CHESTNUT BUNTING
Buness Farm, Baltasound, Unst
Found by Brydon Thomason
2nd for Britain – 2nd for Scotland – 1st for Shetland!
ANOTHER TOP DRAW DAY!
5am alarm. Drove to Toft and caught the 6.40am ferry to Ulsta on Yell. Drove to Gutcher and missed the 7.15am by 2 minutes. Just got onto the 7.45am in the unbooked queue and arrived on Belmont, Unst at just before 8am. Sunrise! Headed to Buness Farm where I found a few local birders on site including finder Brydon, four birders who were staying on Unst, really lovely people and John C. who had arrived on the same ferry as me. Initially there was the dreaded 'no sign' message, but eventually Paul Harvey put out a 'still here' message when I was standing in the wrong place. Paul and Phil H. had come over last night to be here at first light.
The Chestnut Bunting was incredible mobile, skulking in grass, sneaking around, disappearing from view for ages and generally not showing, but eventually I got a flight view and then very luckily it was on the path just yards away from me, just enough to take my headline shot and a few others before it flew. Not mint shots but I was very pleased that I got anything at all – elusive was an understatement. As the day went on it showed for longer periods, much to the delight of all the observers arriving throughout the day. The Red-flanked Bluetail that had been in Halligarth yesterday was also now in the same area and at times was only yards apart from the Chestnut Bunting!
So fabulous to see Deryk and Holly here and was surprised to hear that they have left Fair Isle and now living on mainland Shetland, which is good news as we will see them more! Jacquie, Dave & Graham arrived mid morning too and they arrived just as it was showing fairly well on a concrete area where I couldn't photograph it, as I had walked around the corner and now couldn't walk to join others as I would have disturbed the bird, so stayed still by a gate until the bird flew off again. Massive thanks to those who helped us all to see the Chestnut Bunting today including Brydon Thomason, Paul Harvey and Phil Harris and to the land owners who kindly allowing to us to walk around their farm area and walled gardens. A fabulous day from beginning to the very end!
It would have been nice to get some nice shots of the RFB, but too much noise and people in the garden when I was there. A young man I met in there before more people arrived said he had had it perched on a post right in front of him and quietly said to me it would be happier with less people and noise – he is correct! Fieldcraft and less people is much more favourable. I ended up in the garden on my own later and stood there behind a small tree for ages hoping the RFB would return, but then Brydon informed that it was in a large garden opposite the farm across the road, so I gave up with that.
My last viewing of the Chestnut Bunting was feeding under the canopy of a sycamore tree in the walled garden where the Bluetail was, but it was very difficult to photograph under there and surprisingly difficult to see between the grasses, sticks, pipes, stones and so on! I didn't even lift my camera when it was under there. The Chestnut Bunting seemed to vanish from under the tree and we didn't see where it went. I needed to go to the loo hours ago, so decided this was a good time to depart, in fact I didn't have any choice in the matter! Walked back to my car which I had left on a grass verge alongside the beach. Later on after I left, the Chestnut Bunting showed on a wall and Rebecca Nason got an insanely brilliant photo!
Most if not all birders were going straight back to the mainland. I had no reason to go back early and wanted to visit some of my favourite places here. Headed to Valyie, Norwick and walked up to the garden which kindly allows birders to look around their garden, a really fabulous place. Along the steep road up to the house I had 3 Bramblings and 3 Chaffinches in the sycamores along the burn. At the top of the hill by the garden 2 Song Thrushes landed briefly in the field, one of them on a post and a Merlin flew over. 1 Robin seen along with a few Blackbirds too. Its much easier walking back down that hill to the car! The views from up here are stupendous. A beautiful evening – its been sunny all day.
Drove to Skaw Beach which I absolutely love, a unique place with a burn running onto the beach and black rocks on white sands. A Guillemot was on the sea, 4 Seals and a large number of Shags were chilling on the cliff distantly. The four birders I had met earlier (staying on Unst) also turned up and we had a really fun and exciting time with a Sand Martin that skimmed backwards and forwards along the burn, over the beach and around the corner of the cliffs – between all our photos and videos we confirmed it was a Sand Martin as we were thinking that maybe it was something much rarer to begin with! I also found a Grey Wagtail which flew up from the burn and around the cliffs and disappeared. The last time I visited Skaw Beach a Grey Wagtail did exactly the same thing and I still haven't got a picture of one here! In the nettles and scrub around the beach there was a Blackbird, Chaffinch, the usual Starlings and a Raven flew over. One of the four birders called Markas Gilmartin managed to take an insane video of the Sand Martin with the lastest Apple iPhone 18. My old iphone 11 may need to be traded in!
Left Skaw Beach and headed to Belmont Ferry Terminal. Two cars in front of me had to break heavily for a sheep crossing the road and all was good. Made it in time to catch the 5.55pm ferry to Gutcher on Yell. Then a 25 minute drive to Ulster and just managed to get on the 6.30pm ferry to Toft on the mainland.
I had to drive to Lerwick for several reasons rather than going home to Scalloway. Arrived in Lerwick at about 7.30pm. Went to the Co-op to buy some food items, then filled up with petrol at Bolts, then onto Tesco for other food items. Then I had to go somewhere to arrange a surprise for someone, more on that another day and arrived home at 9.15pm. By the time I had unpacked the car and sorted all my gear out it was 10pm when I ate the last two cheese rolls with coffee for my very late tea! A very long but fabulous day with another new bird added to my tally!
Strong South Easterly winds on Tuesday and Wednesday with rain tomorrow and much heavier on Wednesday. My new wellies arrived today, just in time! There could well be some more big birds and chartered planes this week, fingers crossed! Get your bag packed Steve – see you soon! 😉 😆
MORE PICTURES TUESDAY EVENING.........
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