21st September

September 22, 2015

21st September

A calm day with occasional drizzly showers which turned into a record breaking one on the island for an always popular 'Sibe'. Everyone likes a good Yellow-browed Warbler and after half a dozen had been logged in the morning, they started turning up 'all over the shop' in the afternoon. The previous day total record stood at 23 birds (27th Sep 1992) and today this was smashed with a minimum of 31 present. Individuals were spread far and wide but clear hotspots were the Holland/Old Kirk area (7), Observatory (5-all trapped and ringed with 3 caught at the same time!), the Garso area (5) and Westness (3). A Red-breasted Flycatcher at Holland gardens was also well appreciated while the other warbler species registered meagre totals 13 Blackcaps. 2 Willow Warblers and 4 Goldcrests. A Common Rosefinch was at Garso, 225 Snow Buntings were counted while birds on the move included 69 Swallows, 277 Meadow Pipits and 11 Rock Pipits. More raptors than yesterday were seen with 3 Sparrowhawks the most notable, while Little Stints increased by 1 to 4. A Pintail was new as may some of the 10 Grey Herons while a marked increase in Black-tailed Godwits (to 14) and Snipe (to 365) was also evident.