Shetland! The Arrival

So we arrived!

A 7 am flight from Birmingham, hour stopover in Aberdeen (Carrion Crow was the first bird of the trip!) and then a 10:50 arrival on Shetland - first impressions - Windy!

We decided that as we could see Toab from the car hire place, we really should call in and see the OBP (Olive Backed Pipit) that had been seen earlier, on arrival there was a lot (Shetland lot - about 20!)  of people milling about and no sign of any Pipits .. over the next hour or so it was glimpsed in flight and seen occasionally in the back garden's around the small hamlet, but only at distance and naked eye by any of us, we waited exactly 25 seconds after arrival before getting bored and headed off down to Quendale Beach.

6 Northern Wheatears were in the fields leading down to the beach, along with an Alba Wagtail, Ravens, Rock Doves and Common Gulls were all over the place, as were Hooded Crows.

Steve walked back to join the people milling about pretending to look in gardens for the Pipit while Mark and I decided to walk around some good looking Pools and the beach, expecting to find stuff at every turn ...... We didn't ;-) 3 Rock Pipit were the highlights

Upon our return 20 minutes later, Steve was "Resting" in the Bus Stop out of the relentless westerly wind!, we decided to have a little look in the gardens for about 20 seconds before deciding to head back to the car and move north, however we started to see people move in a purposeful direction, so we followed in the car, one birder had seen the OBP drop back in to a garden near the top end of the village, no further sign, but we did find a beast of a Redpoll! It was showing well with a small group of House Sparrows on rooftops, this bird was the same size as the House Sparrow (or as Steve described it - the size of a dog!) and showed a range of features consistent with "Greenland (Rostrata) Redpoll"including very heavy flank Streaking , large pale rump and strong white wing bars - Just looked a beast! see a similar bird photographed by the Punks below Ref: http://punkbirder.webs.com/rolloverview.htm

Not the bird we saw today at all , but looks a bit like it! 

After a few minutes it flew off behind a house and despite a postman and the owner wandering in the Garden, it didn't come back, We decided to cut our losses and head off, we were just driving down the main road in Toab when a small passerine taking off caused me to look up and see the ISABELLINE SHRIKE  taking off between two houses (the small passerine was apparently the OBP that had been on a wall!) , we parked (well, abandoned the car) and walked back up to the playground where the Shrike was seen to fly back to bushes in the garden where it had just come from, it showed well but briefly before flying over the houses again, a calling YELLOW BROWED WARBLER was in the bushes to the north of the play park, as well as a 1st Winter Spotted Flycatcher.

After a minute or so the Shrike flew back to the bushes behind the Play Park and perched in the Pine tree for about 2 minutes before dropping back into the bushes (Causing the Yellow Browed to go mental again)

We decided to head to our lodge, the lodge is fantastic http://www.gloverlodges.co.uk/oxna with views of the bay from our lounge.

Birds seen so far from the lodge include Black Guillemots , Fulmar and Curlew.

Our first 5 minutes birding the Garden produced 2 Goldcrest and Steve found a 1st year Pied Flycatcher. 

Steve is out of the Block on Gardens find 

Looking the other way now! 

A 30 minute walk around the area showed some promise for the next few days with 2 Snipe and 2 Redwing found, as well as a Meadow Pipit feeding in the garden.

We had decided to head off to Lerwick to stock up on Beer ..... I mean essential food items for the week, and an American Golden Plover had just been found a few miles to the north, bypassing Tesco's and heading straight to Veensgarth - Having no idea where the bird was, we promptly drove straight past it (!) and then proceeded to find a different Golden Plover flock, but it did contain this little beauty, which is probably much rarer then AGP ;-)

Whiter shade of pale 

Paler still   

We then drove back up the road that earlier had contained nothing , it now had 4 cars, and AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER, a Ruff sharing the next field with 4 Snipe was pretty much overlooked by the masses.

With the light fading and Tesco's calling, we headed back (4 Whooper Swans on a roadside loch was nice)

We can't wait for tomorrow! (The Fruit Tree is set up!!!)

Simon, Mark and Steve

Some gratuitous people and landscape shots now!

A couple of young chaps having a chat 

When I'm Cleaning windows!

A beach.