Rod's Birding: Day five on Shetland

Sunday 13 October 2013

Day five on Shetland - October 2, 2013

We returned to Loch Vow this morning for another go for the Arctic Warbler but unfortunately the same result. We did have a single Yellow-browed Warbler and our forth Great Spotted Woodpecker of the trip and there was also three Brambling and three Siskin observed. From the loch we dropped into Voe where we had thirteen Red-breasted Mergansers and a Rock Pipit and there was also quite a few Redwing just to the south of the village.

It was particularly windy today and so we decided to drive over to the west coast to see if there were any sheltered areas but it was extremely difficult to find anywhere. The only birds of note were six more Red-breasted Mergansers and two Rook.

We called at Tesco on the way back south to obtain more provisions and saw a singel Whooper Swan on Clickmin Loch.

We decided to go back to Levenwick where we had brief views of the Pechora Pipit that had now taken resident in a field with long grass and was only observed when it was disturbed. The beach looked as though it would be the best place to take refuge and saw we parked up and walked onto the beach. We were pretty well sheltered here due to high embankment that protected us from the strong southerly wind. Close to the beach the sea was relatively calm and we managed to find a summer plumaged Red-throated Diver, two Guillemot and six Black Guillemots. There were Gannets and Kittiwakes also in the bay and Dave picked up what he thought was a juvenile Kittiwake, which we glanced at and then continued scanning. As I was watching some closer Kittiwakes the juvenile joined them and it was obviously significantly smaller, which Roger had also noted with comment “If I was at Rutland Water I would say it was a Little Gull”, and it was clearly a first-winter Little Gull and a good find on Shetland. It just goes to show that what you expect is not always what you get.