We saw a proper Shetland rarity on the third day of our recent nine day visit: sunshine. As the morning dawned brightly we decided to check out some promising looking gardens in remote areas of the western mainland before relocating to our accommodation for the coming week in south mainland.
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| Yellow-browed Warbler, Culswick |
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| Yellow-browed Warbler, Gardins |
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| Yellow-browed Warbler, Gardins |
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| Pied Flycatcher, Culswick |
Starting at Culswick, before long we had flushed a skulking
locustalla from a roadside ditch. The most likely option in this scenario is the familiar Grasshopper Warbler, though there is always the chance of it being something rarer - Pallas's Grasshopper or Lanceolated Warbler being the most desirable. The Warbler buried itself in an iris bed but, with some gentle encouragement, flew to a ruined croft where it showed well enough to confirm it was 'just' a Gropper. Still, a promising start.
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| Grasshopper Warbler, Culswick |
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| Willow Warbler, Gardins |
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| Willow Warbler, Effearth |
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| Male Redstart, Easter Skeld |
At Gardins, Yellow-browed Warblers were the order of the day - including four together in one small bush at the gateway to a large house. The impression of there being good numbers of common migrants on the islands was confirmed as the morning progressed: Pied and Spotted Flycatchers, Redstarts, Blackcaps, Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs. It felt very birdy and encouraged us to continue pishing our way around any suitable looking patch of habitat.
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| Blackcap |
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| Blackcap, Wester Quarff |
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| Lesser Whitethroat, Wester Quarff - probably of a race ;-) |
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| Red Admiral - the only species of butterfly we saw in Shetland |
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| Sparrowhawk, Wester Quarff |
Highlights of the day were a couple of Red Grouse which appeared cackling over a fragment of heather-clad hillside near Easter Skeld and gave us a close flypast before vanishing over the horizon, and finally a Corncrake, flushed by David at Fladdibister where we were searching for a Red-backed Shrike. We assumed the Corncrake would run for cover and never be seen again but as we approached where it had landed, it flushed again to give conclusive (but unphotographable) flight views.
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| Red Grouse, Easter Skeld |
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| Red Grouse, Easter Skeld |
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| Red Grouse, Easter Skeld |
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| Redwing, Easter Skeld |
The famous grouse!
ReplyDeleteWe really should have toasted it with a dram of the namesake!
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