12th June

There's often a few surprises in June and that was certainly the case when the visiting Heatherlea tour group found a stunning summer-plumage Black-throated Diver drop into the bay off Westness mid-afternoon. Records traditionally come in April and this welcome first of 2014 stayed for just half and hour before flying off strongly to the north. Another addition to the year list came in the form of a Turtle Dove at Holland House in the evening, with 3 Collared Doves also there while a brief burst of song was thought most likely to have come from a  Marsh Warbler (but not confirmed)-perhaps yesterdays bird? There was also a single Little Gull and Black-tailed Godwit on Gretchen Loch while waders along the coast at Lenswick included 68 Knot, 73 Sanderling and 25 Dunlin with a female Pintail there too.