardens, where there was one in March 2020. SE winds on Sunday.