Shetland: part the second

To say there have been complaints about the absence of fresh content in this space would be overstating it. But a few loyal readers have passed comment to this effect, so I have been stung into action by these gluttons for punishment. And where better to resume than with a follow-up to the almost popular Shetland: part the first post.

River Warbler on Unst

Probably the bird of the trip, and only my second in the UK

After proving initially skulky, it eventually gave us extended views

In this post I will canter through the rarity highlights. The first couple of days had produced very little on this front but the discovery of a River Warbler in a small iris bed on Unst changed things. We arrived at the site to find what would become a familiar Shetland scene that week: sheeting rain and no sign of the sought after bird! Both problems were fleeting though and within a short while we had enjoyed good views of this ultimate skulker as it walked between stands of iris. Returning later in the day in better weather we enjoyed extended views and photo opportunities as it bathed lower down the burn. A summer plumaged American Golden Plover was a bonus on our first visit to Unst, and our only rare wader of the trip.


Eastern Yellow Wagtail, Unst

A very grey and white individual with just a hint of a buffy chin and vent

An elongated hindclaw is a feature of Eastern Yellow Wagtail

During the middle of the week Shetland went wagtail crazy - first turning up a presumed Eastern Yellow Wagtail on Unst (consolation for dipping a Pechora Pipit, the less said about which the better). This was a tick for all of us since the split from common or garden Yellow Wagtail. The monochrome vagrant looked and sounded the part, and turned up at a place, at a time of year and with avian company which suggested an eastern origin, though it remains to be seen whether it passes muster with the rarities committee.

Citrine Wagtail, Bressay

An approachable individual

Note the complete white ear-surrounds

Having made a couple of long-distance excursions to Unst earlier in the week, on the Thursday of our stay we elected for a shorter island hop to Bressay, where a Citrine Wagtail had reportedly been showing well. We couldn't have known just how well: after a careful approach it walked towards us for a remarkably close encounter.

Common Rosefinch, Mainland

Barred Warbler, Mainland

American Golden Plover, Unst

Other minor rarities kept us entertained - a few Barred Warblers, including the one pictured here, found at Busta House Hotel by our own Bradders, a Marsh Warbler at Sumburgh and a Common Rosefinch on a mainland beach. Remarkably, Yellow-browed Warblers were notable by their absence, and we scraped just a handful in contrast to the daily sightings of the previous year.

Marsh Warbler, Sumburgh Quarry

Yellow-browed Warbler, Unst

Yellow-browed Warbler, Unst

Not a bumper year by Shetland's high standards, perhaps, but some quality all the same. I can probably wrap up Shetland in just one more post - so come back soon(ish) for the final instalment.

Cutting a dash

Kneeling in the mud at Ferrybridge this afternoon, with just the Med Gulls and a couple of Sandwich Terns for company, everything suddenly went up. I looked around expecting a Peregrine but when a flock of squealing waders came past, the source of the panic became apparent - a Merlin in rapid pursuit.

Merlin, Ferrybridge

The view was typical: a fleeting one of a dashing rear end just out of range for my 400mm lens. So I was surprised when it turned and landed out in the open on a nearby rock. It wasn't long before it set off again on a hunting foray along the water's edge. All the waders scrambled once more except one solitary Dunlin with nerves of steel - or cataracts, one or the other.

I think a juvenile as these are said to be browner on the back and uppertail coverts without the greyish cast of adult females

I watched as, at first, the Dunlin looked up as if to say 'You can't be serious, can you?' before realising the Merlin was deadly serious. It took evasive action sufficiently late for its pursuer to end up in the water with wet trousers and empty talons. Like I said in this post last month, Ferrybridge is always worth a stop...

The imperfect hunting technique might also suggest a young bird

Swineham hadn't produced much to write home about in a couple of brief visits yesterday and this morning, so this afternoon, before the Ferrybridge pit-stop, I headed for Portland. A Common Rosefinch, trapped and ringed on Friday but not seen since, had resurfaced near the Observatory. I jammed in on it within a few minutes of arrival when it sat briefly atop a bramble, stuffed a few blackberries and disappeared again.

Common Rosefinch, Portland Bill. Aka Scarlet Rosefinch, though this one obviously wasn't.

This was the first I'd seen in Dorset - so not just the blackberries that were a little tart today. Another Rosefinch spent the winter in a Broadstone birder's garden, but after too many hours kerb-crawling the Hamworthy Hoopoe I thought I had caused more than my share of net curtain twitching so didn't ask to visit the stakeout at the time. Good not to have to wait too long before catching up with this one then.

See here for an 'in the hand' shot on the Portland Obs website (post for 28th September)