17th February
Largely overcast with a strong southerly wind throughout;
with summer migrants amazingly turning up on Shetland today, there was a
smidgeon of anticipation out in the field but there was little new to mention
as totals from around the island consisted of long-staying or regularly
commuting birds. Numbers included 4
Herons, the 2 Whooper Swans which didn’t leave after all, the Eurasian White-fronted Goose still, 4 Shelduck, the drake Green-winged Teal still on Gretchen, 97 Mallard, 10 Pintail, 10 Shoveler, a
further increase to 36 Tufted Duck, the drake Smew once
again on Bewan (last seen here on the 5th and present on North Loch,
Sanday yesterday), 4 Red-breasted Mergansers, 47 Coot, 50 Black-tailed
Godwits still
on Brides, 12 Fieldfare, 5 Chaffinches and 15 Snow Buntings.
White-fronted Goose
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