Shetland 30th Sept - 7th Oct

Just a little breakdown of the notable birds I had throughout my week on Shetland, where the crew bashed the patch (Sumburgh region) in difficult weather conditions each morning with very little reward, before heading out for the day.

Great Grey Shrike (Grutness)
Rustic Bunting x2 (Melby and Lower Voe)
Little Bunting x3 (Sumburgh Lighthouse, Grutness and Benston Plantation)
Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler (Collafirth)
Siberian Chiffchaff (Yell)
Parrot Crossbill x5 (x4 Sand and x1 Lerwick)
Hawfinch x2 (Lerwick Helendale and Housetter)
Wood Warbler x1 (Cunningsburgh)
Common Crane (Sumburgh in flight and again on the deck at Lower Brow)
Snow Bunting (Sumburgh Lighthouse)
Buff-bellied Pipit (Grutness)
Red-flanked Bluetail (North Roe)
Yellow-browed Warbler (Seen daily at several locations)
Lesser Whitethroat - Blythi (Toab)

Plus good numbers of Redstart, Spotted Flycatcher and a single Pied Flycatcher at Sand.

In addition the crew also added...
Bluethroat (Grutness)
Red-breasted Flycatcher (Benston Plantation)
Arctic Warbler (Sweening)
There was also a good shout of a Great Snipe on Fetlar, and Blyth's Reed Warbler at Sumburgh Farm - alas both of these were frustratingly never quite nailed!

Just a 102 species recorded, by no means a significant number but again the weather was always against us.

Here's a selection of photographed birds from my Shetland trip.

Rustic Bunting, Melby

Parrot Crossbill, Lerwick

Common Crane, Sumburgh

Buff-bellied Pipit, Grutness

Buff-bellied Pipit, Grutness

Buff-bellied Pipit, Grutness

Snow Bunting, Sumburgh

Spotted Flycatcher, Sandwick

Spotted Flycatcher, Sandwick

Red-flanked Bluetail, North Roe

Red-flanked Bluetail, North Roe