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Nature in Shetland

winner of a Shetland Environment Award 2004

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Latest Bird Sightings and Photos

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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. Recording forms are available here. 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. New Shetland Checklist downloadable as a pdf here. Species in red are BBRC rarities. Species in orange are local rarities.

To ensure that e-mail is collected if one of us is away, please send news to the site address at the top of the page and not personal addresses.

Recent local rarity decisions added here.

Recent Scottish Bird Records Committee decisions can be found here. (batch 139 are all Shetland records).

SPONSORED BIRD RACE Paul Harvey and Brydon Thomason will be carrying out a sponsored bird race this month to raise money for medicine pumps for the Gilbert Bain Hospital in Lerwick. If you want to sponsor them either get in touch with them directly, or e-mail the site and we will forward mail to them.

Monday 12th May 2008

Turtle Dove at Haroldswick - Rory Tallack; Wheatears at Sumburgh - Jim Nicolson

A Golden Oriole was reported at Hillwell and a Reed Bunting, a Chiffchaff, 8 Sanderling and 3 Bar-tailed Godwits are at Virkie. A Tree Pipit is at Kergord and 5 Siskins are at Twatt.

On Unst, a Turtle Dove is at Haroldswick and a Greenshank and a Willow Warbler are at Burrafirth.

Sunday 11th May 2008

Arctic Terns at Uyeasound - Mike Pennington; Little Gull at Spiggie - Russ Haywood; Kestrel at Sumburgh - George Petrie

An Icterine Warbler, a Pied Flycatcher and a Black Redstart are on Fetlar, and 22 Great Northern Divers are offshore there.

The Golden Oriole is still at Haroldswick on Unst.

A Little Gull is at Spiggie, a Pied Flycatcher, a Spotted Flycatcher, 3 Blackcaps and 2 Chiffchaffs are at Geosetter and 2 Shovelers are at Hillwell. A Pied Flycatcher, a Kestrel, a Blackcap and 2 Chiffchaffs are at Sumburgh, a Blackcap is at Grutness, a Reed Bunting is at Quendale and a Knot, a Sanderling, a Siskin, a Chiffchaff, a Reed Bunting and a Lesser Whitethroat are at Virkie. 21 Knot are at the Sletts in Lerwick and a Blackcap and 2 Chiffchaffs are at Hoswick. A Kestrel is at Eshaness and a Spotted Flycatcher and 2 Blackcaps are on Trondra.

On Noss there is a Whitethroat, 4 Chiffchaffs, a Willow Warbler, a Wood Pigeon and 5 Mute Swans.

Saturday 10th May 2008

Reed Bunting and Chiffchaff at Virkie and Great Northern Diver at Nesting - Dave Gifford

Wheatear and Cormorant at Uyeasound and Dunlin at Westing - Wendy Dickson

  

Turnstone at Boddam and Skylark at Sumburgh - Jim Nicolson

There are 3 Bluethroats (a male and 2 females) on Out Skerries along with 4 Common Whitethroats, several Chiffchaffs, a Garden Warbler, a Willow Warbler, a Whinchat, a Sedge Warbler, a Robin, a male Ring Ouzel and a House Martin.

A Turtle Dove is at Haroldswick and the Hawfinch is still at Baltasound.

A Yellow Wagtail, 2 Whitethroats, 5 Chiffchaffs and a Willow Warbler are on Noss.

There are 4 Greenfinches at Sandgarth, Voe.

Friday 9th May 2008

Long-eared Owl at Scatness - Steve Minton

A Golden Oriole, probably the bird from earlier in the week, is at Haroldswick and the Hawfinch is still at Baltasound.

A Quail, a Long-eared Owl and a Black Redstart are on Fetlar.

A male Bluethroat is on Noss, along with 2 Knot, a Whimbrel, 10 Swallows, a Song Thrush, a Garden Warbler, 4 Chiffchaffs and 2 Willow Warblers.

A Long-eared Owl is at Scatness and a Reed Bunting is at Virkie. A Siskin, a Chiffchaff and 2 Wood Pigeons are at Helendale, another Siskin is in Lerwick and 2 Wood Pigeons are at Lerwick Observatory. There are 5 Siskins, a Chiffchaff, a Common Redpoll and a Wood Pigeon are at Sandgarth, Voe. A Kestrel is at Twatt.

Thursday 8th May 2008

Ringed Plover, Oystercatcher and Fieldfare on Lamba Ness - Wendy Dickson

A Spotted Flycatcher is at Quendale, a male Garganey is on Loch of Spiggie, a Kestrel and a Garden Warbler are at Scousburgh, a Brambling is at Bigton and a Common Sandpiper is at Grutness. The male Bluethroat is still on Mousa.

The male Yellow Wagtail is still on Noss.

A Fieldfare is on Lamba Ness, Unst.

Wednesday 7th May 2008

Hawfinch at Baltasound - Mike Pennington

A male Bluethroat and a Sedge Warbler are on Mousa.

On Unst, a female Hawfinch is at Baltasound, a Wood Sandpiper is at Haroldswick, a House Martin is at Skaw and a Common Redpoll, 4 Purple Sandpipers and 2 Sanderlings are at Norwick.

A Tree Sparrow is at Quendale and a Carrion Crow and 2 Wood Pigeons are at Wester Quarff. There are 12 Sanderlings at Melby.

A male Yellow Wagtail is on Noss along with a Garden Warbler and a Song Thrush.

Tuesday 6th May 2008

Garganey at Lerwick - Larry Dalziel

A male Garganey is on Noss, the first for the island, along with a House Martin, 4 Chiffchaffs and 2 Willow Warblers.

A male Garganey is at Lerwick, the Hawfinch is still in North Road, Lerwick, and 2 Wood Pigeons are at Helendale. A male Hawfinch is at Aith.

A Pink-footed Goose, 32 Arctic Terns and a Cormorant are at Uyeasound. A Kestrel is at Hagdale on Unst.

A Common Redstart is on Mousa.

Monday 5th May 2008

Great Tit at Norwick - Alastair Wilson; Teal at Haroldswick - Wendy Dickson; Arctic Terns at Grutness - Steve Minton

On Unst, a Golden Oriole was briefly at Northdale, a possible Richard's Pipit was at Norwick, with the Great Tit also still present there, while a Gadwall is at Haroldswick, Common Whitethroats are at Baltasound and Burrafirth, a Common Swift and a Short-eared Owl are also at Baltasound, and a male Garganey is at Easter Loch..

A female Yellowhammer is at Mid Yell.

A Greylag Goose, a Common Sandpiper, a Bar-tailed Godwit, 2 Collared Doves, a Swallow, a Lesser Whitethroat, a Common Redpoll and a Chaffinch are on Out Skerries.

A Common Sandpiper, 2 House Martins, 4 Blackcaps, a Lesser Whitethroat, 3 Chiffchaffs and 4 Willow Warblers are on Noss.

There are 7 Wood Pigeons and a Carrion Crow at Quendale, a Lesser Whitethroat and a Blackcap at Sumburgh Head, 250 Arctic Terns at Grutness along with 2 Blackcaps and 3 Chiffchaffs, a Robin is at Sumburgh Head and 2 Siskins are at Scatness..

Sunday 4th May 2008

Common Tern at Spiggie - George Petrie

A Hawfinch and a Chaffinch are in North Road, Lerwick. There are 5 Siskins, 3 Blackcaps, a Robin and a Redwing at Sandgarth, Voe, and 4 Swallows at Strand.

There are 3 Blackcaps, a Common Whitethroat, 2 Chiffchaffs and 2 Willow Warblers on Noss.

There are 2 Gadwalls at Haroldswick and a Lesser Whitethroat and 2 Willow Warblers are at Burrafirth on Unst.

Saturday 3rd May 2008

Lesser Whitethroat at Virkie - Dave Gifford; Fulmar at Skaw - Mike Pennington; Siskin at Oxensetter - Stan Brown

A Hoopoe was flushed from the road near Loch of Snarravoe, Unst, 3 Carrion Crows are at Uyeasound, a Great Tit is at Norwick and a pair of Pintails and 9 Swallows are at Skaw.

A Grasshopper Warbler and a Sedge Warbler are on Whalsay.

A Bar-tailed Godwit is on Out Skerries.

The Wryneck is still on Noss along with a Whimbrel, a Swallow, a Common Whitethroat, 2 Blackcaps, 3 Chiffchaffs and 2 Willow Warblers.

There are 2 Chiffchaffs at Grutness, 2 Reed Buntings at Virkie and a Blackcap and a Willow Warbler at Hoswick. A Jackdaw, a Brambling, a Chaffinch, 2 Blackcaps, a Chiffchaff, 3 Willow Warblers, 3 Robins and 2 Wood Pigeons are at Quarff. At Sandgarth, Voe, there are 2 Blackcaps and 2 Siskins.

Friday 2nd May 2008

Wryneck at Skaw - Brydon Thomason

Wheatear, Oystercatcher and Lapwing at Skaw - Mike Pennington

Wood Warbler at Lunna - Dave Gifford; Iceland Gull at Quendale - Steve Minton; Willow Warbler at Sumburgh - Jim Nicolson; Shoveler - George Petrie

A Wryneck is at Skaw, Unst, with a Wood Warbler at Baltasound, a female Bullfinch and a Common Redpoll at Burrafirth,  Whinchats at Norwick and Haroldswick and a Pied Flycatcher at Belmont.

There are 4 Blackcaps, 2 Robins and 2 Chiffchaffs at Geosetter, a male Scaup at Loch of Spiggie, a Ruff, 3 Shovelers and 5 Sand Martins at Hillwell, an Iceland Gull at Quendale, and a Lesser Whitethroat, Reed Bunting and a Dunnock at Virkie. A pair of Shovelers are at Loch of Huesbreck and a Green Sandpiper, a Song Thrush, a Robin, a Dunnock, a Lesser Whitethroat and a Chiffchaff are at Ocraquoy.

There are 2 Hawfinches in Scalloway. A Garden Warbler is in Lerwick and a male Scaup is on Loch of Clickimin. A Chiffchaff and a Siskin are at Sandgarth, Voe.

A Merlin, a Wood Pigeon, a Wryneck, 4 Swallows, a Ring Ouzel, 2 Lesser Whitethroats, 2 Common Whitethroats, 4 Blackcaps, 10 Chiffchaffs and 2 Willow Warblers are on Noss.

Thursday 1st May 2008

Lesser Whitethroat at Sumburgh - George Petrie; Red Grouse at Sand Water and Pied Wagtail at Clickimin - Gordon Waddell; Cuckoo at Sumburgh - Brydon Thomason

A Wryneck and a female Bullfinch are at Burrafirth with 3 Chiffchaffs, a Willow Warbler, a Common Whitethroat and a Lesser Whitethroat at Baltasound, 4 Reed Buntings at Haroldswick and another at Skaw, and a Ring Ouzel at Northdale.

A Wryneck and a Ring Ouzel are on Whalsay.

On Out Skerries there is a Kestrel, a Collared Dove, Wood Pigeon,10 Swallows, 5 Sand Martins, a House Martin, a Carrion Crow, a Siskin, 2 Pied Flycatchers, a Common Redstart, a Whinchat, 3 Tree Pipits, 7 Reed Buntings, 2 Ring Ouzels, 15 Chiffchaffs, 15 Willow Warblers, a Common Whitethroat and 25 Fieldfares.

The Marsh Harrier is still at Sand Water. There are 8 Swallows at Loch of Clickimin and 5 at Strand. A male Pochard is at Loch of Voe.

A Cuckoo is at Sumburgh Head along with 2 Lesser Whitethroats. A Common Redstart, 2 Whimbrels and 4 Swallows are at Scatness.

A Wood Pigeon, 4 Swallows, 8 Blackcaps, a Common Whitethroat, a Common Redstart, 6 Chiffchaffs, 2 Willow Warblers, a Lesser Whitethroat, a Wryneck, a Robin ,a Fieldfare, 2 White Wagtails and a Pied Wagtail are on Noss.

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