It wasn't a classic year, but Shetland 2025 poduced a few special birds.
A couple of days after arrival in late September, there hadn't been any particularly noteworthy birds but that changed in the morning of the 2nd when I was trudging around a field near Kergord. News emerged of a Siberian Thrush nearby just north of Scalloway at Loch of Asta. As expected a large crowd had gathered for this mega rarity, but it was proving elusive. It took about an hour before I got a glimpse of it in its favoured elder trees. It was a fantastic 1st winter male, much better than the previous 1st-winter female bird I'd glimpsed a few years earlier in Fife.
Wellies on! Best view from the water!
The thrush was initially extremely elusive, and I only got short views of a tail, or heard, before it headed back into the depths of the trees. The bird started to commute between the lochside trees and the gardens across the road, and over the next 24 hours started to show a little better.
In fact the bird remained at the site for the duration of the rest of my Shetland stay, and during several visits it became slightly more confiding, particularly when feeding on the lawn edges in the leaf litter.
Siberian Thrush
Some other highlights of the trip were a nice Ortolan Bunting with Sparrows and Linnets in a crop field at Ireland.
Ortolan Bunting
A Common Rosefinch spent a few days commuting between the beach and garden at Grutness.
Common Rosefinch
A frutiless search for a Corncrake in a quarry in the north-east of mainland was disappointing, although a Red-breasted Flycatcher was found in the spectacular location of a geo near Eshaness.
Red-breasted Flycatcher
A Subalpine Warbler species was in gardens around Levenwick for over a week. Initially identified as a Western Subalpine Warbler, after dna anlaysis a few weeks later, it was confirmed as being Eastern, my third of this species.
Eastern Subalpine Warbler
The best day for me personally was a trip up to the island of Unst. A Blackpoll Warbler had been found in a small garden at Haroldswick the previous afternoon, although it wasn't refound during that afternoon. There was a slim chance it was still in the area, and although I wasn't confident, I headed north in the dark to join the small group present at dawn to search for the bird.
There were plenty of birds around the garden, although they were mainly sparrows. An hour later and the bird was not seen, so people started drifting away or looking further afield. Just before leaving someone suggested playing a new 'response' tape of various bird calls on the off chance it would respond. Then within a minute of the tape being played in the garden, the Blackpoll Warbler suddenly dived over our heads and straight into a tree at the side of the garden.
It didn't hang around and was soon back into the fields nearer to the beach. It went missing for a while but was then relocated around buildings, then on the beach picking insects from the tideline.
Blackpoll Warbler
It gave great views on and off for about an hour, and remained in the area for the rest of the day as people travelled up to Unst to enjoy this new world warbler.
There were a couple of other good birds on the island, including a Greater Short-toed Lark nearby at Burrafirth.
Burrafirth, looking towards Saxa Vord, Unst
Greater Short-toed Lark
Being on Unst, a visit to Norwick and Valyie was worth squeezing in. Although there wasn't very much around apart from a Yellow-browed Warbler and a few Chiffchaffs, it was interesting to see a small group of Glossy Ibis had made it this far north from the recent influx into the UK. They were feeding in the flooded fields inland from Norwick beach.
Cows at Norwick
Glossy Ibis
If you think this is a bit scary....
The 'White Wife' on Unst. Not what you want to drive past in the dark.
The trip was curtailed by a day after being tempted by the Yorkshire Needletail, but an early ferry departure back to Aberdeen didn't pay off and that bird remains one for the future!
Thanks for looking!
