Arrived Lerwick at 7.30am to a sunny warm morning and
were soon chatting to Mark Chapman and watching displaying Whimbrels near Toft. On Yell we took a look at
Cullivoe seeing a few passerine migrants including Goldcrest, Blackcap and a
few Willow Warblers. On Unst we drove to our croft at Norwick seeing a few
Swallows, a Redstart and a Reed Bunting enroute. Whilst moving into our croft
an Iceland Gull was seen flying past the kitchen window that obligingly landed in a
field behind our croft. Whilst checking Norwick it started to rain and began
to feel quite wintry so 3 Redwing didn’t feel out of place. The rain had become
heavy by the time we visited Skaw and
Northdale where an adult Whooper Swan was in residence. It was good to see
Brydon Thomason in the evening.
Red-throated Diver c.5
Whooper Swan 1 adult
Greylag Goose c.20
Mallard 2 Lerwick
Tufted Duck 6 (2 Lerwick)
Scaup 1 drake Lerwick
Eider c.20
Scoter 1 female Bressay Sound
Merganser 2
Dunlin 3
Whimbrel 2
Arctic Skua 2 mainland
Bonxie c.20
Black Guillemot c.8
Puffin 3
Rock Dove c.30
Wood Pigeon 7 Norwick
Hooded Crow c.10
Goldcrest 1
Skylark c.10
Swallow c.10
Blackcap 3
Wren 2
Redwing 3
Robin 1
Redstart 1
Wheatear c,30
White Wagtail 1 male
Pied Wagtail 4
Twite 8
Reed
Bunting 1 male
arriving Bressay Sound
arriving Lerwick
Black Guillemot at Lerwick (JFC)
Goldcrest at Cullivoe, Yell
Iceland Gull at Millfield, Norwick (JFC)
Whilst moving into our croft at Millfield, Norwick this Iceland Gull was first seen flying past the kitchen window! Being a bleached individual it proves difficult to age with a high degree of certainty. Whilst its barred tail feathers probably favours an individual in its second calendar-year it shows a dull pale iris and what appears a smooth grey upper mantle that are characters more typically associated with an individual in its third calendar-year. Whatever its age, it proved a nice bird to find at the start of our stay.
JFC returning from photographing the Iceland Gull against the backdrop of Lamba Ness
Male White Wagtail on Norwick Beach (JFC)
Redwing at Norwick (JFC)
Whooper Swan at Northdale (JFC)
