29th September – Shetland Day 2

We rose early and after a hearty breakfast Keith and I walked from the Hotel seeing Wheatear, Redstart and Spotted Flycatcher on the track to Sumburgh Farm. The walled garden held Lesser Whitethroat and Blackcap. The two quarries were a little disappointing with just a couple of Redwing and a Song Thrush, earlier there had been a Short-eared Owl. Next stop was the beach at Grutness where we connected with the Semipalmated Sandpiper as it fed with a mixed flock of Dunlin, Turnstone, Ringed Plover and Sanderling.

Turnstone, Grutness

Semipalmated Sandpiper, Grutness

Semipalmated Sandpiper, Grutness

Our next stop was Wester Quarff where we saw a couple of Yellow-browed Warbler but there was no sign of the reported Red-breasted Flycatcher, but it was dull and there was a slight drizzle so it was probably just keeping low.

We returned to Sumburgh and had another look for the Little Bunting which we failed to see and had probably departed. It wasn’t all bad as we popped into the cafe at the Lighthouse for a coffee and cake. Whilst there news broke of a Bee-eater at Ollaberry up in the north of the island. When we established that the bird wasn’t a fly-over we decided to go.

It took just over an hour to arrive on site where the biggest crowd of the week was watching the bird. With a steady drizzle falling we joined the crowd of about 20 to 30 people and were soon watching the bird which was resting in a local garden. Eventually it flew across the field and performed for 30 minutes. We walked down the hill into the village birding as we went, we met a birder who had been watching a pod of 20 Long-finned Pilot Whales in the sound from the headland. With time getting on we headed towards the headland and picked up the pod of whales as it swam past at about three miles distance. On the way back we stopped at Brae for Fish and Chips at Freddies, which must be one of the best in the country.

Bee-easter, Ollaberry