Rare Bird Alert News
MAINLAND 
Northern Bullfinch at Helendale, Lerwick
Northern Bullfinches, male & female
Blue Tit in tree above house sign – was! 
Toadstools at Lower Sound, Lerwick 
Quendale Bay
Oriental Turtle Doves x 2 at east end of barley field, south of Lud Barns at Loch of Hillwell.
Olive-backed Pipit along track, Yellow-browed Warbler in garden at Hillwell.
Northern Bullfinches x 4 (2 male, 2 fem.) at Helendale, Yellow-browed Warbler at Burnbank, Little Auk in King Harold Street then released in harbour at Lerwick.
Siberian Chiffchaff, Northern Bullfinches x 2 at Swining.
ISLANDS
Yellow-browed Warbler, Siberian Chiffchaff at Burravoe, Siberian Chiffchaffs x 2 at Queyon, Yell.
Firecrest, Siberian Chiffchaffs x 3 on on Out Skerries.
I'm late to the party to go and see the fabulous Northern Bullfinches in Lerwick, but luckily made it in time! Arrived in Lerwick early morning and as soon as I walked along Helendale I found a male and female Northern Bullfinch – so lovely to see some brightly coloured birds! After a short while I was watching 2 males and 2 females feeding together, fabulous to watch! They were also feeding on the grass by Helendale House! Lovely sunny morning, but deteriorated from midday to gloom and rain as forecast.
At Helendale, Lerwick
Along Helendale Terrace I found a Goldcrest, a Robin and a massive surprise of a Blue Tit (they are quite rare here and only the second one I have seen in Shetland) in a large tree at the entrance to the grand looking house at the top of the street called "Briarbank" (where I saw a Northern Treecreeper in October 2023). This house is surrounded by very tall mature trees and has a monkey puzzle tree in the front garden. As soon as I saw the Blue Tit, I put the news on the WhatsApp group, when I looked up again it had vanished, so no photo! There was also a female Blackcap here too. Returned to have another look at the Bullfinches and then headed to The Burn of Sound, where I found nothing of note.
Goldcrest feeding at Helendale Terrace, Lerwick
Across the road at Lower Sound I found a Chaffinch, a male Blackcap and several Blackbirds feeding under the trees alongside the burn. As I was leaving a Grey Wagtail flew over my head! I then flew to Jewson's on Gremista Industrial Estate, where Andy J had just put news out of a male Black Redstart that was flicking around the buildings there, but after much searching I could not find it at all.
Chaffinch at Lower Sound, Lerwick
Headed south to see if I could find the recent Steppe Grey Shrike at Scousburgh and then to see the two Oriental Turtle Doves at Hillwell. I took a diversion over Mossy Hill (just south of Levenwick) and saw several Continental Blackbirds at the very summit, but nothing else. Descending into Scousburgh there were several Redwings and Blackbirds in a horse paddock just before the junction/garage. Parked up by The Spiggie Hotel and after much searching I gave up looking for the shrike. I was quite taken back to find three female pheasants feeding in a small garden at Scousburgh and then a fourth one not far away! This is not good news! Found a Robin and several more Blackbirds. I never tire of seeing the Whooper Swans on Loch of Spiggie, along with Mute Swans and other duck – a real Winter scene!
Quendale Bay
At Hillwell I was not lucky at all. No sign of the Oriental Turtle Doves from when I arrived at 1.30pm until dusk, oh well at least I saw the one Hugh H. found in May, which was in exactly the same field! Lots of Starlings and House Sparrows feeding in the barley field and I had a single Fieldfare fly over. Drove to the top of the road past Quendale Mill to view Quendale Bay, which lookingly stunningly turquoise and dramatic with white sands gusting in the strong winds. Update: I didn't add this yesterday, but I texted Hugh to say I think the OTD's have just flown across to your garden to roost – two doves flew across me from behind the back of a farm building and headed to Hugh's garden, I couldn't be a 100% sure it was them, so can't really count my sighting, but this morning (Monday 3rd) Hugh messaged on the Scarce WhatsApp group to say they had roosted in his garden overnight!
Stopped at the Geosetter Burn, but light gone and no point in walking up the burn I decided at this late hour in the day. Two Blackbirds were feeding along the road. Headed home.
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