Shiteland - Day 2

So, day two on Shetland.  We had grand plans.  We were going to get up early, thrash out new patch, find the biggie, bask in the glory for a few hours, then go twitching in the afternoon.

It didn't really play out like that.  We had our alarms set for 06:30.  They went off, most of us stayed in bed, mostly because it was blowing a hoolie and lashing with rain.  Si got up and started writing a report for work!  Mark and I eventually surfaced and enjoyed a good mug of tea.  Several hours later, and after adding a Skua sp (and seeing the Pied Fly again in our 'scrub') and nothing else to our window list, Si made a delicious breakfast - scrambled egg, bacon, sausage, mushrooms, and lovely bread.  It was only after then, and the showing of some blue sky that we ventured out to systematically work the patch.

Si headed up, Mark headed down, and I wandered along the road.  Skylarks were on the move, and there were more Mipits zipping around.  Si flushed a few Snipe from his moist patches, Mark found more Mipits, and Redshank, and my highlight was seven twanging Twite.  I met Mark wandering along a burn and just as we lent over the bridge a small brown thing flew a short distance low over the water.  We decided to have a second look.  We both took a side and wandered along the burn edge.  It flew again and round a corner.  Bugger.  Small and brown is as good as it got.  Must have been a Wren.  Three more Twite at the same spot were as good as it got.  It was time for lunch.

View from the patch over Bressay

We headed back to the digs.  Si then made some sarnies and wrapped them in tin foil for him and Mark, I ate my sarnies as it was lunchtime.

We couldn't yet go birding as we needed to get to Tescos before it shut.  We shot up to Lerwick only to find that Tescos didn't shut until 11pm on a Sunday.  Si and Mark bought more wine and quilted bog roll, while I bought bird seed and migrane tablets.  We checked out the loch nearby to find ten Whoopers, 46 Wigeon, and lots of Tufties.

Now on to some proper birding.  Hoswick was our next destination and a delightful Sibe Stonechat.  After a few phone calls to work out where going (Thanks Ben!) we (Mark!) eventually found the sweet little bird sat on a fence.  Lovely.

By now we had found out about a Buff-bellied Pipit.  We had to slip down there for a look.  By the time we'd reached Rerwick and got down to the beach the bugger had slipped away.  We all trundled round the headland where it been seen to fly.  Then back to the beach again.  Apparently it had came back to the beach while we were stomping round the headland, then flown off again.  This wasn't looking good.  Mark went back to the car when the rain hit.  Si and I headed to the beach to chew the fat with big Hugh.  After an hour and a half we decided to go.

Next on the menu was the Little Bunt at Sumburgh.  As we passed the lovely looking beach at Scousburgh we all remarked that it looked perfect for a BBP.  We should have gone and looked but a rampaging dog put us off.

The Sumburgh Little Bunt was ridiculously showy but went to roost just after we left.  We then tried to see the Issy Shrike in Toab again, but apart from hundreds of other birders (OK, perhaps 40) there was no birds to see in Toab.

Little Bunting!

Little Beauty!

Little twitch - quite literally!

Dinner was now beckoning, but now the blooming Buff-bellied Pipit has been refound on the beach where we said looked good for it.  We decided a quick dash was in order.  We dashed, we arrived, we dipped.  Again.  B0llocks.  Dinner was looking much, MUCH better now.  As we stood on the empty beach a flock of 45 Twite flew over, scant reward.

So, this evenings highlight so far - the Sjolmet Stout! With Pechora Pipit found this evening on Unst , who knows what delights we have in store for tomorrow. Good night all.