birding never sleeps: UNST Autumn 2024: part 3 (11-16 October)

UNST Autumn 2024: part 3 (11-16 October)

Friday 11 October. Overcast with a moderate north-west wind. We walked down to Valyie seeing what was to be my only Woodpigeon of the trip, Sparrowhawk, and the familiar cast of Yellow-browed and Greenish Warblers, 2 Common and a Siberian Chiffchaff, 6 Blackcaps, 2 Goldcrests and a Brambling. We’d not been back long when Brydon Thomason phoned Dave to tell him about what he thought most likely a halimodendri Lesser Whitethroat he’d found in Hunter’s Field. He’d recorded it and hearing the call Dave agreed so we headed there and were soon watching the bird. It showed the indicative plumage traits, the bill appeared very small and the tail quite long although it was flightly and hardly vocalized, at least within my earshot. Dave was sure the recording matched that of a DNA accepted bird on North Ronaldsay but currently DNA is a requirement so plans were made with those on South Mainland to come up and ring it if it stayed and the wind dropped. We continued to a large kale field past Clingera where an interesting Yellow Wagtail had been present, but not very visible, for a few days. We flushed it from the edge of the field and it landed, back on, well into the crop before dropping out of sight. It called once rather inconclusively although perhaps more like Western than Eastern. An Otter was close inshore as we were driving back via Haroldswick but almost immediately dived, it was the only one I would see during my visit.

Greenish Warbler showing well at Valyie

Central Asian Lesser Whitethroat at Hunter's Field, an excellent find for Brydon

Yellow Wagtail near Clingera

Saturday 12 October. Strong north winds with heavy showers so definitely not a day to catch a Lesser Whitethroat. Dave had BBRC work to do so I walked down to Valyie seeing the Greenish Warbler, Siberian Chiffchaff, 4 Blackcaps, Goldcrest, 2 Redwings and a Twite. Heavier rain for most of the afternoon kept me in labelling photographs.

Blackcap at Valyie

Greenish Warbler being uncooperative in the wind and rain

Sunday 13 October. A cold morning with moderate-strong north-west winds and a short hail shower followed the coldest night so far. We walked down to Valyie where, between showers, we saw the Greenish Warbler, Chiffchaff, 2 Blackcaps, Goldcrest, 2 Redwings and a Red-throated Diver in the bay, The focusing wheel on my binoculars had become very stiff, particularly for closer distances, possibly exacerbated by the recent cold and wet weather? An attempt was to be made to catch Brydon’s putative halimodendri/Central Asian Lesser Whitethroat at Hunter’s Field and returned to Millfield before heading down. We arrived just as Phil Harris caught it, the in hand measurements pointed towards halimodendri without being conclusive as were vocalisations so it would now rest on DNA. Good to see Paul Harvey amongst those who had come up from Mainland to see it. We came back by Brewery Marsh, Ungirtsa and Burrafirth seeing 9 Twite at the latter. My focusing wheel became stiffer and stiffer as the day progressed and stuck leaving me with a focus range of about 30-200m. Far from ideal but realistically covering most of the distances I was likely to want to look. It didn’t stop me from constantly working at it and realizing that the focus on both barrels was slightly different which made for uncomfortable viewing - close left eye if further and right if nearer ...

Central Asian Lesser Whitethroat at Hunter’s Field. Its DNA came back as halimodendri

Monday 14 October. Moderate mainly southerly winds, dull with a few showers. I awoke to find the evenings fiddling had left me with a pair of binoculars that only focused on my feet. I borrowed the kitchen pair which took a bit of getting used to as we walked down to Valyie. Dave saw a Bluethroat skulking in the first potato patch but with unfamiliar binoculars I failed to get on to it. The Greenish Warbler was still present with 2 Blackcaps, 3 Redwings and a Brambling. Dave messaged Brydon to ask if he had a spare pair of binoculars that I could use for the rest of my stay and we drove down to Baltasound to collect them, a very nice pair of Swarovski EL 8x32s. While there a family party of 6 Whooper Swans flew past providing an early opportunity to try out Brydon’s spare bins. It was very good to see the Whoopers had been so successful (the two other pairs I’d seen this visit had one and no youngsters). Dave had a slow puncture and we called in at the garage at the Final Checkout where he was told to come back and have it looked at at 2pm. We returned to Millfield for lunch then had a visit and long chat with Paul Harvey. While the tyre was being repaired I wandered around Hagdale for an hour seeing a single Redwing. We returned via Burrafirth (13 Ravens, Chiffchaff and 12 Twite) and NorthDale (nothing).

Greenish Warbler still at Valyie

Tuesday 15 October. Light southerly winds and mainly sunny start to the day which became progressively duller and windier reaching almost gale force by dusk. We walked to Valyie finding the Bluethroat I’d missed the previous day. A very striking Siberian Chiffchaff was in the crop at Valyie and the Greenish Warbler again in sycamores along the burn. Four Chiffchaffs and 4 Blackcaps were probably birds we’d been seeing for a while being a bit more showy in better weather. Fifty Redwings, a Ring Ouzel and a Stonechat suggested a small overnight arrival but the only finch was a Brambling and I only heard it. A Little Bunting on the road to Millfield was another good find by Dave and gave better views than the one we’d seen near Haroldswick at the start of my visit. After an early lunch we went to Skaw seeing a Greenland Wheatear and for me Tree Sparrow near the farm but nothing on a blowy walk around a very exposed headland. After a visit to the shop, in worsening weather, I saw 3 Long-tailed Duck in Balta Sound. Trying my binoculars again I managed to get the focus range back to about 30-200 and decided to leave them at that. At least I’d have something reasonably useful for my journey home at the end of the week.

Bluethroat at Valyie

being seen off by the local Robin

initially we thought this was the long-staying Paddyfield Warbler that we'd not seen for several days but it wasn't even an acro

Siberian Chiffchaff in the weedy field at Valyie

Greenish Warbler continuing to perform at Valyie

Valyie

Little Bunting in Norwick

Wheatear at Skaw

Shags at Skaw

Wednesday 16 October. Strong south-east winds persisted all day although it was mostly dry with scattered showers in the afternoon. We walked to Valyie where there was very little shelter and only 2 Blackcaps evident on the warbler front. A flock of 15 Bramblings were new, as were 2 Fieldfares in the fields on the way back to Norwick but otherwise it was very quiet. The same was true of Inner Skaw and Skaw. In the afternoon I walked up onto East Hill and eventually found a loose mobile flock of 19 Snow Buntings. I was due to come off on the Friday night ferry from Lerwick but with winds forecast to be 50 mph the sailing might be in doubt putting catching my EasyJet flight to Gatwick on Saturday afternoon at risk. With a room available at the cheap hotel in Aberdeen I’d used in similar circumstances in October 2021 I decided to leave Unst the following morning, a day earlier than I’d originally intended. There being few birds around and a very wet day in prospect helped me come to this decision. I’d had a very enjoyable stay with Dave and Brenda who had looked after me very well. I been in on the find of some excellent birds, although mostly in a supportive capacity. It seemed sensible to quit while I was ahead. The main down side was that my already long journey home would be stretched from the best part of two days to three.