UNST 2026 Part 3: Wandering bluetail and Isabelline Wheatear (13-17 October)

Tuesday 13 October 2026. Valyie, Skaw and Shore Station. Heavy overnight rain and a strong southerly wind continued to mid morning when it started to improve. We ventured out at 10:15 opting to try Valyie first hoping other birders would be more tempted by yesterday's elusive Red-flanked Bluetail at the Shore Station. Valyie was very wet underfoot with the burn in full flow and flooding the marshes. It was very quiet bird-wise other than a continual arrival of presumed high-flying argentatus Herring Gulls heading south. We continued on to Skaw and walked around the headland for more of the same until we were back near the beach and noticed a very pale looking wheatear near the shoreline. It was very flighty and didn't allow close approach although the more we saw of it the more interesting it appeared. We quickly ruled out Desert Wheatear and better views and photos allowed us to identify it as an Isabelline Wheatear, the first for Unst and only the eighth for Shetland. We waited for other observers to appear including Mike Pennington who was well pleased with an Unst tick. After a late lunch we finally made it to the Shore Station where the Red-flanked Bluetail showed briefly before vanishing. Our decision to risk missing it in the hope of finding something ourselves had certainly paid off. A last look at Valyie produced, in fading light, the only Pied Flycatcher I was to see on Shetland. Other birds seen included 12 Curlew, 2 Sanderlings, Blackcap, 15 Redwings, 2 Chaffinches and 4 Bramblings.

the burn above Valyie

flooded marshes

rough seas at Skaw

Isabelline Wheatear at Skaw - image good enough for its identification? 

Isabelline Wheatear in a dust storm

Red-flanked Bluetail at the Shore Station

Wednesday 14 October 2026. Valyie, Skaw, East Hill & NorthDale. Moderate but increasing southerly wind, dull. The Pied Flycatcher was still along the burn at Valyie and we saw the Isabelline Wheatear again on the beach at Skaw, it having gone missing the previous afternoon. We returned for a late lunch and while Dave was catching up on admin I wandered up to East Hill in near gale force winds. It remained dry and although I was rewarded with a Snow Bunting it was hard to keep my binoculars trained on it. It would have been a good test for image-stabilized optics. We finished at NothDale hoping to relive our 2023 Pied Wheatear find but that was asking a bit much even for Unst. Other birds seen included Eider, Red-breasted Merganser, 40 Rock Doves, 25 Curlew, Merlin, 2 Chiffchaffs, Blackcap, 10 Redwing, Fieldfare, 2 Chaffinches, 25 Brambling and 10 Twite.

Isabelline Wheatear still on Skaw Beach

looking perfectly atuned to its habitat

a cunning or a foolish sheep?

one might have thought cunning when considering that all the others were being rounded up to be shipped off to market, that is until one realised where it was (1/3rd up from centre on far side of the geo or 1/3rd)!

Thursday 15 October 2026. Valyie, Skaw, Burrafirth & NorthDale. Strong SW & showery Birds seen inluded Wigeon, 2 Long-tailed Duck, 5 Red-breasted Mergansers, 50 Rock Doves, 100 Golden Plover, 2 Sanderling, Black Guillemot, Razorbill, Red-throated Diver, Chiffchaff, 3 Blackcaps, 15 Redwings, Stonechat, 2 Chaffinches, 20 Brambling and 2 Twite.

Shags at Skaw

Sanderling at Skaw

Hedgehog at Burrafirth

Long-tailed Duck at Burrafirth

Friday 16 October 2026. Valyie, Skaw, Clibberswick & NorthDale. Mod WNW, dull. Birds seen included 3 Eider, Red-breasted Merganser, Jack Snipe, 2 Sanderling, 8 Razorbills, Great Northern Diver, Skylark, 2 Common and a Siberian Chiffchaff, 4 Blackcaps, 12 Redwing, Tree Sparrow and 25 Bramblings. Also 2 Otters at Clibberswick.

Redwing at Valyie

Eider at Norwick

Otter at Clibberswick

Saturday 17 October 2026. Valyie, Halligarth, Easter Loch/Uyeasound & Lund. Mod/strong WNW, showery. Birds seen on a trip down south inculded 10 Whooper Swans, 3 Wigeon, 29 Tufted Duck, male and female Scaup, Eider, 2 Long-tailed Duck, 8 Goldeneye, 2 Red-breasted Mergansers, 15 Collared Doves, 250 Golden Plover, 25 Common Snipe, 2 Guillemots, Merlin, 2 Common and a Siberian Chiffchaff, Blackcap, 15 Redwings, Bluethroat, Red-flanked Bluetail (presumed to be the Burrafirth bird now looking more at home at Halligarth), Tree Sparrow and 25 Brambling.

Siberian Chiffchaff at Valyie

Tree Sparrow at Norwick

Red-flanked Bluetail at Halligarth

UNST 2026 Part 2 Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler hangs on and Mainland day trip (08-12 October)

Thursday 08 October 2026. Valyie, Brewery Marsh and Haroldswick, Unst. Light northerly winds. A morning spent attempting to improve on Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler photos but despite several views I failed completely. An afternoon trying areas around Haroldswick with little reward. Birds seen included 2 Eider, 4 Red-breasted Mergansers, Pink-footed Goose, 20 Golden Plover, 12 Common Snipe, Kestrel, Willow Warbler, 2 Chiffchaffs, Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler, 4 Blackcaps and 2 Chaffinches the only finch on a very quiet day.

Eider on Norwick beach

Pink-footed Goose at Haroldswick

Friday 09 October 2026. Norwick, Skaw, Valyie and NorthDale, Unst. Moderate SE winds, early rain clearing and an obvious arrival of Redwings. Birds seen included Pink-footed Goose, 10 Curlew, 2 Razorbills, Guillemot, 3 Arctic Terns, 2 Chiffchaffs, Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler (no photos again for me although Dave managed a decent flight shot), 4 Blackcaps, a presumed blythi/Siberian Leser Whitethroat, 80 Redwings, Ring Ouzel, 4 Wheatears, Tree Pipit, juvenile Tree Sparrow, 2 Chaffinches, 6 Bramblings and 4 Twite.

Redwing at Norwick

Pink-footed Goose at Norwick

Twite at Skaw

Tree Pipit at Valyie

with Olive-backed Pipits turning up elsewhere on Shetland we felt a bit disappointed to find a Tree Pipit, nice as it was

Hedgehog at Valyie

a recent unwanted addition to the island fauna

Saturday 10 October 2026. Norwick, Skaw, Burrafirth, Haroldswick and NorthDale. Light N winds, dull. Birds seen included Pink-footed Goose, 2+4 Whooper Swans, 3 Eider, 30 Turnstones, 40 Razorbills, 2 Guillemots, 10 Curlew, 12 Common Snipe, an Arctic Tern, 2 Red-throated Divers, 300+ Fulmars, 220 Shags, 2 Grey Herons, Yellow-browed Warbler, 2 Chiffchaffs, Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler (photographed again on what was to be its last day although most of my images weren't very revealing), 3 Blackcaps, our only Goldcrest of my visit(!), 50 Redwings, 3 Fieldfares, Ring Ouzel, the juvenile Tree Sparrow, 15 Chaffinches, 45 Bramblings and 10 Twite.

Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler showing a bit of colour (but not much else)

Yellow-browed Warbler at Burrafirth

the first of just three seen

Shetland Pony

Brambling at Haroldswick

Sunday 11 October 2026. Valyie and NorthDale, Unst. Light N winds, clear. Birds seen included Pink-footed Goose, 6 Razorbills, Guillemot, 2 Merlins, juvenile Great Grey Shrike, 7 Ravens, Swallow, 2 Yellow-browed Warblers, a Siberian and 2 Common Chiffchaffs, blythi Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Blackcaps, 10 Redwings, Wheatear, the juvenile Tree Sparrow, 8 Chaffinches, 50 Bramblings and 8 Twite.

Rock Doves at Norwick

a very mobile juvenile Great Grey Shrike at Norwick

its pale lores and base of the bill were quite striking

despite much effort we never managed closer than this and then it disappeared completely

we never did find out what amazing rarity was at the foot of the rainbow, although the shrike might have disappeared in that direction

Monday 12 October 2026. Valyie, Easter Quarff, Sound and Easter Loch. SE wind, clear. Brenda had to finish her dental treatment in Lerwick so after visiting Valyie we drove down to Lerwick. We had time to see the Grey-cheeked Thrush at Easter Quarff and I was dropped off at Sound before her appointment. The Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll was on view when I arrived and delighted me for half an hour before flying off. Returning to Unst we just had time to visit Easter Loch before the light went. There only 6 Whooper Swans remained although both female Scaup and 10 Goldeneye were present. Other birds seen included 2 Red Grouse, a Jack and 4 Common Snipe, Siberian Chiffchaff, 2 Blackcaps, Stonechat, 4 Chaffinches, 25 Brambling and 6 Twite.

Norwick from Valyie and the remains of a croft, empty for less than a generation. The roof damage was wasn't evident on my previous visit in 2024. It is a very tough environment, for people and buildings.

Grey-cheeked Thrush at Easter Quarff, my first in Britain since 1990

it had obvious white flashes in each wing which appeared to be the result of missing secondaries?

Hornemann's Arctic Redpoll at Burn of Sound, Lerwick

I find it hard to accept that this is the same species as Lesser Redpoll