SHETLAND TRIP – Day 4: TWO RED-EYED VIREOS!!!

 RED-EYED VIREO

Setter, Sandwick, Shetland

A new bird for me!

It took a while to get going this morning and I spent well over half an hour trying to find my RBA pager, which seems to have vanished – if anyone has found a pager, please let me know, thank you! Emptied the ash pan from the stove – this reminded me of my mother taking this out every morning from the Park Ray fire! It was really lovely watching the Starlings feeding on the lawn in front of the cottage I'm staying in. The sea views from here are simply breathtaking. I started the day trying to find my own birds at Levenwick, but found nothing of note apart from a Ringed Plover on the beach, the usual Starlings and House Sparrows.

Sunrise from my cottage this morning at Levenwick

 

 

I decided to follow the crowds and first of all went to Fladdabister to look for the Little Bunting. Jacquie and Dave were there with some other birders and they kindly pointed out where they had last seen the Little Bunting. It was very difficult to pin down, but myself and another birder 'Tom' did manage to see and photograph it very briefly before it vanished.

LITTLE BUNTING 

Fladdabister, Shetland

 

Beach at Fladdabister, Shetland
 

 

I then drove to Easter Quarff to see if I was lucky with the Western Bonelli's Warbler. My sat nav took me to Easter Quarff, but not directly to the bird's location – with help from a local man, I could see cars parked up and birders standing next to a pine copse – this had to be it! It was lovely to bump into Rebecca Nason here! I did see the Western Bonelli's Warbler and got a reasonable shot and would have stayed to try and get better pictures, but news broke that that Red-eyed Vireo that I had tried to see yesterday morning, had been refound!!!

WESTERN BONELLI'S WARBLER

Easter Quarff, Shetland

 

Walked as fast as I could across the field to my car and then drove to Brae Community Wood. On entering the wood, I was quite shocked at how many people were searching for the Red-Eyed Vireo! Long story short...... it was extremely difficult to pin down, but eventually I got incredibly lucky when approaching a bridge where a birder said he had just seen it. A short while later I and several others managed to see it perched in a pine for approximately 10m seconds, before it flew off again. No chance of even lifting the camera for a picture. I felt quite emotional, this was a new bird for me and it felt so exciting! Wow, what a fabulous second day on Shetland. I also won £125 on the Premium Bonds, so an excellent day all round and it continued with news of a SECOND Red-eyed Vireo in a garden at Setter, Sandwick, which is really close to where I am staying! Expecting it to be elusive like the one I had just seen, I didn't exactly hurry over there and in fact felt seriously tired and stopped for a little nap at a parking area and view point! I can't believe I did that, but needs must!

I arrived on site with kind directions from Jacquie and Dave Bridges and walked along the road to find a good number of birders viewing into a garden. This Red-eyed Vireo was far more obliging. I just couldn't believe I had seen two Red-eyed Vireos and now I was photographing one!!! News also broke of a THIRD one found in a plantation at an airfield at Sullom Voe! Local birders were saying that the first bird today was only the second record for Shetland and so now there has been four!

 

RED-EYED VIREO

Setter, Sandwick, Shetland

 

I ended the day at Hoswick to check out the cliff top garden and was so excited to find a Pied Flycatcher, although I wasn't able to get any photos – it sat on a fence post and then nipped off into the trees and garden. A Swallow also flew past. I returned home late and didn't sit down. I didn't light the fire, I hadn't got time, plus I would have got too hot and fallen asleep. I went straight into making sandwiches for tomorrow, cooked dinner, did some washing and then went through all my pictures today.

NORFOLK BIRD NEWS & MEGAS!

SUMMARY OF TODAY'S BIRD NEWS VIA "RARE BIRD ALERT" 
  For access to full details of daily sightings, please subscribe to one of RBA's Bird News Services  

Long-billed Dowitcher at Potter Heigham Marshes

Hen Harrier at East Quay, Black Brant at Wells

Great White Egret at Holkham Freshmarsh

Black-throated Diver at Waxham

Rose-coloured Starling, Dotterel, Little Stints x 2, Curlew Sandpipers x 3, Spoonbill at Titchwell RSPB

Little Gulls x 32 at Mundesley

Common Cranes x 48 at Welney WWT

Spoonbills x 7 at Stiffkey Fen

Caspian Gull at Cromer

Little Gull flew past Weybourne Camp

Baltic Gull (possible), Caspian Gull at Cley NWT

Eleonora's Falcon dark morph (possible) viewed from moving car near Swaffham

 

MEGA NEWS

DAURIAN SHRIKE
Fair Isle, Shetland

SOLITARY SANDPIPER
Blacksod, County Mayo, Ireland

WHITE-TAILED LAPWING
Blacktoft Sands RSPB, Yorkshire

SEMIPALMATED PLOVER
Crookhaven, County Cork, Ireland 

GREATER YELLOWLEGS
Loch of Strathbeg RSPB, Aberdeenshire
LANCEOLATED WARLBER
North Ronaldsay, Orkney

SHETLAND TRIP – Day 3: Accident On Ferry & Red-breasted Flycatcher!

 RED-BREASTED FLYCATCHER

Lower Voe

 

Last night was interesting to say the least! The Phenergan 25mg tablets worked brillliantly. The ferry rocked all night long and I didn't feel sick at all – unbelievable. By 7.30pm, I was in bed with lights out! I took a while to get to sleep, but then slept all night! The cabin was seriously cosy, why had I not booked one before?!

Got up early and had the most interesting shower EVER!!! How I didn't fall over I really don't know! Packed all my gear up and then was second in the queue in the restaurant for breakfast. It was difficult to walk and a very kind member of staff carried my breakfast tray to my table for me. Not long after this, I was literally chucked out of my seat, landing on the floor and crashing into the corner of a table, hitting my head!!! I was looked after very kindly by 'Michael' who had carried my breakfast tray across for me. I've been added to the accident book!!! A senior member of staff came to assess me etc. It was such a shock, but I'm ok! Got to laugh, although it was scary at the time! My cup of tea had also followed me to the floor and a new one was brought over to me! After calming myself, I enjoyed my breakfast! An elderly Scottish gentleman remarked "Bloody terrible driving" after his breakfast landed on the floor – this had me in stitches!!! I returned to my cabin and waited for messages via the tannoy for leaving the ferry. We arrived in Lerwick at just before 8am, later than scheduled due to to the weather!

Collected my car from below deck and drove off into Lerwick, arriving at the Co-op carpark. Did some shopping in here of dry good items. John F. kindly phoned me to say did I know about the Red-eyed Vireo? OMG! I have never seen one and this would be a new bird for me! So, off I headed north to Brae, where the bird was found yesterday in the 'Community Wood'. After phoning Norfolk birders Jacquie and Dave B. (also here) I found out I needed to park up at the Co-op, which I found. Parked up and asked further directions from a local birder. Long story short, nobody had relocated the Red-eyed Vireo, but I did find a Willow Warbler, Siskins x 15+, Pied Wagtail, House Sparrows, a Redpoll and a Blackbird, which wasn't a bad start to my first day! I also found Norfolk birder Mike E. and Richard W. in the wood!

RED-BREASTED FLYCATCHER 

Lower Voe

 

Went to Lower Voe, where there were several birders and a cracking Red-breasted Flycatcher in the sycamores behind the pier. I managed to get some half decent shots with the Canon 7D Mark II and 100-400mm lens – fabulous! There was also 3 Herons and 6 Razorbills in the harbour.

I returned to Lerwick and went into Tescos for fridge items eg cheese, margerine, vege meals etc and in the car park, I bumped into Ashley Saunders and Nick with their Oriole Birding tour group! So many Norfolk birders this morning already! Had a brief chat with them and then left to head south to Whimbrel's Cottage at Levenwick, where I will be staying for the next three weeks.

Met up with the owners Dale S. and her husband Ash, who were really lovely people and warmly greeted me on my arrival with coffee. We sat and chatted for a while and they showed me around the cottage and how everything works etc. A peat fire was burning away in a wood burning stove and it was seriously warm in the cottage. I had a lovely surprise – Nicki turned up to say hello to me! Nicki is the owner (along with her husband Pete) of the 'Voortrekker' apartments, where I stayed two years ago – it was so lovely to see her! Dale and Ash left around 3pm to catch their ferry back to Aberdeen. It was so cosy in this stunning little cottage, that it was difficult to leave to go birding. I unpacked all food items and left my clothes to unpack later.

Whimbrels Cottage where I am staying at Levenwick

 

Inside Whimbrels Cottage where I am staying at Levenwick

 

Levenwick Beach, late evening

 

Headed to Ocraquoy to see the recently found Olive-backed Pipit. Lots of birders here and I managed to see the OBP in flight only, but to be honest can't really count it as light faded and my observation of it was poor! I returned to Levenwick and headed to the beach car park and a quick walk on the beach, where I saw a Ringed Plover scurrying along the sand. It was bitterly cold, I returned to the cottage.

Spent the evening unpacking everything and cooking a very light tea, as too tired to cook properly! Fell asleep and nearly didn't write this! Good night.

NORFOLK BIRD NEWS & MEGAS!

SUMMARY OF TODAY'S BIRD NEWS VIA "RARE BIRD ALERT" 
  For access to full details of daily sightings, please subscribe to one of RBA's Bird News Services  

Rose-coloured Starling, Little Stints x 4, Spoonbill, Curlew Sandpiper, Hen Harrier at Titchwell RSPB

Common Cranes x 4 at Waxham

Long-billed Dowitcher, Spotted Redshanks x 8 at Potter Heigham Marshes

Black Brant at Wells Harbour

Common Cranes x 40, Cattle Egret at Welney WWT

Black-throated Divers x 2 on sea, Pomarine Skua, Curlew Sandpipers x 4 at Cley NWT

Lapland Bunting flew over Weybourne Camp

Great White Egrets x 2 on lake at Holkham Park

Little Gulls x 35 flew past Sheringham

Black-throated Diver offshore at Cromer

Little Gulls x 2 flew past Mundesley

Sabine's Gull, Pomarine Skua flew past Winterton

Spoonbills x 17 at Stiffkey Fen

MEGA NEWS

GREATER YELLOWLEGS
Loch of Strathbeg RSPB, Aberdeenshire
SEMIPALMATED PLOVER
Crookhaven, County Cork, Ireland

SOLITARY SANDPIPER
Blacksod, County Mayo, Ireland

WHITE-TAILED LAPWING
Blacktoft Sands RSPB, Yorkshire

SHETLAND TRIP – Day 2: Drive To Aberdeen Ferry Terminal!

Bass Rock from my hotel

 

As I type, it is 4.45pm and the ferry has left 15 minutes early. I had an update from Northlink this morning to say the 4pm early sailing had been changed back to the original departure time – hopefully this means that the trip will be less rough than expected?!

The mattress on my bed was too soft, but I was beyond exhausation, so I slept pretty well.  The jacuzzi bath did not work (staff knew that, but I didn't know that until this morning) – no worries, I had a lovely soak in the bath anyway. Rooms that had hot tubs (presumably best rooms) had hot tubs outside below me, but no worries with noise later on. Found a tiny spider in my bed, which if any bigger would have made me jump!

Woke myself up with a shower and then did some birding from my window – a good list to start the day: Eiders, Cormorants, Curlew, Redshank, Oystercatchers, Gannets, Swallows, House Martins, Robins, Blackbirds and Robins in the cliff side scrub and Collared Doves.

Vegan Breakfast!

 

Packed up my gear and went downstairs for a scrumptious vegan breakfast of scrambled eggs with spinach, vege sausages, backed beans, tomatoes, toast, jams, orange juice and pot of tea. Put everything in the car and went for a short walk along the cliff top, but didn't see any different species of birds that I had already seen from my room window. Took a sea sickness tablet at 9am – the instructions were to take it the night before, but these tablets cause drowsiness, so didn't want to take them last night because of the long drive today.

A sleepy Penny!

 

Left the car park at 11.30am and struggled to reach Aberdeen. I had to stop for mini snoozes lots of times, the tablets made me feel very drowsy. Lots of loud singing had to be carried out with the window opened in lashing rain!!! After two mini petrol fill ups, I eventually reaching the NorthLink ferry terminal at 3.30pm.

The ferry has just hit the open sea and I am swaying in my restaurant seat!!!!! Huge white waves! May amend, change, add to this later or more than probably tomorrow, looking out of the restaurant window! Just waiting for the restaurant to open at 5.30pm and then I'm going to my cabin for the night!

My cabin on the ferry!

 

Rough seas!

 

I'm very impressed with my first cabin on this ferry. Its small, but has everything I need (Room 232 and mid ship). Not enough electric sockets though. Two single beds, small wardrobe rail, mirror, tea and coffee, kettle etc. Shower and so on.

NORFOLK BIRD NEWS & MEGAS!

SUMMARY OF TODAY'S BIRD NEWS VIA "RARE BIRD ALERT" 
  For access to full details of daily sightings, please subscribe to one of RBA's Bird News Services  

Hen Harrier at Stiffkey

Snow Bunting at Blakeney Point

Little Gull at Winterton

Black Brant, Spoonbill at Wells

Little Stints x 2, Sooty Shearwater, Garganey at Titchwell RSPB

Sooty Shearwaters x 2, Black-throated Diver, Cattle Egret at Holme 

Spoonbills x 22, Hen Harriers x 2 at Stiffkey Fen

Caspian Gull, Little Stint, Velvet Scoter at Cley NWT

MEGA NEWS

GREATER YELLOWLEGS
Loch of Strathbeg RSPB, Aberdeenshire

SOLITARY SANDPIPER
Blacksod, County Mayo, Ireland
SEMIPALMATED PLOVER
Crookhaven, County Cork, Ireland

DAURIAN SHRIKE 1s male
Fair Isle, Shetland

LANCEOLATED WARBLER
Found dead on Isle of Foula, Shetland

WHITE-TAILED LAPWING
Blacktoft Sands RSPB, Yorkshire

SHETLAND TRIP – Day 1: Dunbar Stop Over!

The Bayswell Park Hotel at Dunbar

 

Yesterday was another crazy day of sorting out Mac housekeeping jobs, sorting the house out etc and final packing into the early hours of this morning! I had a phone call from the parts department at Skoda yesterday to say my replacement door seal had finally arrived – this is what the technicians thought was causing my sqeaking air conditioning, so flew over to get that done.

I eventually left at 9.30am this morning, to head north to Dunbar in Scotland. It took me almost an hour in crawling traffic just to get as far as Fosdyke along the A17 with major roadworks! This was not a good start! I stopped twice on route to add more petrol and had no issues with queues at all. I also stopped just east of Hampole (along the A1) for an hour and a half and had a 'Burger King' vegan burger in a bun with salad, chips and a coffee. Then I had a lovely nap in the car park to catch up on some sleep. Vile toilets here though and the hand dryer was not working. I left here at 1.55pm and apart from stopping to put some petrol in, I didn't stop until I reached my hotel 'The Bayswell Park Hotel' at Dunbar, arriving at 6.20pm. There were so many roadworks on route, I couldn't believe it had taken me that long! 307 miles in total and was supposed to take 5 hours and 37 minutes, but in fact without stops, took approximately 7 hours.

The hotel looks very grand on the outside and is overlooking the Bass Rock and The Isle of May, what a view from my room window! I just had time to go for a walk in the failing light before returning to the hotel. First use of the new Swarovski NL Pure 8x42's and I was seriously impressed – they are awesome in failing light and feel far less heavy than my previous EL's. Saw some seals on rocks, but no birds of note in the darkness! Returned to my hotel and was too tired to go down to dinner, so just ate the rest of my packed up sandwiches, did the blog and phoned my sisters.

The dressing table is far too high to touch type from, but I've managed to do it! I have a jacuzzi bath and shower in my bathroom, which I wasn't expecting. The mattress seems a bit too soft for me, mind you I'm so tired, I'm hoping I will sleep! Need to get up very early and be packed up and ready to leave before they do the first breakfast sitting at 8am. If I feel up to it, I will go out early morning birding round the hotel.

The Bayswell Park Hotel at Dunbar

 

Sea View!

 

Bass Rock above and below with the Isle of May on the horizon

 

I had a worrying message from NorthLink today and a phone call too.... "Due to forecasted adverse weather conditions, M.V Hjaltland is likely to depart Aberdeen at the earlier time of 16:00. An update will follow tomorrow morning....."!!! Oh dear!

I leave for Aberdeen in the morning and have to be at the ferry terminal by 2.30pm latest for looks like a very sickly 14 hour trip!!! I might wish I had flown! Good night!

NORFOLK BIRD NEWS & MEGAS!

SUMMARY OF TODAY'S BIRD NEWS VIA "RARE BIRD ALERT" 
  For access to full details of daily sightings, please subscribe to one of RBA's Bird News Services  

Rose-coloured Starling, Little Stints x 2, Curlew Sandpiper, Hen Harrier at Titchwell RSPB

White Stork at Buckenham Marshes RSPB

Lapland Bunting flew over Gramborough Hill, Salthouse

Hen Harrier at Weybourne

Black Brant at Wells

Caspian Gull at Cromer

Osprey (possible), Hen Harrier at Stiffkey

Garganey at Cley NWT

 

MEGA NEWS

GREATER YELLOWLEGS
Loch of Strathbeg RSPB, Aberdeenshire

SOLITARY SANDPIPER
Blacksod, County Mayo, Ireland
SEMIPALMATED PLOVER
Crookhaven, County Cork, Ireland

WHITE'S THRUSH
Fair Isle, Shetland

DAURIAN SHRIKE 1s male
Fair Isle, Shetland

LANCEOLATED WARBLER
Unst, Shetland

LANCEOLATED WARBLER
Isle of Foula, Shetland

WHITE-TAILED LAPWING
Blacktoft Sands RSPB, Yorkshire