Wednesday 20 July 2016

20th July 2016 Unst SE1 Fog clearing overcast

Awoke to patchy fog and a light southeasterly breeze. Birds can always surprise you - having not seen more than a couple of Twite at Skaw on previous mornings today there were at least 25 and probably more. There were 4 Sanderling and 12 Turnstone on the beach and it was good to see the Eider family were all present and correct, A seawatch from Lamba Ness produced a Manx Shearwater flying north at 8.28am. Norwick only played host to a Chiffchaff with the Common Swift having relocated to Northdale flying around low in the gloomy conditions. An evening seawatch for 30 minutes before rain stopped play failed to produce any more Shearwaters but the following were seen:

Gannet 368 N, 87 S
Fulmar 58 N, 12 S
Shag 9 N
Great Skua 3 N, 11 S
Arctic Tern 14 N
Guillemot 5 N
Puffin 67 N, 6 S

Twite at Skaw

Geo beyond Skaw

Some of the Fulmars have eggs ...

 ... others have large chicks

Fog persisting over Norwick

Common Swift at Northdale

 Juvenile Shetland Wren at Burrafirth