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 - 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)!

I had reached this point on the blog when my PC's hard drive drive forcing me to (temporarily I hope) switch to using an unfamiliar lap top. I'm still working out how to transfer photos so the following is incomplete.

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.

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.

Saturday 17 October 2026. Vaylie, 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.