Shetland 2026

 Our Shetland pilgrimage this year started on the 2nd of October and the crew was, as always, Dave Gray, Andy (Gucci) Smith and me,  and as usual we would be staying for 10 nights. We would be staying at our usual place, Sheepfold in Bigton. After an unevenful road trip and ferry crossing, we started our trip on Shetland with the customary breakfast at the Fjara Cafe in Lerwick, then off we went birding. Our first port of call was a walk down Sea Road where the the cafe is situated, it always turns a few waders up. We ticked Rock Pipit, Knot, Redshank, Oystercatcher and Curlew, and in the Voe were both Black and Common Guillemot and a few Mallard. A few days later we did pick up Purple Sandpiper at this location as well. From there we went  to a long staying female King Eider just a 5 minute drive from where we were in Lerwick; wasn't long before it was on our list along with Common Eider, Red-throated Diver, Gannet and Kittiwake.

                                                       Curlew, these are common on Shetland 

                                                             Redshank, again ather common species

Turnstone, another common bird on Shetland anywhere where there is seaweed or a rocky shoreline

 or in grassy fields feeding with Redshank and Curlew

Common Guillemot

Where we stay in Bigton, the next township is Ireland, which has a small beach and a brilliant crop field that runs down to the beach. These crop fields are being grown by some farmers on Shetland and are known as Bumblebird crops - this is acrop that helps the bees in summer and birds in winter, espeically the finches like Twite, Linnet, Brambling and Chaffinch. We went down here every morning and there was always Skylark, Brambling, Twite, quite a few Common Snipe and House Sparrow along with Blackbirds, Starling and Chaffinch. We also ticked Pheasant in the crop field, which is not a common bird on Shetland. On the beach there was always Turnstone, Starlings, Hooded Crow, Rock Pipit and Wren; in the Voe were lots of Fulmar, Red-throated Diver and Great-northern Diver. We had great views of an Otter feeding off the beach - the first time we have seen Otter at this location.

                                                                     Brambling

                                                                       Common Snipe

                                                                       Otter

                                                                          Otter

We noticed this year there were lots of Blackbirds,  more than usual. But on the 9th October there was a massive fall of Redwing - probably in their thousands. 

Shetland always has lot s of birds to see and we had ticked off two Buff-breasted Sandpipers at Fleck, Arctic Warbler at Flabbister and Pied Flycatcher at Ireland

                                         Record Shot of a very elusive and distant Arctic Warbler

Loch of Spiggie and surrounding area is always a good for a few hours birding. Whooper Swans, Scaup and a surprise American Wigeon were noted. We ticked Red-backed Shrike and Common Rosefinch here as well.

On the 8th October Andy went off on one of his usual walks on his own, so Dave and I went to have a look at a Bluethroat at Boddam, and great views we both had. Also whilst we were there we had a mammal tick in the shape of a live Hedgehog out feeding, sadly we see lots that have been hit by traffic so this was also a first. We headed then to Levenwick to have another look at a long staying Siberian Stonechat. Whilst there, we bumped into a good mate of ours Rob Fray, as we were talking to Rob, Dave's phone alerted us to a mega at Quendale Mill, a Black-faced Bunting, it was a BOU tick for me so off we so off we went for the 15 minute drive to the mill. There were lots of birders already there and the bird was in a small copse and not showing, but after about 20minutes it broke cover and landed at the bottom of some hogweed; I was really lucky to be in the right place right time for a change and got a decent view before it disappeared into the long grass, then back into the copse again - and I don't think it was sees again!

                                                                     Bluethroat

                                                                    Got to love a Bluethroat

                                                                        Hedgehog

A drive down to Sumburgh lighthouse for a very confiding Little Bunting, and then onto a Red-breasted Flycatcher at a very windy Exnaboe, followed by a Bar-tailed Godwit at Virkie.

On the 10 October late afternoon, a Thrush was found at Easter Quarf; firstly it came out as Swainson's Thrush but was quickly then identified as Grey-cheeked Thrush.

We went the following morning, and with a bit of patience it showed quite well, but always in the scrub or grass whilst I was there, but a nice bird to see

                                                                    Little Bunting

                                                                               Little Bunting

 

                                                                     Grey-cheeked Thrush

                                                                   Grey-cheeked Thrush

A few more images below of a few of the birds I saw, and of a Common Seal which are not as common as you would think. Whilst on the Cetaceans we also saw Harbour Porpoise and White-beaked Dolphins though didstant

                                                                       Common Seal

                                                                        Fulmar

                                                                         Northern Wheatear

                                                                       Pied Flycatcher

                                                                      Pied Wagttail (Motacilla alba)

                                                                          Redpoll

                                                                            Ringed Plover

                                                                              Sanderling

                                                                           Shag

                                                                     Turtle Dove

                                                                           Whooper Swan

As always thanks for stopping by and hope you have enjoyed a little insight into our trip to Shetland this year. I finished on seeing 93 species and from door to door we drove over 1300 miles.

My next adveture is a trip to Western Austrailia so looking forward to that, and I will be posting about that on my return.

 

Twitching Rarities

 On a Saturday, before we go to watch a game of non-league football, myself and my two mates Dave Gray and John Hague like to do a bit of birding, then go find a game close by. With John over in Canada visiting family, Dave and I did a couple of twitches into Derbyshire - the first to Avenue Washlands NR near Chesterfield for a Red-backed Shrike, a bird from Western Europe to central Siberia, and the second was to Carsington Water for two Pectoral Sandpipers; these birds are from the Arctic Tundra of  North America and Siberia. Both these species are annual vagrants to Britain, but are always nice to see.

 Red-backed Shrike

                                                                                 Red-backed Shrike

                                                                             Pectoral Sandpiper

                                                                         Pectoral Sandpiper

                                                                         Pectoral Sandpipers

                                                                     Both Pectoral Sandpipers

As always thanks for stopping by,  and it's only a couple of weeks now before we go on our annual pilgrimage to the Shetland Isles. So fingers ccrossed for some mega rarities and a Shetland post.  

                                                                          

 

 

A Third for Britain

 

                                                                        Long-tailed Shrike

Back in early July 2026 a Long-tailed Shrike (Lanius schach) a bird found widely in Asia, was found at Crail, Fife in Scotland which was only a second for Britain, the first being a first winter individual bird on South Uist of the Outer Hebrides, again in Scotland, in November 2000.  The Fife bird was only around for a few days and then disappeared on the 8th of July - not enough time for me or any of my birding friends to make the 6 hour journey. However on the 10th of July, a local birder down in Gloucestershire found a Long-tailed Shrike, but news was kept quiet as the land owner was away on holiday. A photo taken on the 15th showed it to be a first summer bird and by all accounts the bird wasn't seen on the 18th of July, but was refound by Gloucershire birder Mike King the following day at Eastleach. The big twitch was on, and to be fair to the land owner and local birders had sorted the car park ready for the large influx of birders. Dave Gray and myself went to see it on the 19th of July; it was distant and the heat haze did not help at all. The question was, is the Fife bird the Gloucestershire bird? After different images of the two birds were compared, it looked like there were two different individuals based on plumage analysis, so the Gloucestershire bird was a third for Britain if accepted. I did go back again with Dave and our mate John Hague [Shrike birding tours] on the 26 of July and it was in moult, but seeing the bird again on the 22nd August in all its finery wow! what a bird.

Below are a few images of the Long-tailed Shrike (Lanius schach) 

As always thanks for stopping by, hope be posting again soon.

A First For Britain

 Another quick post about a couple of twitches that I've been on recently. The first was fairly local, well in the East of the county of Leicestershire for - and getting more scarce - a Turtle Dove. I was with one of my birding mates, Dave Gray. On arriving at the site we decided to split up, and after half an hour of meeting up again, Dave had heard it at the church. Leaving Dave there and walking back to where we started, I first heard the distinctive call - and there it was sitting on a tv ariel! a quick call to Dave  and we were both watching this now very rare bird for Leicestershire.

                                                                     Turtle Dove

                                                                          Turtle Dove

The second twitch, well there was a bit more to this. On Satuarday 6th of June a Western Reef Heron, a first for Britain, was found in the Foryd area in North Wales. There was no way I could go, as me and the wife were getting ready for a coach trip to Scotland on the Sunday. The bird was relocated on the Sunday and showing well at Caernarfon.

The bird showed well all week, so I thought I'd have a chance of seeing the bird the following Sunday as we came back from our Scotland trip on the Satuarday13th.

Though there were a couple of reports of the bird on the 13th, they turned out to be erroneous, so I thought this one had slipped through the net for me.

Fast forward to Wednesday17th June, mid morning a report came of the bird being relocated at Conway RSPB. 

We were out shopping when the news broke, so it was straight home, unpack the shopping, and 3 hours later I was watching Western Reef Heron -  as I said, a first for Britain,  but what a bird.

                                                                Wester Reef Heron

                                                                    Western Reef Heron

                                                               Western Reef Heron

                                                                   Western Reef Heron

The images are not the best you'll ever see but records images of a great twitch 

. 

As always thanks for stopping by

First Few Months of 2026

 Just thought I would do a quick post on some of the more common and rarerities species I've seen in 2026. Mostly it's been with one of my mates Dave Gray, and on the odd occassion John Hague (Shrike Birding Tours) would join us. We would do a few hours birding in the morning mainly on a Satuarday and then do a non-league game of football in the afternoon. Must admit we have spent a lot of time in Lincolnshire this year, Frampton Marsh RSPB being a favourite.

Great-grey Shrike. This bird showed really well at Fillingham in Lincolnshire often hovering over its favoured field.

Black-throated Diver. This was with a couple Great-northern Divers at Covenham Reservoir in Lincolnshire. 

Great Northern Diver. This was one of two at Covenham Reservoir in February.

Shorelark. Took some finding, there were two individuals at Saltfleetby Lincolnshire but always distant

Avocet. These next few images were all taken at Frampton Marsh RSPB, it's always a good day at this reserve no matter what time of the year.

                                                                            Ruff
                                                                             

                                                                          Little Egret

                                                                     Goldfinch

                                                                            Sedge Warbler

                                                                                 Lapwing

Marsh Tit. This image was taken at Carr Vale NR in Derbyshire at a feeding station.

Reed Bunting. This was taken at the same feeding station as the previous Marsh Tit

Oystercatcher. The next few images were all taken at a local Wild Life Trust Rerserve, Cossington Meadows

Cuckoo. Very distant record shot, always nice to hear and see a cuckoo, you know spring has definitely arrived.

                                                                    Garden Warbler

                                                                     Blue Tit

                                                                         Common Whitethroat

                                                                        Little-ringed Plover

Wood Sandpipers. These are two of five birds found by John Hague -  almost sure a site record.

Long-tailed Tit. This was taken at Middleton Lakes Warkwarkshire, building a nest. This individual with a bill full of nesting material.

As always thanks for stopping by, let's see what the rest of the year brings as I'm excited about a couple of trips I'll be doing.