March
Bird Sightings and Photos
Species in red are BBRC rarities.
Species in orange are local rarities.
Friday 31st March 2006
Bittern at Walls - Roger Riddington; Brent Geese and Barnacle Geese at Baltasound -
Mike
Pennington
A Bittern is
at Walls, in the showground just to the east of the main village. And it's
alive!
A Woodlark is on Foula.
A Yellowhammer is at Collafirth,
Northmavine. Another Yellowhammer is at Toft. There are 2
Greenfinches, a male Brambling, a Kestrel, a Water Rail
and a male Reed Bunting at Sandgarth, Voe. The Great Tit and the
Yellowhammer are still at Scatness. A Sandwich Tern is at
Quendale.
There are 4 Dark-bellied Brent Geese with
the 8 Barnacle Geese at Baltasound, along with a Chiffchaff and 2
Yellowhammers. A Black Redstart, 2 Grey Wagtails and a
Chiffchaff are on Fetlar.
Thursday 30th March 2006
Black Redstart at Haroldswick -
Micky
Maher; Marsh Harrier at Haroldswick -
Mike
Pennington; Yellowhammer and Great Tit at Scatness - Steve Minton;
Greenfinches at Baltasound - Anne Meller; Scandinavian Rock Pipit at Ringasta -
Roger Riddington
Shetland's earliest ever Osprey flew over Brae mid-morning;
it was later seen fishing at Sandness. A Mistle
Thrush is at Toft. A male Black Redstart is at Laxfirth, Nesting. A
male Bullfinch is at Upper Sound. A flock of 17 Jackdaws is at
Strand.
The Marsh Harrier is still at Haroldswick and a
Black Redstart and a Yellowhammer are also there. There are 4
Greenfinches at Baltasound.
A very early Swallow was seen coming on
off the sea at Sumburgh Hotel and a male Black Redstart and a Mistle
Thrush are there. Another Marsh Harrier is still at Sumburgh. The
redhead Smew is still at Scatness and a male Great Tit and male
Yellowhammer are at Scatness, along with the Green-winged Teal. A
Stonechat, a Water Rail and a Chiffchaff are in Virkie willows
with 5 Bar-tailed Godwits and 2 Grey Plovers on the Pool of
Virkie. A Scandinavian Rock Pipit is still
at Hillwell, and others are at Quendale and Ringasta. The Grutness Sandwich Tern has been
found dead.
Wednesday 29th March 2006
Yellowhammer at Skaw, Twite at Norwick -
Mike Pennington; Marsh
Harrier at Haroldswick -
Micky
Maher; Chaffinches at Haroldswick - Anne Meller; Scandinavian Rock
Pipit at Hillwell - Roger Riddington
On Unst, there is a Yellowhammer at Skaw, Long-eared
Owls at Norwick and Baltasound, the Marsh Harrier still at
Haroldswick, a Brambling at Norwick, 2 Mistle
Thrushes at Quoys, 5 Jackdaws with 53 Hooded Crows at
Baltasound, 54 Wood Pigeons (33 at Halligarth, 16 at Skaw and 5 at
Clibberswick) and about 50 Chaffinches in flocks of up to 10. A
Chiffchaff is at Burravoe on Yell.
There are 2 Stonechats at Hillwell along with 4 Rock Pipits, at
least 2 of which show characters associated with the Scandinavian race
littoralis (Scandinavian Rock Pipit). There are 2 more Stonechats, a Dunnock, a
Chiffchaff and a Water Rail in the Virkie willows. There are 2 Reed Buntings, a Short-eared Owl and
a Jack Snipe at Brig of Bakkasetter, 3
Jackdaws at Ringasta, and a male Stonechat and a Mistle Thrush
at Sumburgh Farm. A
Long-eared Owl, a Woodcock, 2 Yellowhammers and 2
Goldcrests are at Cunningsburgh.
A male Yellowhammer is at Upper Sound, Lerwick, and there are 9 Wood Pigeons in Helendale,
and 40 Redwings, 12 Chaffinches and a Chiffchaff at
Seafield,
A Grey Wagtail is at Collafirth, Northmavine. A Long-eared Owl
is still at Vidlin plantation along with a Goldcrest, a Chiffchaff
and a female Brambling.
Tuesday 28th March 2006
Reed Buntings at Sandgarth - Tony & Beth Gerrard
There are 3 adult male
Marsh Harriers on the islands: one was at Culswick in west Mainland in the morning and early
afternoon before flying south; one was at Big of Bakkasetter in mid-afternoon,
being mobbed by 2 Short-eared Owls; and another was at Northdale on Unst in late afternoon,
chasing a Woodcock. Only 2 others have occurred in March (both on Fair
Isle) and only 5 adult males have been seen before.
A Sandwich Tern
and a Grey Wagtail are at
Haroldswick and a Long-eared Owl and a Chiffchaff are at
Baltasound. There are 2 Greenfinches and a Siskin at Mid Yell. A
Black Redstart is at Burravoe on Yell.
At Sandgarth, Voe, there are 2 Reed Buntings, 10
Greenfinches, 2 Grey Wagtails, 2 Goldcrests, a male Hen
Harrier and a Kestrel. There are 13 Grey Herons at Sand Water.
A female Common Scoter is at Laxo. There are 3 Mistle Thrushes, 8
Wood Pigeons and 30 Chaffinches at Swining and a Long-eared Owl
and 2 Goldcrests at Vidlin.
A female Great Tit is at Scousburgh. There are 40
Chaffinches on Trondra and a flock of 30 in Lerwick along with a
Brambling. There are 4 Woodcocks at Geosetter, a Yellowhammer
at Virkie, 3 Reed Buntings and the Smew back at Hillwell, 7
White, one Pied and one Grey Wagtail at Quendale and
Chiffchaffs at Quendale and Sumburgh Hotel.
Chaffinches (nearly all males), Blackbirds and Song Thrushes
are well distributed.
Monday 27th March 2006
Reed Bunting and Dunnock at Sandgarth - Tony & Beth
Gerrard; Jackdaw at Gremista
-
Steve Minton
An early Sandwich Tern is at Grutness. The male
Marsh Harrier is now at Geosetter and flew towards Bigton and there are 40
Chaffinches, a male Brambling, 9 Wood Pigeons and a
Mistle Thrush at Maywick and a Yellowhammer in Bigton.
At Sumburgh Head, there are still 14 Chaffinches, 5
Robins and a Mistle Thrush, with another Mistle Thrush at
Garths Ness, Quendale, and 40 Chaffinches and 2 White Wagtails at
Quendale. A Canada Goose and a male Shoveler are at Scatness and
the redhead Smew and another male Shoveler are at Scatness, along
with 19 Chaffinches. There are 14 Moorhens and a Little Grebe
at Loch of Spiggie.
There are 2 Bramblings and 33 Chaffinches at
Cunningsburgh. There 15 Chaffinches,
12 Wood Pigeons and 2 Woodcocks at Wester Quarff and 14
Chaffinches, 8 Greenfinches and a Wood Pigeon at Helendale.
Two first-winter Glaucous Gulls and 2 Jackdaws are at Gremista,
Lerwick. A male Common Scoter is off Leog, Lerwick. There are 26 Knots at 26 Chaffinches at Tresta, west
Mainland. A Reed Bunting is at Sandgarth along with
the Dunnock.
A Mistle Thrush and 6 Chaffinches are at Mid Yell.
Sunday 26th March 2006
Smew at Scatness
-
Steve Minton; Chaffinch at Haroldswick - Anne Meller
South-easterlies and a small arrival of migrants. Most
notably, a Bittern has been found dead on
Whalsay, the first since 1987.
A very early adult male Marsh Harrier is at Quendale along with 13
Chaffinches, a Greenfinch, 16 very early White Wagtails, a
Chiffchaff and 3 Wood Pigeons.
At Sumburgh Head there are 25 Song Thrushes, 60
Blackbirds, a Mistle Thrush, a White Wagtail, a
Yellowhammer, 3 Woodcocks, 6 Robins, 22 Chaffinches, 30
Skylarks and 3 Wood Pigeons.
At Scatness there are 22 Chaffinches, 79
Blackbirds, 9 Song Thrushes, a Robin, a Coot, an
adult Iceland Gull, and a first-winter Glaucous Gull, while the
redhead Smew is also there.
A Goldcrest and another White Wagtail are at
Virkie.
There is a flock of 21 Wood Pigeons at Spiggie and another 15 Wood
Pigeons at Ireland, Bigton.
There are 10 Chaffinches and 2 Greenfinches at Ocraquoy and
another 6 at Bigton. At least 41 Chaffinches are around
Cunningsburgh along with 2 Siskins and 2 Greenfinches. There are 2
Mistle Thrushes at Sandwick. Three Long-eared Owls are roosting in
trees on Trondra.
There are 20 Chaffinches and a Dunnock at Sandgarth, Voe.
On Unst, as well as a scattering of Chaffinches, there
are Bar-tailed Godwits at Uyeasound and Belmont, 2 Goosanders at
the Westing and the 8 Barnacle Geese still at Baltasound.
Saturday 25th March 2006
The Hawfinch is still at Mid Yell.
Friday 24th March 2006
A Hawfinch is at Mid Yell.
Thursday 23rd March 2006
Wren at Baltasound and Golden Plover at Burrafirth - Anne
Meller
A Woodcock is at the Burn of Atler in North Nesting.
There are 2 Jack Snipes at Virkie.
Wednesday 22nd March 2006
There are now 6 Chaffinches at the Sletts in Lerwick
and a first-winter Glaucous Gull is at Gremista.
Monday 20th March 2006
There are 3 Goosanders at the head of Whiteness Voe.
Sunday 19th March 2006
There are Sparrowhawks at Scalloway and on Trondra.
There are 12 Moorhens and 2 Shelducks at Loch of Spiggie.
Saturday 18th March 2006
A Woodcock is near West Burrafirth. A ringtail Hen
Harrier is at Lochend in Northmavine.
Friday 17th March 2006
A summer-plumage Red-throated Diver is on freshwater at
Eela Water in Northmavine. A Common Coot is on Loch of Benston.
There are now 7 Wood Pigeons on Trondra. A Mistle
Thrush is at Helendale. There are 5 Chaffinches and a Greenfinch
at the Sletts in Lerwick.
Thursday 16th March 2006
There are now 3 Stonechats at Virkie. About 25 Snow
Buntings are at Sandwick.
Skylarks were in full song on Collafirth Hill in
Delting and at Virkie.
Wednesday 15th March 2006
Stonechat at Northdale -
Micky
Maher
A Stonechat is at Northdale on Unst. Another
Stonechat, a female, is at Virkie willows. There are still 3 Grey Plovers
and 2 Bar-tailed Godwits on the Pool of Virkie.
A wintering Kestrel is still at Swinister, near Vidlin.
There are 3 Chaffinches at the Sletts in Lerwick. There are 16 Grey
Herons at the roost west of Bixter.
Tuesday 14th March 2006
There are 3 Wood Pigeons on Trondra.
Monday 13th March 2006
A Common Buzzard is at Collafirth in Northmavine; a
chocolate-brown bird quite unlike last week's Rough-leg.
An adult Lesser Black-backed Gull is at Firth.
Sunday 12th March 2006
An adult Lesser Black-backed Gull is at Haroldswick.
The Pomarine Skua is still at Firth.
Saturday 11th March 2006
Gannet, Kittiwake and Moorhen at Baltasound -
Anne Meller; Redshank at Skaw -
Mike Pennington
There are 2 Mistle Thrushes at Sumburgh Farm and a third just below
Sumburgh Head. A Green-winged Teal, presumably the Scatness bird, was on
the flood water at the base of the Eel Burn, Quendale.
Friday 10th March 2006
King Eider off Fetlar - Brydon Thomason
A male King Eider
is off Hamars Ness, Fetlar.
A Rough-legged Buzzard
flew over Collafirth, Northmavine, at about 3:30. (one was reported on Unst
couple of days ago).
A Skylark was in song at Sullom.
Thursday 9th March 2006
The ringtail Hen Harrier is back at Sandgarth, Voe.
Wednesday 8th March 2006
Fulmars at Baltasound - Anne Meller
There are 2 male Chaffinches and a
Sparrowhawk at Collafirth, Northmavine.
Tuesday 7th March 2006
The female King Eider
is still in Clift Sound off Wester Quarff, although it has not been
present the last few days.
There are 31 Snow Buntings at Sandwick.
Monday 6th March 2006
A ringtail Hen Harrier is hunting at
Sandgarth, Voe. There are 17 Snow Buntings at Sandwick. Unusual garden
visitors have included a male Teal at Ocraquoy.
Sunday 5th March 2006
Water Rail and Woodcock at Sandgarth - Tony &
Beth Gerrard
A Woodcock is in the garden at Sandgarth,
Voe, along with a Water Rail, up to 15 Snow Buntings and 6
Greenfinches.
Saturday 4th March 2006
Snow Bunting at Sandgarth - Tony & Beth
Gerrard; Long-tailed Duck - Brydon Thomason
The female King Eider
is still in Clift Sound off Wester Quarff.
At Cunningsburgh there are 11
Skylarks, 2 female Chaffinches, a Robin, 2 Merlins, a
Water Rail, a Long-eared Owl, 2 Red Grouse, 50+ Greylag
Geese and 14 Common Snipe.
Six Greenfinches are new at Sandgarth,
Voe, feeding at the bird tables with 4 Snow Buntings, a resident Robin
and 3 Rock Doves.
Friday 3rd March 2006
Jack Snipe at Norwick -
Mike Pennington;
Long-tailed Ducks and gull sp. at Lerwick -
Micky Maher
Jack Snipes continue to be the bird of the
moment with 4 at Baltasound and singles at Norwick, Exnaboe and in a garden at
Upper Sound.
The strange gull is still at Lerwick.
Up to 3 Common Snipe have been coming into the garden at Sletts Park
along with a Redshank.
Another Common Snipe is feeding in the garden at Sandgarth, Voe, along
with a Common Redpoll amongst others.
Thursday 2nd March 2006
A Sparrowhawk and 80 Snow Buntings
are on Trondra. At least 85 Common Snipes are at Sandwick.
An adult Iceland Gull and 2 Jack Snipes
are at Firth.
There are 2 Jack Snipes still at Burravoe,
along with 6 Snow Buntings.
There are 2 Water Rails in the snow at Baltasound and
the Carrion Crow.
Wednesday 1st March 2006
Jack Snipe at Burravoe - Dougie Preston
The female King Eider
is still in Clift Sound off Wester Quarff.
A Pomarine Skua is still at Firth.
The snow has brought the Jack Snipes into
view, with 3 at Burravoe on Yell and another at Collafirth in Northmavine.
A Water Rail and a Merlin are at
Uyeasound and the Carrion Crow is at Baltasound.
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Nature in Shetland
