July and August 2006
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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.
Species in red are BBRC rarities.
Species in orange are local rarities.
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.
Thursday 31st August 2006
Arctic Warbler on Fetlar - Malcie Smith,
Micky Maher; Common Rosefinch at Norwick -
Micky Maher,
Mike Pennington; Willow Warbler at Skaw, Unst -
Micky Maher
An Arctic Warbler
is in the Funzie willows on Fetlar. There are also 2 Wood Warblers
on the island.
A Reed Warbler and the Common Rosefinch
are at Norwick.
A Barred Warbler, a Grey Wagtail
and 2 Stonechats are at Wester Quarff. A Wood Warbler is at
Quendale and a Reed Bunting is at Geosetter.
Wednesday 30th August 2006The juvenile
Curlew Sandpiper is still at Pool of Virkie along with 4 Knots, 26
Black-tailed Godwits,4 Bar-tailed Godwits and 5 Ruffs, while
40 Swallows roosted in the willows. At Sumburgh Head there are 2
Kestrels.
A Wood Sandpiper is at Burrafirth.
Tuesday 29th August 2006 A
Red-footed Falcon was reported over
Clickimin in Lerwick in the morning.
There was a Long-tailed Skua, a Sooty Shearwater
and 3 Manx Shearwaters seen flying past Eshaness in the afternoon.
A juvenile Curlew Sandpiper is at Pool of Virkie along with a
Greenshank, 2 Knots, 25 Black-tailed Godwits and a
Bar-tailed Godwit. There are 5 Ruffs at Fleck. A Garden Warbler
and 12 Swallows are at Toab.
Monday 28th August 2006
 
Red-rumped Swallow at Hoswick - Jim Nicolson (one photo); Rob Fray (three
photos); Barred Warbler at Skaw, Unst -
Micky Maher (two photos);
Mike Smith; Ruff and Black-tailed Godwit at Pool of Virkie - Rob Fray
A Red-rumped Swallow
is at Hoswick. There are only four previous autumn records for Shetland, one in
1971 and three in 1987, and none in August. A Common Swift was also at
Hoswick. The Marsh Warbler is still at
Sumburgh Head, along with a Kestrel, and there are Barred Warblers
at Geosetter, Toab and Virkie. At Pool of Virkie there are 6 Knots, 17
Black-tailed Godwits (including one with colour-rings), a Ruff and
357 Curlews, with 40 Swallows again in the willows.
There are Barred Warblers at Skaw, Unst
and Norwick and the Common Rosefinch is still at Norwick.
Sunday 27th August 2006
Arctic Terns, Arctic Skua and Sanderling at Easting, Unst,
and Knot at Lund, Unst -
Mike Pennington
A probable Citrine Wagtail flew over Strand in the evening.
A Marsh Warbler
is in one of the quarries on Sumburgh Head. There were 27 Linnets
and 40 Swallows roosting at Virkie willows and 203 Ringed Plovers
on Pool of Virkie. There are Wood Sandpipers at Garths Ness and Hillwell,
a Turtle Dove at Sumburgh Farm and a Barred Warbler and a Wood
Warbler at Quendale.
A Common Rosefinch is still at Norwick, along with a
House Martin. There are 6 Knots and 5 Sanderlings at Easting
beach and another Knot at Lund.
A Wood Warbler and a Black-tailed Godwit are at
Collafirth, Northmavine.
A Sooty Shearwater was seen from the Out Skerries
ferry, although the best bird on the islands was a Whinchat.
Saturday 26th August 2006 A Common
Rosefinch and a Kestrel are at Norwick.
There are 2 Wood Warblers at Grutness. Another Kestrel is at Fitful Head.
A flock of 25 Linnets roosted in the Virkie willows. There are 14
Black-tailed Godwits at Fleck.
Friday 25th August 2006
 Barred Warbler at Skaw, Unst -
Mike Pennington; Black-tailed Godwits at Fleck - Dave Hall
There are 2 Barred Warblers and a Wood Warbler
on Out Skerries.
On Unst, there are Barred Warblers at Skaw and Norwick
and a Reed Warbler at Skaw.
There are 3 Wood Warblers at Scalloway. A Barred Warbler and 3 Wood Warblers are at
Wester Quarff. Another Wood Warbler and a Pied Flycatcher are at
Hoswick. There are 23 Black-tailed Godwits at Fleck and 7 Knots
and 3 Bar-tailed Godwits at Pool of Virkie, where 45 Swallows
roosted in the willows. A Wood Sandpiper is still at Garths Ness.
An adult male Peregrine Falcon is at Bixter.
Thursday 24th August 2006A probable
Great Shearwater was reported off Ramna Stacks.
There are Wood Warblers at Hoswick, Virkie and Wester Quarff, a Reed Bunting
at Geosetter, a Reed Warbler at Quendale, single Wood Sandpiper
and Green Sandpiper at Garths Ness, 2 Common Swifts at Sumburgh
Farm, 9 Black-tailed Godwits at Fleck and a Greenshank at
Huesbreck.
Wednesday 23rd August 2006
Chiffchaff at Bigton - John Quirk
There are 13 juvenile Black-tailed Godwits at Pool of Virkie and a
juvenile Wood Sandpiper is at Scatness.
A Common Redstart is at Burravoe, Yell.
Tuesday 22nd August 2006
Sooty Shearwater, 8km NW of Ramna Stacks - Hugh
Harrop
Monday 21st August 2006
Barred Warbler at Skaw, Unst -
Mike Pennington
A Pied Flycatcher and an Icterine Warbler are at Geosetter, a
Green Sandpiper and a Kestrel are still at Quendale and a
Little Stint, the Black-tailed Godwit and 4 Bar-tailed Godwits
are at Pool of Virkie.
A Barred Warbler is at Skaw, Unst, and a Wood
Warbler is at Baltasound.
A Barred Warbler and the Common Rosefinch are
still on Fetlar, with a Sand Martin also there.
A dead Wood Warbler was found on Burra.
Sunday 20th August 2006
Wood Sandpiper at Garths Ness - Hugh
Harrop (2 photos) and Steve Minton; Garden Warbler and juvenile Arctic Tern at Skaw, Unst -
Mike Pennington
A Hobby flew
over Shurton Brae, Gulberwick, at mid-day.
On Fetlar, there are 3 Barred Warblers, a Red-backed
Shrike, a Common Rosefinch, an Icterine Warbler, a Sedge
Warbler, a Tree Pipit, 2 Pied Flycatchers, 17 Garden
Warblers and 35 Willow Warblers.
On Out Skerries there are 30 Willow Warblers, 10
Garden Warblers, 3 Wood Warblers, 3 Whinchats, 3 Lesser
Whitethroats, a Common Whitethroat, a Tree Pipit and 2
Red-backed Shrikes.
In south Mainland, as well as Willow Warblers and
Garden Warblers, the Wryneck is still at Geosetter, there are Wood
Warblers at Sumburgh Farm, Sumburgh Hotel and Channerwick, 3 Reed
Warblers at Quendale and Whinchats at Noss and Sumburgh Farm. There
are Kestrels at Sumburgh Head and Sumburgh Hotel. A Wood Sandpiper is at Garths Ness,
2 Green Sandpipers at Quendale, a Greenshank is at Loch of
Huesbreck and the Black-tailed Godwit is still at Pool of Virkie.
A Barred Warbler is at Baltasound, a Common
Whitethroat is at Norwick and a Pied Flycatcher is at Skaw.
A Greenshank, 4 Knots, 2 Bar-tailed Godwits and 3
Ruffs are at Gluss.
Saturday 19th August 2006
Willow Warbler and Garden Warbler on Out Skerries - Dougie
Preston
An Icterine Warbler is on Trondra.
A Wryneck
is at Geosetter. A juvenile Black-tailed Godwit is at Pool of Virkie.
Friday 18th August 2006
Barred Warbler on Out Skerries - Brydon Thomason;
Willow Warbler at Norwick and juvenile Twite at Skaw, Red-throated Diver -
Mike Pennington
A Common Rosefinch and a Barred Warbler are on
Out Skerries.
A Quail and a Garden Warbler are at Maywick.
Thursday 17th August 2006
Baird's Sandpiper at Baltasound - Micky
Maher;
Arctic Terns at Lerwick -
Mike Pennington
A juvenile Baird's Sandpiper
was on the rising tide on the Houb at Baltasound in the afternoon.
A red male Common Rosefinch is at Sumburgh Farm, along
with a Common Whitethroat. There are 2 Willow Warblers at Sumburgh
Hotel and 2 Whinchats and a Chiffchaff at Scatness.
A Little Stint is at Gerdie Loch, Eshaness. A Lesser Whitethroat
and a Willow Warbler are at South Collafirth and a Long-eared Owl
is at Sullom plantation.
Wednesday 16th August 2006
Olive-tree
Warbler at Boddam - Hugh
Harrop;
Lesser Whitethroat at Norwick -
Micky Maher
A Hippolais warbler at Boddam has been identified as the
first Olive-tree Warbler in western Europe.
A flock of 7 House
Martins flew south at Fladdabister. A flock of 22 Knots are at
Brewick, Lerwick.
The Rose-coloured Starling is
still at Norwick and a Lesser Whitethroat is there.
Tuesday 15th August 2006
A male Black Redstart and a juvenile Stonechat are
at Wester Quarff. There are 8 Knots at Tresta.
A Wood Warbler is on Fetlar. A Garden Warbler is at
Norwick.
Monday 14th August 2006
A Wood Warbler is at Swining and a Pied Flycatcher
is at Kergord. A Greenshank is at Haggrister. A Grey Wagtail is at
Hoswick. A scatter of Willow Warblers are also around.
An albino Curlew is at Catfirth.
Sunday 13th August 2006
Juvenile Arctic Tern at Skaw, Unst - Dougie Preston
A Sooty Shearwater flew past Garths Ness. There are 11 Knots at Pool of Virkie.
Saturday 12th August 2006 A Willow
Warbler is at Baltasound and there are 2 at Scalloway.
Friday 11th August 2006 A Whinchat
is on Noss.
Wednesday 9th August 2006
A flock of 33 Black-tailed Godwits is at Stenness,
Eshaness, along with 4 Knots.
Golden Plover at Skaw, Unst -
Mike Pennington
Tuesday 8th August 2006 A Willow Warbler
is in North Road, Lerwick.
Monday 7th August 2006 The adult Rose-coloured
Starling is on Lamba Ness, where it was seen originally yesterday. A
Willow Warbler and a Grey Wagtail are at Baltasound.
A Cuckoo was at Hamilton Park on Bressay.
Of interest, what was almost certainly the
Rough-legged Hawk (a buzzard with a white head) flew south over Tingwall on 24th
July.
Sunday 6th August 2006
Rose-coloured Starling at Norwick - Brydon Thomason; Red-throated Diver coming in to land -
Mike Pennington
An adult Rose-coloured
Starling is at Norwick, a Black-tailed Godwit is at
Haroldswick and a Green Sandpiper is at Uyeasound.
The Little Stint is still at Virkie and a
Green Sandpiper is near Sandwick.
Saturday 5th August 2006
Juvenile Red-throated Diver on Unst
-
Mike Pennington
The Common Rosefinch is still at Baltasound.
There are 2 Greenshanks at Wester Quarff.
Friday 4th August 2006 A
European Bee-eater was heard flying over
Wester Quarff in mid-afternoon, possibly flying north.
The Common Rosefinch
and a Greenshank are at Baltasound.
Thursday 3rd August 2006
Little Stint at Pool of Virkie - Roger Riddington;
Common Rosefinch at Baltasound -
Micky Maher (left)
Mike Pennington (right)
Meadow Pipit at Skaw, Unst -
Micky Maher; Wheatears and Oystercatcher at Skaw -
Mike Pennington
An adult female Common Rosefinch is at Baltasound and
there are 2 Willow Warblers at Skaw.
The Little Stint is still at Pool of Virkie.
Wednesday 2nd August 2006
Merlin and Black-headed Gull at Dales Voe, Delting, partial
albino House in Lerwick and Swallow at Virkie - Tony & Beth Gerrard
A family of Greenfinches has appeared in a garden at
Weisdale. This is the first confirmed breeding record for Shetland, although
there was a probable breeding attempt at Voe in 1996.
The Little Stint is still at Pool of Virkie.
A juvenile Cuckoo is on Noss.
A Short-eared Owl is at Twatt.
Tuesday 1st August 2006
Juvenile Wrens at Skaw, Unst -
Mike Pennington An adult Little Stint is at Pool of Virkie.
Monday 31st July 2006
Black Guillemots and Arctic Skuas on Noss -
Micky
Maher A Greenshank is on Noss.
Sunday 30th July 2006
Sanderlings and Knot at Scatness - Steve
Minton
A record flock of 379 Sanderlings roosted
on Moast beach, Scatness, along with 92 Dunlins and 3 Knots.
Saturday 29th July 2006 A sudden
arrival of waders at Pool of Virkie included 330 Sanderlings one of which
had been colour-ringed on the Banc
d'Arguin, Mauritania, on 4 December 2004 and seen there again between November
2005 and January 2006. A colour-ringed Knot was also seen that had been
ringed at in the eastern part of the Dutch Wadden Sea on 17 September 2004.
Friday 28th July 2006
A rather worn adult Rose-coloured
Starling was at Halligarth in the afternoon.
Tuesday 25th July 2006
A Green Sandpiper is on Noss.A
Sandwich Tern was at Pool of Virkie in the morning and 2 flew south at
Skelberry in the late afternoon.
Two Great Northern Divers are in South Nesting Bay.
Monday 24th July 2006
White-rumped Sandpipers at Virkie (original on left, new bird
on right, both in middle) -
Hugh Harrop
There are 2 adult White-rumped Sandpipers at Pool of Virkie.
Sunday 23rd July 2006
The adult White-rumped Sandpiper is
still at Pool of Virkie.
Saturday 22nd July 2006
 \
White-rumped Sandpiper at Virkie - Steve
Minton (2 photos); Dave Hall; Jim Nicolson
An adult White-rumped Sandpiper is
at Pool of Virkie. Also present are 12 Knots, 2 Bar-tailed Godwits
and an adult Little Stint. A Sedge Warbler is in song at
Cunningsburgh.
Wednesday 19th July 2006 There are 4
Knots at Pool of Virkie.
Friday 14th July 2006 A drake
King Eider is off Wester Quarff, presumably
one of the birds that was there last year.
A juvenile Rose-coloured
Starling is with a large flock of Starlings at Sandgarth, Voe.
Thursday 13th July 2006 A
Rose-coloured Starling flew west over
Haroldswick in the morning.
Arctic Terns on Mossy Hill - Dave Hall
Wednesday 12th July 2006 A pair of
Red Grouse seen on Bressay with at least one chick represent only the
second confirmed breeding for the island.
A female Pintail is at Scatness.
Tuesday 11th July 2006 A Sandwich
Tern is in Gungstie Voe, Noss.
Thursday 6th July 2006 A
European Bee-eater flew over Virkie in the
evening. A Sandwich Tern is at West Voe of Sumburgh.
Wednesday 5th July 2006 A Chiffchaff and a
Chaffinch are in song at Kergord.
Tuesday 4th July 2006 A Blackcap is in
song at Kergord.
Monday 3rd July 2006
Whimbrel on Unst and GBB Gull at Skaw
- Mike Pennington
Sunday 2nd July 2006
A female/immature Marsh Harrier is at Virkie.
Saturday 1st July
Canada Geese at Scatness - Steve Minton
There are 4 Greater Canada Geese and a
Grey Heron at Scatness.
A Common Swift flew south over East Burra in the afternoon
and a flock of 4 were seen over Trondra and East Burra in the early evening.
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Nature in Shetland
