SHETLAND BIRD NEWS, PHOTOS, BIRDING, LIFE AND MORE! MY 15th YEAR ANNIVERSARY 2025!


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Monday, 28 April 2025

SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!

Rare  Bird  Alert  News
Hawfinch at Law Lane, Lerwick.
White-billed Diver ad. at South Nesting Bay.
Purple Heron in SE corner, viewed from Setter pull-in at Loch of Spiggie.
 
Serin in garden at feeders at Millfield, Unst.
Blue-headed Wagtail, Pied Flycatcher male at Out Skerries.
 
 
After work this evening I went to Greencroft Shetland Ltd at Wester Quarff to collect my two small (Northouse) planters from owner Kate. I purchased a large (Da Ness) planter last year and have been on a waiting list since November for these. Gorgeous turquoise blue doors as I requested, can't wait to get them planted up at the weekend!
 
Went birding in same area and found an LBJ in a large willow by someone's house, but I simply could not coax this bird out to ID it – spent ages there and failed. Nothing else of note. A stunning day here and my car read that it was 14 degrees, when I first got in it tonight – hottest day so far this year! I'm so glad its not going to reach the high temperatures forecast south this week.

Sunday, 27 April 2025

Lea Gardens Open Today and Birding!

Brought my garden ornaments out of the shed today and arranged creatively. Sorted out the bird feeders and ponds. No exciting birds at my feeders, but a Robin visiting regularly.

🌲 🌲 🌲

This afternoon I visited Lea Gardens at Tresta for the first time (famous for the Tengmalm's Owl in February 2019). I fell in love with these beautiful gardens. So many species of trees – wild, rambling, full of surprises, so much colour and has to be the best garden in Shetland! Can't wait to go back. Surprisingly though, I only heard a Blackcap singing, no other birds seen at all.

Write up in Shetland News on 18th April:


Gorgeous cat enjoying the garden
 

Headed to Lerwick, filled up with petrol and did a food shop in Tesco, returned home and went out again. Lots of cute lambs near Berry Road, but couldn't find any migrants. At Tingwall Loch there were 14 Tufted Ducks and 2 Red-breasted Mergansers and in fields around: Oystercatchers, Lapwings and Curlew. Tried to find my own Blue-headed Wagtail, but no luck with that. Went to Bridge End at Burra, just in case the Night Heron was still around, it wasn't. Raining late afternoon and this evening.

Lots of pictures of Da Gairdins at Sand added to my post on 20th April.

SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!

Rare  Bird  Alert  News
Blue-headed Wagtail male at Hillwell.
Subalpine Warbler sp. on Friday at Scatness.
 
Serin in garden at feeders at Millfield, Norwick, Long-eared Owls x 2 at Baltasound, Unst.
Blue-headed Wagtail, Pied Flycatcher male at Out Skerries.
 

SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!

Saturday 26th April
Rare  Bird  Alert  News
Hawfinches x 2 briefly at Law Lane, Lerwick.
Purple Heron at Loch of Brow.
Siberian Chiffchaff at Sumburgh.
 
Serin in garden at feeders at Millfield, Norwick, Unst.
Blue-headed Wagtail at Out Skerries.
 

Friday, 25 April 2025

SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!

Rare  Bird  Alert  News
Ring Ouzel at Quendale.
Ring Ouzel at Geosetter. 
 
Serin in garden at feeders at Millfield, Norwick, Ring Ouzels x 2 at Valyie, Norwick, Unst.
Eastern Stonechat sp. male (probably Siberian) at Isle of Noss.
Yellow-browed Warbler at Isle of Foula.
Blue-headed Wagtail, Pied Flycatcher male, Ring Ouzel at Out Skerries.

 
Gorgeous day here. Car serviced and Winter tyres swopped for Summer ones, whilst I went to work on the bus to do a mandatory training course, that is only held on a Friday, so have a couple of hours time in lieu, which will come in useful. Nothing else of interest to report today!

RBA Weekly Round-Up 18th to 24th April!

By Jon Dunn

Thank you to the RBA Team for including my flycatching shot of the Eastern Bonelli's Warbler. Pictures of the week has to go to Hugh Harrop, who got some stonking pictures of last week's rarities here, particularly of the Eastern Bonelli's Warbler!

Thursday, 24 April 2025

SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!

Rare  Bird  Alert  News
Iceland Gull at Quendale.
 
Ring Ouzel fem. at Mid Yell.
Pied Flycatcher adult male at Stringa, Ring Ouzel male at Out Skerries.
Serin in garden at feeders at Millfield, Norwick, Unst.

Wednesday, 23 April 2025

SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!

Rare  Bird  Alert  News
Hawfinch at Scatsta Farm, Scatsta.
Ring Ouzel at Sumburgh Farm.
Purple Heron at Loch of Brow.
 
EASTERN BONELLI'S WARBLER still in plantation at Skaw, Whalsay.

 
Beautiful sunny day here, but chilly (my perfect kind of day). After work I went birding at Clickimin Loch in Lerwick. Spent a good while searching for migrants and also at Helendale Terrace, but disappointingly didn't find a single bird, apart from the usual Starlings and Hooded Crows. Returned home to far more birds at my feeders, but nothing exciting.

Tuesday, 22 April 2025

SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!

Rare  Bird  Alert  News
Eastern Subalpine Warbler male in gardens at end of road, Scatness.
Purple Heron at Loch of Brow.
Ring Ouzel at Toab.
Ring Ouzel at Sumburgh Farm.
 
EASTERN BONELLI'S WARBLER still in plantation at Skaw, Whalsay.
Hawfinch at Out Skerries.

 
In April its always a good idea to have essential birding gear in the car for after work. Headed south, straight from work to Scatness. After getting helpful info from Hugh H. to help me locate the Eastern Subalpine Warbler (found by Roger Riddington this morning), I spent an hour and three quarters searching, but failed. There was a moment when I thought I could hear it singing briefly in a clump of rosa bushes, but it wasn't long enough to be sure. A flock of 12+ Fieldfares flew in and landed on a field and there were a few Wheatears around, a couple of Wrens, House Sparrows and Starlings.
 
There were a good number of Long-tailed Ducks on the sea at West Voe Beach, but I didn't stop to count them. Checked out the Sumburgh Hotel garden, but didn't find anything exciting there. In the Grutness Garden there was a Chiffchaff and a Redwing landed briefly. There was a Pied Wagtail by the Grutness Pool along with a Redshank and 2 Black-headed Gulls. Drove around Toab in the last throws of light, thinking I might get lucky with the earlier sighting of a Ring Ouzel, but wasn't. The one disadvantageous of birding straight after work, is the fact that a mega bird could have been feeding at my bird feeders all day and I would never know!

SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!

Monday 21st April
Rare  Bird  Alert  News
Purple Heron at Loch of Brow.
 
EASTERN BONELLI'S WARBLER still in plantation at Skaw, Whalsay.
Ring Ouzel, Hawfinches x 2, Blue-headed Wagtail (probable) at Out Skerries.
Eastern Subalpine Warbler male at Isle of Foula.

Sunday, 20 April 2025

EASTERN BONELLI'S WARBLER at Skaw, Whalsay and Da Gairdins at Sand!

EASTERN BONELLI'S WARBLER
SKAW, WHALSAY
 
Found by John Lowrie Irvine

 
Hugh Harrop very kindly said I could join him on the ferry from Laxo to Whalsay, to go and see the Eastern Bonelli's Warbler. Met Hugh at the ferry terminal and left my car in the carpark – we caught the 10.30am ferry. The only time I have been over to Whalsay, was for the Eastern Olivacious Warbler with Jill and Rob and it wasn't a fun crossing – today's was pretty smooth, thank goodness. The Eastern Bonelli's Warbler was at the far end of the island, in a plantation at Skaw.

Within seconds of getting out of the car, we immediately saw the Eastern Bonelli's Warbler in the plantation, which was flighty and seemingly feeding well. There was a couple and a single man along with Hugh and I, to see this very rare bird. Fantastic birding views, but the light wasn't brilliant for photography at this time of the day. Fabulous bird and a new tick for me! There was a Willow Warbler (singing) and a Chiffchaff in the plantation too and also a Red Grouse distantly in the heather!

EASTERN BONELLI'S WARBLER
 

Hugh was out of sight and round the end of the plantation, when I turned to see the other two birders walking as fast as they could over the boggy/mossy ground, to check on the lady who was laying on the ground! She had apparently fainted, so I administered first aid (feet up) until the colour came back to her cheeks. She was ok and was able to get up a while later and return to her car with her husband. Hugh arrived on scene, shocked at seeing us all there together in a huddle and thought we were all looking at plant or something! Whilst this had been going on, Hugh had got a fabulous shot – best picture I have seen so far by miles and I doubt if anyone will get a better one! (see Twitter/X here). Caught the 12.45pm ferry back to Laxo, which was another smooth crossing. Huge thanks to Hugh for giving me a lift over there.

Blackbird perched on New Zealand Flax at Da Gairdins

I decided to visit Da Gairdins at Sand, which was about half an hour away. I went for the first time last year and have been wanting to return. These gardens are spectacular and have several nature ponds, many varieties of trees, shrubs and plants and a stunning beach close by. I thought I might find some exciting birds there, but alas only found 1 Blackbird, 1 House Sparrow and 2 Collared Doves. Got a nice photo of a Blackbird singing on top of a New Zealand Flax. Chatted to Ruby who runs and works these spectacular gardens and I remarked how surprised I was to see Sea-buckthorn here (which reminded me of Holme). Went to the beach where I photographed a Wren singing its heart out on a boulder. Black-headed Gull here, a Rock Pipit and a Wheatear.

Horsetail (don't know which one) in the far pond at Da Gairdins
 
Water Cricket
Thank you to one of my blog readers and to John F. on Whalsay for the ID
 



Da Gairdins at Sand


Beach at Sand
 
Wren singing by the beach at Sand
 

Headed south – stopped at the shop at Bixter and bought a small bag of Kitkat Easter eggs! Not far from Scalloway I stopped and checked out the Burn of Njugalswater, which is SW of the Bridge of Fitch (where the Arctic Warbler was last Autumn) – nothing here at all. Went to Gulberwick to walk along the burn towards Wick House and no birds seen here either. Returned home and lit the fire. I was disappointed to find that I hadn't got one pleasing shot of the Eastern Bonelli's Warbler, oh well, can't get good shots every time! Back to work on Tuesday.