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Bird Sightings and Photos
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Full details of Fair Isle sightings are on the
FIBO website. Photographs
are copyright of the named photographer and may not be used for any other
purpose without their permission.
For details on how to submit records by e-mail
check the
Bird Club's
Recording page. NOTE that ALL records go into the database used in the
compilation of the Shetland Bird Report EVEN IF they do not appear on this page.
Species in red are BBRC rarities.
Species in orange are local rarities.
SEND IN YOUR 2005 RECORDS. With records now
in a database, large chunks of the 2005 Bird Report are drafted already so
please
send your records as soon as possible.
SPARROW DECLINES It
may be worth checking the sparrows with bins to see how many have visible
lesions. Any such sightings should be sent to
SBRC or
Nature in Shetland. See
homepage for more details.
PURPLE SANDPIPERS Sightings of colour-ringed Purple Sandpipers,
or counts were no marked birds were seen, are required.
See homepage for more details.
Tuesday 28th February 2006
A female King Eider
is in Clift Sound off Wester Quarff.
There are about 5 Skylarks in the snow at Baltasound
and another 5 at Haroldswick.
Monday 27th February 2006
The unusual first-winter gull is at Gremista, Lerwick. It
looks rather like a Kumlien's Gull in plumage and wing-length, but the head and
bill in particular look more Herring Gull-like.
Sunday 26th February 2006
There are 184 Redshanks and 3 Bar-tailed Godwits
at Pool of Virkie and 248 Wigeons and 2 Shelducks at Spiggie. A
Carrion Crow is still at Baltasound and a Jack Snipe and the 3
Common Scoters are still at Burrafirth. A Song Thrush is at West
Sandwick.
Saturday 25th February 2006
A Chaffinch at the Sletts, Lerwick, is the first there
since November.
Thursday 23rd February 2006
There are 4 Greenfinches at the Sletts, Lerwick. There
are 25 Redwings at Oxensetter, Northmavine, and 24 at Baltasound.
Wednesday 22nd February 2006
Gannet and Fulmar at Skaw, Unst -
Micky Maher
A Greenfinch is at the Sletts, Lerwick. There are 48
Purple Sandpipers at Boddam and 2 Shelducks and a Coot at
Spiggie. A Kestrel is at Collafirth, Northmavine.
Tuesday 21st February 2006
Tufted Ducks and Starlings at Lerwick -
Micky Maher
A Long-eared Owl is at Baltasound. There are 380
Lapwings at Spiggie. A Glaucous Gull is at the Catch in Lerwick. The
3 Greater Canada Geese are at Gluss.
Monday 20th February 2006
Glaucous Gull and gull sp. at Lerwick - Brydon Thomason
There are 2 Glaucous Gulls at Lerwick and an
interesting first-winter gull which appears to be either part of the
Iceland/Kumlien's/Thayer's superspecies or a hybrid.
The Carrion Crow is still at Sandwick.
A Greenland Redpoll and a Sparrowhawk are at
Firth.
The 4 Scaups are still at Loch of Quoys on Unst with
the 3 Common Scoters still nearby at Burra Firth.
Sunday 19th February 2006
A Wood Pigeon is at Collafirth, Northmavine, and there
are 3 Greater Canada Geese at Gluss.
A Kestrel is at Tingwall, the Little Grebe is
still at Sand Water and 2 Woodcocks are at Catfirth along with 20
Fieldfares and 4 Redwings.
Saturday 18th February 2006
Lapwing, Turnstone, Fulmar and Barnacle Geese at Baltasound
-
Mike Pennington
Not much new on Unst, although some waders arrived including
92 Lapwings and 41 Ringed Plovers at Baltasound, as well as a few
Oystercatchers, while there are now 4 Scaups on Loch of Quoys.
Long-staying birds include 6 Barnacle Geese at Baltasound and 2 at
Haroldswick and 3 Common Scoters at Burrafirth.
A Peregrine Falcon is at Littlester, Yell.
There are 35 Snow Buntings at Collafirth, Northmavine.
Friday 17th February 2006
There are 2 Pomarine Skuas at Firth, near Mossbank.
The Green-winged Teal is
at Scatness and the Greater Canada Goose is at Ringasta along with 53
Oystercatchers.
Thursday 16th February 2006
Water Rail is at Gulberwick - Jim Nicolson
There are 25 Snow Buntings at Burn of
Lunklett, Aith, and 12 at Vementry.
Wednesday 15th February 2006
Iceland Gull at Haroldswick -
Micky Maher
A first-winter
Mediterranean Gull is with the usual gull flock on the fields at Toft
camp.
There are 3 first-winter Iceland Gulls at Haroldswick
and one at Norwick. A first-winter Glaucous Gull is at Burrafirth.
There are 27 Twites at Sandwick.
Monday 13th February 2006
Barnacle Goose at Haroldswick -
Micky Maher
The 2 Barnacle Geese are still at Haroldswick and the
Pink-footed Goose is at Baltasound.
Sunday 12th February 2006
Fulmar at Skaw -
Micky Maher
A Black-throated Diver is in Bay of Quendale; it is
probably the returning adult. Two Short-eared Owls are at Brig of
Bakkasetter and 3 Little Grebes are on Loch of Spiggie with the
Greater Canada Goose still there. Oystercatchers are returning with
66 roosting on Quendale beach.
A Dunnock, 40 Snow Buntings and a Water Rail
are on Trondra. There are 12 Snow Buntings near Lunna House.
Saturday 11th February 2006
Two Oystercatchers on Norwick beach are
the first back on Unst, the 2 Barnacle Geese are at Haroldswick still,
the 3 female Scaups and the Coot are at Loch of Quoys, 3 Common
Scoters remain in Burra Firth where there was also first-winter Glaucous
Gull and about 100 Fieldfares were in several smallish flocks around
north Unst.
A ringtail Hen Harrier is on Fetlar and another is at
Burn of Lunklett, Aith. A Meadow Pipit is at Sandgarth, Voe. The
first-winter Glaucous Gull is still at Rova Head, Lerwick. There are now
2 first-winter Glaucous Gulls at Islesburgh, Northmavine.
Friday 10th February 2006
Snow Bunting at Cunningsburgh - Jim Nicolson
The Black-bellied Dipper
is still at Voe.
A redhead Smew at Loch of Gards, Scatness, is
presumably the bird from Hillwell. A Skylark is also at Scatness. A
Water Rail is still at Ocraquoy. There are 44 Snow Buntings at
Cunningsburgh.
The 6 Barnacle Geese are still at Baltasound and there
also 2 at Haroldswick are 2 more Barnacle Geese on Fetlar.
Thursday 9th February 2006
The Black-bellied Dipper
is still at Voe, along the Burn of Kirkhouse. At Sand Water, 2 Hen Harriers
roosted and the Little Grebe and 41 Grey Herons were present.
There are 6 Woodcocks, a Sparrowhawk and 2 Goldcrests at
Catfirth plantation. A Siskin at Sound, Lerwick, along with a regular
flock of 13 Greenfinches there, is on an an unusual date. A flock of 9
Knots is at the Sletts in Lerwick.
A Pied Wagtail at Fleck is also on an unusual date.
There are 3 Bar-tailed Godwits and a Grey Plover at Pool of Virkie
and a Water Rail at Boddam. There are
29 Snow Buntings, 11 Twites, a Water Rail and a Moorhen
at Cunningsburgh.
Wednesday 8th February 2006
A flock of 40 Snow Buntings flew over Effirth. The
Iceland Gull is still at Burrafirth. A Greenfinch is at the Sletts in
Lerwick and a Chaffinch is at Sound. A male Stonechat is at Wester
Quarff. There are 500 Golden Plovers
at Sandwick.
Tuesday 7th February 2006
An adult Glaucous Gull is at Burrafirth and a
first-winter is at Baltasound, while the 6 Barnacle Geese are still at
Baltasound. A Scaup is on Loch of Clickimin.
Monday 6th February 2006
A flock of 6 Goosanders is at Wadbister Voe. There are
14 Snow Buntings at Quarff. A first-winter Iceland Gull is at
Burrafirth.
Saturday 4th February 2006
The Black-bellied Dipper
is still at Voe, although it was along the Burn of Susetter, the third different
stream it has been seen along.
Another, presumably another Black-bellied Dipper,
was along the burn at Dale golf course at mid-day.
Two Pomarine Skuas are in Yell Sound. A first-winter
Glaucous Gull has been at Islesburgh, Northmavine, for a few days. Another
first-winter Glaucous Gull is at Rova Head tip in Lerwick, while one flew
over the Toll Clock Shopping Centre in Lerwick. There are 16 Snow Buntings
at Cunningsburgh.
Thursday 2nd February 2006
The Black-bellied Dipper
is still at Voe and is carrying a Norwegian ring. It was ringed as a chick in
Norway on 2004. (Note that another Dipper was
seen in North Roe on Sunday). There are 20 Fieldfares and 14 Snow
Buntings nearby at Mulla.
There are still 2 Pomarine Skuas in the Bluemull
triangle, off Hascosay.
There are 3 Bullfinches in Lerwick, the 100th species
reported to the website so far this year.
Wednesday 1st February 2006
Shag at Baltasound - Anne Meller
A male King Eider is in
Sand Voe (presumably the one on the westside in which case it is presumably one
of the birds that was off Wester Quarff last autumn).
The other male King Eider is
still in Mousa Sound, off Sand
Lodge, and a White-billed Diver is also
still in Mousa Sound. The Carrion Crow is still at Sandwick.
The Green-winged Teal
is still at Scatness. The Smew and the Greater Canada Goose
are at Loch of Hillwell. There are 2 Grey Plovers and 3 Bar-tailed
Godwits at Pool of Virkie. A Common Scoter is still in Clift Sound.
The first-winter Glaucous Gull is still at
Baltasound and another is at Uyeasound.
Tuesday 31st January 2006
Glaucous Gull at Baltasound - Anne Meller
The King Eider is still in Mousa Sound, off
Sand Lodge, and a Carrion Crow is still in Sandwick. A Common Scoter is
in Clift Sound.
There are 5 Greenfinches at Helendale and a Scaup
on Loch of Clickimin. There are flocks of 42 Snow Buntings on Trondra and
31 on West Burra. Only 20 Grey Herons were at the roost west of Bixter.
The first-winter Glaucous Gull is still at
Baltasound.
Monday 30th January 2006
Glaucous Gull at Baltasound - Anne Meller
The Black-bellied Dipper
is still at Voe, but now on the stream draining the Loch of Voe. An astonishing
roost of 73 Grey Herons was found west of Bixter, a male Goosander
is in Tresta Voe, an exceptional count of 440 Black-headed Gulls was made
at Gonfirth, a female Sparrowhawk is at Mulla, Voe, and a male Hen
Harrier is at Duddin Hill (wherever that is!).
A first-winter Glaucous Gull is at
Baltasound.
Sunday 29th January 2006
Green-winged Teal at Scatness - Steve Minton
Yet another
Black-bellied Dipper, the third this winter, is at Red Geo, on the
north-west coast of North Roe.
The Green-winged Teal
is still at Scatness along with 34 Snow Buntings and the
Smew and the Greater Canada Goose are still at Loch of Hillwell.
A Stonechat is at Quarff and 12 Grey
Herons are at Clift Sound. A first-winter Glaucous Gull is at
Holmsgarth in Lerwick. A ringtail Hen Harrier is at Sandgarth, Voe, along
with a Song Thrush.
There are 6 Barnacle Geese still at
Baltasound.
Saturday 28th January 2006
Black-bellied Dipper at Voe - Dougie Preston
The King Eider is in Mousa Sound, off Sand
Lodge, and a White-billed Diver there is
presumably the bird that was there in December. There are 2 Woodcocks at
Geosetter.
The
Black-bellied Dipper is in Kirkhouse Burn at
Voe (NOT at Vidlin). It has been there since 5th November 2005.
On Unst, the Pink-footed Goose is still at
Baltasound and the 4 Common Scoters are still at Burrafirth.
Friday 27th January 2006
A boat survey found 3 Pomarine Skuas, off
Lunna, Hascosay and north Fetlar, while a Velvet Scoter was off Hascosay
and 2 Common Scoters were off Fetlar. There were 3 Puffins and 5
Little Auks between SE Yell and Lunna Ness.
Thursday 26th January 2006
Great Northern Diver at Baltasound and Gannets
at Hermaness - Anne Meller
The King Eider is still in Mousa Sound, off
Sand Lodge.
A Pomarine Skua was seen from a boat survey off the
Scalloway isles.
A 3rd winter Iceland Gull is in Noss Sound and 53 Purple
Sandpipers are on Noss.
A ringtail Hen Harrier at Girlsta was
presumably the same as one that roosted at Sand Water, where the Little Grebe is
still present. About 18 Fieldfares are at Oxensetter in
Northmavine.
Nature in Shetland
