29th-30th September
Another couple of days of poor weather saw an ever so slight change in fortunes with a little more turning up but nothing too much to shout about.
Whooper Swan numbers grew to 43 birds, one of which was a colour ringed bird, originally ringed in Iceland earlier this year.
Pink-footed Geese numbers fell to 1278, however within the reduced Pinkie numbers was our first Barnacle Goose of the Autumn.
A sea-watch produced a single Arctic Skua, 18 Sooty Shearwaters, 1 Arctic Tern, 1 Comic Tern, 2 of 4 Red-breasted Mergansers and another first for the autumn came in the shape of 6 Little Auks.
Passerine wise things have been a bit slow and this didn't change, a Tree Pipit was present at Senness, there were also 1 Willow Warbler, 2 Blackcap, 2 Chiffchaffs, 1 Goldcrest, 13 Lapland Buntings, 1 Song Thrush, 8 Snow Buntings, 2 Chaffinch, 38 Skylark on visible migration and 1 Yellow-browed Warbler.
It was a similar story for the waders with one Grey Plover, 12 Purple Sandpipers, 5 Ruff, 2 Jack Snipe and a Little Stint. The big surprise of the day were 2 Grey Phalaropes, one on sea-watch and one on Gretchen were our 2nd and 3rd of the year.
Other birds to note were 6 Red-throated and 1 Great-Northern Diver and a Collared Dove at Holland.
The 30th was a much quieter day all in all, Teal numbers rose 295 and a pair of Pintail were on the island, the Juvenile Hen Harrier was still at Brides and Grey Plover numbers went from 1 to 7. One of the two Grey Phalaropes was still present on Gretchen.
Another sea-watch produced another 6 Little Auks, 4 Sooty Shearwaters and 1 Manx Shearwater.
Our first Redwing of the Autumn was seen flying around the obs in the morning, other passerines of interest were 1 Yellow-browed Warbler, 2 Chiffchaffs, 1 Goldcrest, 1 Whinchat, 5 Swallow, 1 House Martin and 48 Skylark.
Waders again didn't show much in the way of movement, with 367 Snipe, 11 Bar-tailed Godwits, 1 Black-tailed Godwit, 1065 Golden Plover and a pair of Curlew Sandpipers.
Whooper Swan numbers grew to 43 birds, one of which was a colour ringed bird, originally ringed in Iceland earlier this year.
Pink-footed Geese numbers fell to 1278, however within the reduced Pinkie numbers was our first Barnacle Goose of the Autumn.
A sea-watch produced a single Arctic Skua, 18 Sooty Shearwaters, 1 Arctic Tern, 1 Comic Tern, 2 of 4 Red-breasted Mergansers and another first for the autumn came in the shape of 6 Little Auks.
Passerine wise things have been a bit slow and this didn't change, a Tree Pipit was present at Senness, there were also 1 Willow Warbler, 2 Blackcap, 2 Chiffchaffs, 1 Goldcrest, 13 Lapland Buntings, 1 Song Thrush, 8 Snow Buntings, 2 Chaffinch, 38 Skylark on visible migration and 1 Yellow-browed Warbler.
It was a similar story for the waders with one Grey Plover, 12 Purple Sandpipers, 5 Ruff, 2 Jack Snipe and a Little Stint. The big surprise of the day were 2 Grey Phalaropes, one on sea-watch and one on Gretchen were our 2nd and 3rd of the year.
Other birds to note were 6 Red-throated and 1 Great-Northern Diver and a Collared Dove at Holland.
The 30th was a much quieter day all in all, Teal numbers rose 295 and a pair of Pintail were on the island, the Juvenile Hen Harrier was still at Brides and Grey Plover numbers went from 1 to 7. One of the two Grey Phalaropes was still present on Gretchen.
Another sea-watch produced another 6 Little Auks, 4 Sooty Shearwaters and 1 Manx Shearwater.
Our first Redwing of the Autumn was seen flying around the obs in the morning, other passerines of interest were 1 Yellow-browed Warbler, 2 Chiffchaffs, 1 Goldcrest, 1 Whinchat, 5 Swallow, 1 House Martin and 48 Skylark.
Waders again didn't show much in the way of movement, with 367 Snipe, 11 Bar-tailed Godwits, 1 Black-tailed Godwit, 1065 Golden Plover and a pair of Curlew Sandpipers.
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| Grey Phalarope - Larissa Simulik |
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| Juv Hen Harrier- George Gay |
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| Lapland Bunting - George Gay |
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