Unst 2017: Days 8-9

The 1st of October was our 8th day on Shetland. Having found out about the Upland Sandpiper on Fetlar too late in the day yesterday (signal is poor and patchy on Unst), we had decided to go and twitch it this morning, if it was still present. We positioned ourselves in Uyeasound, close to the ferry terminal, seeing a small number of migrants. However, by 1045 (when the first ferry went), there had been no positive news, so instead we went to twitch a Red-breasted Flycatcher at Clingera, which was fairly elusive but showed OK on occasion. There were a few other migrants present, including a couple of Redstarts.

Red-breasted Flycatcher

Taking the decision not to twitch the PG Tips on Mainland (a mistake, with hindsight...), we then birded around Baltasound, seeing the Little Bunting at the back of Setters Hill Estate, a Pied Fly and YBW in the Doctors Garden, a Fieldfare on the football pitch, and 5 Blackcaps and 1-2 Garden Warblers in the Millenium Wood. 

Pied Fly

By now the weather was deteriorating, and a quick trip to Burrafirth didn't produce much, although 8 Swallows passed through south, presumably fresh in and underlining just how incredible bird migration is - these, and the tiny specks of feathers we have been seeing on the towering cliffs at Skaw and Lamba Ness, and the migrants around the crofts and gardens, have all battled wind and rain to get here, across the open sea. I guess these are the lucky ones that made it - who knows how many perish on the journey. 

Today (2nd), we began the day at Valyie, with the wind having left the south-east and now coming from the south-west (becoming westerly as the day progressed). The birds were similar as to previous days, but there were now 2 Tree Pipits. Most intriguing, however, was a large crossbill which we both heard, and then saw fly out of Valyie and head out of sight around the corner. I then had it, or another a little later, disappearing over the hillside to the east. Ken Shaw and friends then arrived to say that they too had seen a crossbill at the bottom of Valyie, and that it looked big, but had flown up the valley. The word Parrot was mentioned...

Heading to Halligarth, there were a few birds around including a/the Common Rosefinch, 2 Spotted Flys, a Pied Fly and a Tree Pipit. And then another calling crossbill overhead - I couldn't see it, but Paul saw it drop into the pines at Setters Hill Estate. So we headed straight round there, walking up either side of the pines, and failing to see any crossbills. We walked down the back of SHE to the pines in the corner, seeing the Little Bunting. 

Little Bunting

Paul decided to head across the field to Nikkavord Lea, whilst I retraced my steps. Still no crossbills, so I ventured along the path through the trees, getting no more than 10 metres when I heard what sounded like pine cones being crunched above and behind me. Glancing over my shoulder, I was greeted by the sight of a big red crossbill with a huge bill - and then a similarly proportioned female/juvenile, and another slightly less red male. Bloody hell! I radioed Paul - "I've got three crossbills in the pines at the bottom of the plantation and they look a lot like Parrots!"

First views...

I fired some shots off, and just a few minutes later Ken Shaw and team arrived, Paul having flagged them down on the road. Paul himself arrived 5 minutes later. We scrutinised the birds, and Ken then put them out as probables. Gradually, more people arrived, and the consensus was that the did indeed look like Parrots - and in fact there were 4 Parrot Crossbills, the first in Shetland for 23 years! After a while we left as the weather closed in, having a pit stop at home and then going to Skaw, where we relocated the Red-throated Pipit (not reported since yesterday morning). Returning to SHE later, several Shetland birders from South Mainland had arrived, as well as Pierre-Andre Crochet with his sound recording equipment, and there were apparently five birds. 

Parrot Crossbill

Parrot Crossbill

Parrot Crossbill

Parrot Crossbill

There is some good video of the Parrots on John Nadin's Youtube channel, such as this one. 

After all that excitement, we took ourselves off to Burrafirth, where a warbler gave us some excitement for a few minutes - when it first appeared in bright sun it looked small, pale and sandy. It also had to be almost trod on before it would flush. But as it became more overcast, it morphed into a standard looking Reed Warbler. There was also a YBW present, and a Jack Snipe.

Jack Snipe

We finished off at Houlland, where the excitement here was a warbler flushed from the irises and meadowsweet by the loch. It looked like a Locustella, probably only a Gropper, but after several flushes we lost it up a bank against the low sun, and we couldn't relocate it.