I decided to start south and arrived at Grutness Pier early morning. After the huge fall yesterday and fog last night, there was still a huge amount of migrants to see today. Grutness was alive with birds, mostly Redwings, Blackbirds and House Sparrows, but also found a Song Thrush on the grass amongst the boulders on the other side of the wall. Mallards were in the pool by the wall and also saw a couple of Wrens. News came up on the WhatsApp group of a Hume's Warbler at Boddam!
In the garden at the Lighthouse at Sumburgh Head, it was riddled with
migrants! I spent a long time here and managed to see several
Goldcrests, a male Blackcap, Robins, Wrens, a Brambling, Redwings and
Blackbirds. Fulmars were sailing around the clifftop. Sadly, no sign of
yesterday's Pallas's Warbler. I saw something fly into the roses (from a
distance) and took some pictures – I was quite taken back when I was
going through my pictures this evening! It had to be a Redwing, but it
was doing a brilliant impression of a small owl!!! Returned to Grutness
Pier again for a short while and watched a male and female Blackcap
having a wash and brush up in a puddle!
I then headed to Boddam to see the Hume's Warbler, which was in a local birder's garden – Paul H. had kindly allowed people in his garden to see this cracking little bird. As I stood there with Paul B., Paul H., Jim, Hugh H, Andrew H and a few others, I realised how there would be have been 50+ birders, had this been in Norfolk. Such a joy to watch something good with so few people. The Hume's Warbler flitted around like it was on fire, never resting or stopping for more than a fraction of a second and incredibly difficult to photograph – we were viewing from a lawn and looking over a stone wall into another garden full of trees, The Hume's Warbler teased and tantilised for hours and would occasionally appear just above the wall, but by the time you had lifted your camera, it had gone again! I stubbornly stayed and waited a long time to obtain a smudgy picture – my pictures improved slightly, just before I left. Also watched a Chiffchaff constantly chasing the Hume's around. A Redpoll landed in a tree briefly, behind where we were standing.
It was just after 2pm when I had finally had my lunch in the car. It had started raining and this continued for the rest of the day. I went to Hestingott to look for migrants and returned to the garden where the RFB had spent most of its time – found Starlings, Redwings, Blackbirds and House Sparrows. Had a look in the Virkie Willows for the Little Bunting found earlier, but no joy with that. News came up of a Radde's Warbler found by the Orca Country Inn at Hoswick, but I decided it was a bit late in the day and would be too dark in those trees by the time I got there and also it might not have been showing very much.
Parked up by the Sumburgh Hotel and walked north over the field to the stone wall by the sea, where I flushed a Woodcock! Lots of Redwings, Blackbirds and also a few Meadow Pipits, Robins and Bramblings seen. I returned to Sumburgh Lighthouse and checked the garden again in dense fog! Only found 1 Robin here and a Brambling feeding by the car park. The slopes around the lighthouse were covered in Blackbirds and Redwings as I drove back down the road. I stopped by the quarry and found 6 Blackbirds and 1 Robin besides the usual Fulmars. I had a last look at Grutness Pier at just before 6pm and was fascinated to see at least 15+ Blackbirds perched on the large boulders at the far end of the pier! Returned home in the fog.
A WHITE'S THRUSH had been found by Stephen Dunston on Out Skerries today! Throughout the day, others had found some good birds on Shetland including: Long-eared Owls, Ring Ouzels, Hawfinches, Blyth's Reed Warblers x 2, Little Buntings, Black Redstarts, Great Grey Shrike, Radde's Warbler, Pied Flycatcher, Siberian Chiffchaffs, to name but a few. Its going to be heavy rain and strong winds for the next couple of days, so I may stay in tomorrow morning and add all the photos to my posts! One week from today I will back at work! Can't believe I have to leave this Sunday!
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