Today we had made an early
start as we had finally decided to head north to Yell and Unst. As we waited for the ferry to Yell we had a
Rock Pipit on the Quay and a Great Skua was observed out at sea.
On reaching Yell we drove
straight to Mid Yell and parked on the quay where we saw a Black Guillemot in
the bay. We walked around the corner and
entered the garden where the Subalpine Warbler was being seen. We were there quite some time and saw very
little at first but the arrival of a Yellow-browed Warbler induced the
Subalpine into action as it chased it from its regular feeding tree. We were then able to get quite good views the
bird during our stay, although it did disappear on a number of occasions but
gradually became more active. The
Yellow-browed Warbler reappeared on several occasions and always received the
same reception from the Subalpine as it chased it away, although it paid little
attention to a Blackcap that was also present.
Eventually we headed north to catch the ferry to Unst and appeared to
timed it perfectly as a ferry was beginning to board. However this particular ferry went to both
Unst and Fetlar and we were unable to get on and had to wait just over an hour
for it to return. Whilst we waited a
party of a dozen Snow Bunting made an all too brief visit to the Quay and two
Great Skua were observed out at sea.
We had no problem getting on
the next ferry and were soon on Unst and heading north. A brief roadside stop overlooking Loch of
Belmont produced a Whooper Swan and a Goldeneye. As we neared the summit of the hill away from
the ferry there was a party of Snow Buntings on the road and there was circa
forty-five in total. A Great Skua flew
over the moors as we continued north to Baltasound, where there had been an
Olive-backed Pipit yesterday. We were
uncertain where to go but we did find a rather nice wood and scrub area quite
close to the road. It was an area that
had been turned into a small reserve and was obviously well watched. It was quite windy and but a quiet area in
the North West corner produced a Yellow-browed Warbler and Blackcap.
We continued north stopping at
Haroldswick where there were circa seventy Snow Buntings, although they were a
bit flighty. Twelve Golden Plover were
also observed but perhaps the most surprising was a Turtle Dove flying over the
bay before dropping onto the ground on the southern shore. This was only my second sighting this year
and it was both Dave’s and Roger’s first but we were unable to relocate it.
After some lunch we continued
onto Norwick, where I was informed that a Blyth’s Reed Warbler was still
present in a garden on the hillside. We
walked up to the house and the garden where the warbler was, seeing five
Brambling on route. Despite spend quite
some time in the area I failed to connect with yet another Blyth’s Reed,
although it was seen briefly whilst I was there. Dave had gone round the other side of the
house to look for a Long-eared Owl and as Roger walked around to join him a
Hawfinch flew off the ground, perching briefly in a tree before flying over the
plantation and out of site. When we
joined Dave he had not located the owl but with some persistence I found it
roosting close to a conifer and almost out of site and at best it was a jigsaw
bird. A Willow Warbler was also seen in
the same area.
We eventually had to start
back and as we walked back down to the car we had a Peregrine and a Great Skua
over the hill top, at least seventeen Brambling, eight Redwing, two Blackcap
and a Lesser Whitethroat. From the beach
we saw two more Great Skuas and there were several Ringed Plover and Turnstone
on the beach with two Sanderling and three Dunlin.
We started back with intention
on calling at a second wood at Baltasound but as we arrived we saw Martin
Garner who told us that there was an Arctic Warbler and a possible Arctic
Redpoll in the wood but that we shouldn't waist time on them as a Hudsonian
Whimbrel had been relocated. The
Whimbrel had been reported yesterday on Yell but had only been seen by a
handful of observers and there had been no further reports. It was a mad dash back to the ferry but this
time were more fortunate and got on one fairly quickly. We then drove across Yell towards Mid Yell
stopping at the roadside where we found several other birders hopefully looking
at the Whimbrel. The birders present
were from Leicestershire and they had seen the bird but indicated that it had
flow and they were now unsure where it was.
Dave Grey then announced he thought he had it, which Martin then
confirmed. Dave got the three of us in
the right direction but it was with a group of Curlew. It next to the Curlew on the shoreline
someone said but they all appeared to be on the shoreline to me but I
eventually got on the bird as it flew a short distance. I was able to follow it and then scope it on
the ground. After a few minutes it then
flew again with the Curlew and headed off north over Mid Yell Voe and was not
seen again.
On the ground to my eyes the
head pattern appeared more distinct than in Whimbrel with more contrast between
the dark and light head stripes and it also appeared les brown than the nearby
Curlew being more creamy-buff. In flight
it there was no white on the back or rump area but the underwing coloration was
not visible due the height we were viewing at.
The second new UK bird of the trip and one that was totally unexpected.
We returned to Mainland and
called at Loch of Voe to hopefully see an Arctic Warbler that has been present
for a few days. We had several glimpse
of a warbler that was possibly the Arctic but it was perhaps too late in the day
to expect too much and we eventually called it a day and headed back to South
Voxter. A Merlin passed overhead as we
were looking for the warbler.
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