Superb Shetland - A Miscellany - 3rd-13th October 2022

Apart from the very rare birds we saw on Shetland there was a supporting cast of other less rare birds, even common ones, to see and admire.

All this in a land that to some can appear barren and bleak but in fact is ruggedly beautiful and slowly becomes part of you if you let it.

Here are some of the supporting cast of birds and sights I saw during my ten days in Shetland

Great Grey Shrike - 12th October

Great Grey Shrike

This Great Grey Shrike was present at Hillswick in the north of Mainland throughout our stay.It became a bit of a joke with us, as every time we set off to see it something else rarer would turn up to divert us.Much interest has been shown in this individual as it is thought to be of one of the less commonly seen subspecies L.e homeyeri, that has a large white patch on each wing and much white in the tail and is found in the  Balkans, southern Ural Mountains and western Siberia. Sometimes referred to as Homeyer's Shrike it may become a species in its own rght in the future hence the large amount of interest shown in its presence on Shetland.

Eventually we made it to Hillswick on our penultimate day on Shetland. just after a prolonged spell of rain. The  shrike could be hard to locate but we were lucky and it was immediately on view perched on wires in and around its favourite garden near the St Magnus Bay Hotel.

As we watched, it dropped to the ground in the garden and caught what looked like a Long tailed Field Mouse which it took to a sycamore, impaled on a twig after much effort and then tore to shreds, eating virtually everything apart from the tail. Once the mouse was consumed it went deep into cover and presumably sat there to digest its meal for we saw it no more.

Eshaness

King Eider - 7th October 2022

We were based in Scalloway and walked down to the harbour each morning to check if the eclipse drake King Eider was still with his Common Eider group. Most days he was there but would sometimes go missing and probably went to Wester Quarff  to join the Common Eiders there.

King Eider with Common Eiders

A moulting adult Red throated Diver gave very close views as did the ubiquitous Black Guillemots or Tysties as they are called in Shetland

Red throated Diver

Black Guillemot

Scalloway

Glaucous Gull - 4th October 2022

A second winter Glaucous Gull frequented the Lerwick Fish Quay on occasions but could be elusive at times. We were lucky to encounter it on our first visit to the quay, on a very rainy morning, and watched it from the car as it stood awaiting any discarded fish thrown from the moored trawlers nearby.

Glaucous Gull

The Drongs, North Mavine

Dusky Warbler & Yellow browed Warbler - 11th October 2022

A visit to Ochraquoy to see a Dusky Warbler sharing the sycamores with a Yellow browed Warbler was

successful with both hyperactive birds showing well before mysteriously disappearing.

Dusky Warbler

  

Yellow browed Warbler

Black winged Stilt - 12th October 2022

The arrival of a juvenile Black winged Stilt at the Loch of Papil on Yell caused quite a stir amongst the local Shetland birders as it was only the second to appear in Shetland and many needed it for their list. Most of the 'big Shetland listers' were there The only other record on Shetland was of one present at Fair Isle on 10th October 2019. A mad dash across the barren moors of Yell to the Loch of Papil on the island's north coast resulted in many happy Shetland birders and of course us visitors too.

Black winged Stilt

Fulmars - 13th October 2022

On our last day we went to Sumburgh Head.In glorious sunshine and a very strong wind we joined the multitude of Fulmars, watching them at eye level from the top of the Head, demonstrating their supreme flying skills and mastery of the wayward air currents.

Sumburgh Head
c Paul Hackett

Fulmar

It was an exhilerating and joyous end to another wonderful time on Shetland. 

I wonder what next year will bring.

For those who may be interested here is a list of the birds we saw

Red throated Diver, Great Northern Diver, Slavonian Grebe,Northern Fulmar, Northern Gannet, Great Cormorant, European Shag, Least Bittern (a first for Britain), Grey Heron, Mute Swan, Whooper Swan, Pink footed Goose, Greylag Goose, Pale bellied Brent Goose, Eurasian Wigeon, Eurasian Teal, Mallard, Ring necked Duck, Tufted Duck, Greater Scaup, Common Eider, King Eider, Long tailed Duck, Common Goldeneye, Red breasted Merganser, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Common Buzzard, Merlin, Peregrine Falcon, Common Pheasant, Black winged Stilt (second for Shetland), Ringed Plover, European Golden Plover, Northern Lapwing, Sanderling, Purple Sandpiper, Dunlin, Jack Snipe, Common Snipe, Black tailed Godwit, Bar tailed Godwit, Eurasian Curlew, Turnstone, Great Skua, Black headed Gull, Common Gull, Herring Gull, Glaucous Gull, Great Black backed Gull, Kittiwake, Guillemot, Razorbill, Black Guillemot, Rock Dove,Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Sky Lark, European Swallow, Pechora Pipit, Meadow Pipit, Rock Pipit, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail,Wren, European Robin, European Stonechat, Siberian Stonechat, Northern Wheatear, White's Thrush, Blackbird, Redwing, Lanceolated Warbler, Barred Warbler, Yellow browed Warbler (3), Dusky Warbler, Common Chiffchaff, Siberian Chiffchaff, Goldcrest,Spotted Flycatcher, Great Grey Shrike, Eurasian Jackdaw, Hooded Crow Common Raven, Common Starling,House Sparrow, Brambling, European Goldfinch, Eurasian Siskin, Twite, Common Redpoll, Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll (4), Hawfinch,Yellow rumped Warbler (2), Reed Bunting.