UNST 2026 Part 4: Chestnut Bunting and home (18-22 October)

Sunday 18 October 2026. Valyie and Skaw (am), Burrafirth, Haroldswick and a dash to Buness (pm). Mod SW, dull. A rather quiet morning on our usual circuit exploded into action at Haroldswick when Dave received a cryptic call from Brydon. 'Get down to Buness as quick as you can!' Fortunately we were halfway there, although were not sure what we were dashing for. Brydon later explained he didn't want us arriving with any preconceived ideas which was fair enough under the circumstances. A 'how far away are you' call when we were almost there revealed that Mike Pennington was with Brydon and they seemed to be straining at the bit! Potentially very serious indeed. We parked by Mike's car and hurried over to them to find out what was going on. Brydon had been walking his dog Jango who at about 4pm had flushed a bunting up from the small grassy field onto a gutter. Brydon was somewhat flummoxed as to what it was and managed a photo with his phone (not having thought he'd need a camera on a dog walk) before it dropped back into the crop. On a brief view it didn't seem to fit anything, not quite right for Yellow-breasted, not drab enough for Black-faced and certainly not Rustic or Little. We walked through the field twice but it didn't come out. Moving onto the next field behind the house drew another blank although it was mainly short grass with taller edges. Was it to remain the one that got away? The next field was larger with foot high grass throughout and we spread out, Jango ahead flushing it up and over a wall. We saw it briefly in the top of a bush, I managed a burst of 4 images before it flew again but it only appeared in first. In fading light we located it along a track the other side of the wall but it remained distant, always walking away, and was predominantly against the light. Fortunately it revealed its chestnut rump which along with the streaked yellowish underparts enabled to identify it as a Chestnut Bunting, new for Shetland and only the second for Britain. Other birds seen on, for me, a truly monumental day were 2 Eider, Long-tailed Duck, Red-breasted Merganser, 100+ Golden Plover, 2 Sanderling, 100+ Great Black-backed Gulls heading south, 2 Razorbills, a summer-plumaged Great Northern Diver, Willow Warbler, 4 Chiffchaffs, 8 Redwings, 12 Rock Pipits, 20 Chaffinches, 10 Bramblings and a Twite.

Redwing at Skaw

Shags at Skaw

Greylag Geese arriving over Skaw

Golden Plover at Skaw

juvenile Gannet at Burrafirth

although alert it appeared very weak

Ungirsta, nothing of note seen here this year

Great Northern Diver off Haroldswick

Otter off Haroldswick

Chestnut Bunting at Buness catching the last rays of sunshire

looking quite different in the fading light

'flashing' its chestnut rump

Monday 19 October 2026. Valyie and Skaw (am) and Buness (pm). Mod/strong southerly, dry. Expecting a crowd at/looking for the Chestnut Bunting we did our usual northern circuit and were almost immediately rewarded with only my second Snow Bunting of the trip, on the coast at Norwick, but otherwise it was very quiet. After a late lunch we returned to Buness hoping to improve on our Chestnut Bunting photos but in the first hour always seemed to be in the wrong place and hardly improved at all. It then got worse with the few remaining other observers leaving and no sightings at all, despite Brydon joining us for the last hour of the day. In the end a rather frustrating day but considering how fortunate we'd been during the rest of my visit I could hardly complain. As well as the Chestnut Bunting and the Halligarth Red-flanked Bluetail, which had moved to Buness, we saw a Whooper Swan, Wigeon, 2 Eider, Long-tailed Duck, Woodcock, 2 Sanderling, Chiffchaff, 11 Redwing, 10 Fieldfare, 2 Chaffinches, 20 Brambling, 3 Twite and a Mealy (North Western) Redpoll.

Snow Bunting at Norwick

Eider at Skaw

Mealy Redpoll and House Sparrow at Skaw

considered to be a 'North Western' based on flank streaks

Chestnut Bunting playing hard to photograph at Buness

the sort of image I was hoping for of Chestnut Bunting at Buness (taken by Dave Cooper on 26 October 2026, see here)

Red-flanked Bluetail at Buness

our third sighting of this individual each at a different location, although Buness and Halligarth are very close (and it returned to Halligarth the next day) 

Tuesday 20 October 2026. Valyie and Norwick. Mod SE wind, dull. My last day on Unst and our usual circuit came to a halt as we were leaving Valyie when Dave had a brief view of a bunting in the top of the nearby pines. We had been walking down the sides of the crop at Valyie, Dave by the burn me to the west, when a Common Rosefinch flew out of the crop and landed high in a tree at the bottom of the burn. Dave managed a few images, which showed very heavy streaking below, before it flew into the nearby pines drawing Dave's attention to the bunting. They both immediately flew off disappearing towards Norwick. Dave managed a few images of the bunting as it flew away although they were very inconclusive and hardly ruled out anything. We felt the only way to identify the bird was to refind it but searching various places north of Haroldswick for the rest of the day proved unsuccessful. Other birds seen during the day were Eider, 2 Sanderling, 3 Redwings, the Tree Sparrow, 6 Chaffinches, 20 Bramblings and 3 Mealy Redpolls. 

Common Rosefinch at Valyie (photo: Dave Cooper). It was much more heavily streaked than any we remembered seeing although Mike Pennington recalled a similar looking bird on Unst some years ago. Dave found references to eastern birds being more heavily streaked which might explain it, the possibility of it being a House Finch having been dismissed by Dave based on its structure

Wednesday 21 October 2026. My last day on Shetland and a 07:45 departure from Saxavord. It having been my best visit to date added to the regret at leaving, Dave and Brenda having looked after me brilliantly. It was raining heavily which seemed like I was leaving at the right time and all I managed from bus-ferry-bus-ferry-bus to Lerwick were poor views of 2 Whooper Swans on Yell. I left my bag at Lerwick Ferry terminal, bought some food at the Co-op (mostly bakery special offers) and met Matt Palmer, Neil Bostock and Mike Edgecombe who had come up for the Chestnut Bunting and were returning, like me, on the overnight ferry. We visited a very wet Sandwick where I saw Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff and Blackcap and missed a small flock of Mealy Redpolls. Back at Lerwick Harbour, with it raining harder than ever, we unsuccessfully scanned for the King Eider, seeing 30 Common Eider, 2 Black Guillemots and 4 Shags. 

Black Guillemot in Lerwick Harbour

Thursday 22 October 2026. We docked at 07:30 and I said my farewells to Matt, Neil and Mike and wished them well on their journey to Flamborough for the Rufous-tailed Robin. They'd offered me a lift which would normally have been very tempting but I had to be home that evening (I had a flight to Gatwick that afternoon) as Megan was visiting her son and granddaughter in Barcelona the next day and I was looking after Otis. Unbelievably wishing Matt well as he left the ferry was to be the last time I would see him. I was completely shocked a week or two later to learn that he had suddenly and unexpectedly died. I walked to Girdleness in rather drizzly weather seeing 14 Eider, 40 Oystercatchers, 6 Curlew, 4 Purple Sandpipers, 2 Guillemots, Red-throated Diver, 6 Shags, 6 Gannets, 3 Skylakrs, Chiffchaff, Dunnock, 3 Rock Pipits, 2 Goldfinches and 3 Reed Buntings. 

 

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