SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!

Rare  Bird  Alert  News 

Yellow-browed Warbler at Hestingott.

Yellow-browed Warbler at Quendale Mill.

Yellow-browed Warbler at Exnaboe.

Red-breasted Flycatcher at Loch of Clevigarth, near Exnaboe.

Barred Warbler at Hoswick.

Barred Warbler, Yellow-browed Warbler at Dalsetter, Boddam.

Yellow-browed Warblers x 2 at Levenwick.

Yellow-browed Warbler in garden at Sumburgh.

Yellow-browed Warbler at Ollaberry.

Pied Flycatcher Esha Ness, near Urafirth.

Yellow-browed Warblers x 2 at Setter, Yellow-browed Warblers x 2 at Swinister Burn, Sandwick.

 

Yellow-browed Warbler, Wood Warbler at Gorie on Isle of Bressay.

Bluethroats x 2, Yellow-browed Warblers x 5 on Out Skerries.

Pied Flycatcher at Burravoe, Yell.

Yellow-browed Warbler at Clivocast, Uyeasound, Yellow-browed Warblers x 2 at Baltasound, Greenland Redpoll, Common Rosefinch at Northdale, Yellow-browed Warbler, Barred Warbler at Norwick, Unst.

Yellow-browed Warblers x 2, Pied Flycatcher at The Manse, Tresta, Hawfinch at Feal, Barred Warbler at Braeside, Fetlar.

Snow Bunting at Isle of Noss.

Common Rosefinches x 4, Yellow-browed Warblers x 3 on Isle of Whalsay.

 

https://www.nature-shetland.co.uk/latest-sightings.

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

 

My first job this morning, was to remove the old corridor carpet, then the stapled down underlay and then spent ages pulling out staples with my late father's brilliant old philip's screwdriver and heavy duty pair of pliers. I have developed (last night) a horrible cold virus, so really did not feel like doing this at all. This job took far longer than I thought it would. Packed up the car with all the rubbish and other stuff. Had some porridge. Carpet being fitted at 1pm.

 

At 12pm I went to have quick look in a neighbour's large pine tree, as they felt they had an unusual bird in there yesterday – in fact they popped round whilst I was painting the bathroom door and I was not able to leave at that moment, to go and have a look. I was sent pictures of a bird later on last night, obscurred by pine cones and branches, photographed from underneath, high up in the tree – looking at the picture, I regretted not dropping my paint brushes yesterday afternoon. Next to the size of the cones, it looked far too big to be a Starling and very prominently marked and yes I know Starlings vary a lot. The neighbour said it was bigger than a Starling and much longer beak. You could hardly see the head or beak in the picture. There is only one other bird that looks remotely like a Starling and that's a Nutcracker. There has only been one in Lerwick, Shetland in 1968! The last one in the UK was in Castletown, Highland on 10th November 2021 and prior to that, all the way back to 6th September 1998 in Kingsdown, Kent. More on this shortly.

Carpet fitted in the corridor and looks amazing, same colour as my office/studio carpet. I just got the last coat of 'Summer White' on the walls last night, so it was dry for today, thank goodness. After peeling the painting tape from the high pine skirting along the corridor, I realised I need to buy some wood beading to nail in, as there is an annoying gap all the way round and this now shows dribbles of paint, so need to get that sorted to complete. I also need to finish off my pine effect look on living room door frame, it was the colour of hot chocolate and didn't look right at all. I have painted the first creamy coloured layer x 2 and now need to add Sadolin Wood Stain (all recomended by Ivor at the A&C Paintshop in Lerwick) over the top with a rough brush to try and emulate a pine effect – we'll see how that goes!

 

The Duette 'Cashew' blinds in the office look out of this world and are so quick and easy to open and close, very posh indeed! Adam bought over the bathroom one aswell, but I have had to ask him to come back again at a later date, as not finished decorating the bathroom yet. Still have 2 coats to put on the walls, (ceiling finished) and inner window frames to do – outer window frames and door finished.

This afternoon I had to nip into Lerwick to buy some more DIY bits and emptied my car at the dump. Later on my neighbour sent me another picture of the mystery bird in her tree, which showed underneath the tail and with no white vent showing, which probably confirmed its not a Nutcracker. But, I still want to believe it is. My neighbour also said she saw the same bird on Sunday sitting on a roof top, when I mentioned Nutcracker, she felt certain it was one. I have asked her to let me know the second she sees it again and I will be over there super quick! Its obviously a very popular pine tree as she had 'my' Leucistic House Sparrow perched in there at the same time! In past Winter's they have also had 'owls roosting' in this pine tree too.

So many jobs to do, started clearing all the piles of sycamores leaves from the windy day we had recently, but then gave up as felt too ill, came in and fell asleep. I'm busier at home, than I am at work right now! Light winds from the south east tomorrow.