Despite the loss of wall-to-wall sunshine and the appearance of cloud it was the slowest day of the trip with a brisk southerly. Lowlights were Barred Warbler at Swinister Burn, 2 YB Warbler at Wester Quarff, GN Diver at Grutness and trip ticks of Dunlin + Bar-tailed Godwit at Pool of Virkie.
Thats more like it - Eastern Crowned Warbler south of Sandness, my second. Also a very confiding Little Bunting in Burn of Sound + a more elusive Golden Oriole at Aith (my first British one for c20 years). Otherwise still quiet - 3 YB Warbler, 3 Whooper Swan, Merlin, Wheatear - but promise...
Excellent Steph
It's fantastic scenery and weather Rob but the birding is just a bit 'samey' and limited numbers of commoner birds (at the moment)
You never mention it 😉
Time to roll out "hard work". A day at north end of Mainland yielded upwards of 20 Yellow-browed Warbler, 2 Barred Warblers at Ronas Voe, Brambling at Busta House, 3 Wheatear at Eshaness, a few Redwing + Otter in Hillswick Bay. Partial recovery at last light with adult Rose-coloured Starling at Aith
A day flogging south Mainland was headed by a hovering Pallas's Warbler at Cunningsburgh. Also Great Northern Diver, Slavonian Grebe, possible Barred Warbler, 3 Yellow-browed Warbler, Pintail, Whooper Swans, Garden Warbler Whinchat and Merlin but dipped an Ortolan Bunting at Clevigarth.
I would be in the juv Black Tern camp. Hope it's there in the morning.
The flight is more of a marsh tern species