Mainland Shetland today in mainly sunshine! King (Queen) Eider at Scalloway showed rather well, I had it all to myself, so had no crowd trouble! 😉 Sibe CC also in Scalloway. 4 Humpbacked Whales around Mousa. Red Necked & Little Grebe at Hillwell. Yank Wigeon at Spiggie. #shetlandbirding

Having not been seen since 18th Nov the Great White Egret was back in Mid Yell Voe this afternoon. After having gone back to Unst on at least one date. #shetlandbirding

It’s been an amazing year on Yell for Greenfinchs, considering they have not even been annual since I’ve lived here. Today I saw another 2, taking our total to 11 birds, with another seen by Dougie Preston that takes this years total to 12 birds! #shetlandbirding

Had to go over to Unst today to pick up my car that’s been there all autumn. Took the opportunity to go to look at 2 Long eared Owls, managed to find a third bird there as well! Best I could do in dull light, the other 2 were even more obscured.#Shetlandbirding

We have still got 3 Blue Tits knocking around Mid Yell. But even more of a surprise on freezing northerlies, hail and snow was a Great White Egret on Mid Yell voe. #shetlandbirding

Another shopping trip to Lerwick, Tesco was closed due to a power cut! Gave me a chance to look for the long staying Kingfisher. Which I saw briefly after a phone call to get directions for where its exact location might be. Also 3 Siberian CC, 2 Bullfinch, Chaffinch & Water Rail #shetlandbirding

The last couple of weeks has seen good numbers of Siberian CC with a few Common CC mixed in. This Sibe was photographed in Mid Yell yesterday. #shetlandbirding

Had a couple of hours birding late PM on Yell today. Managed 3 Blue Tits, 2 fem Northern Bullfinch, 5 Siberian & 1 CC, Redpoll, Sparrowhawk and a fem Common Scoter. Then at last knockings found a Pallas’s Warbler, strangely scarce on Shetland, whilst checking a flock of 50+ Twite #shetlandbirding

Exactly the kind of post that could make #BirdID a magnificent feed everyone could benefit from. Just need the birders to structure their posts like this if they can think that way.

2/2 After seeing the geese a quick trip down to Sandwick to see a Dusky Warbler, worked out well. #shetlandbirding

Another trip to Lerwick for supplies and at last managed to get some photos of the Taiga Bean goose on a sports field! with a Pinkfoot. 1/2 #shetlandbirding

Good day around central Yell yesterday. Best was Yells 2nd Firecrest in Mid Yell,2 Northern Bullfinch, 2 Blue Tit, 2 Jackdaw, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, 4 Siberian CC, 1 CC and 2 Water Rails. #shetlandbirding

To say the weather has been a bit challenging today is rather an understatement! But the 3 Northern LTT still on Yell. Will they stay until we get a day with some daylight? Love the yellow eyeshadow! #shetlandbirding

Managed slightly better photos of the 3 Northern Long tailed Tits at Sound Yell today. Also saw another bird, without a tail, found by Dougie Preston at Camb. #shetlandbirding

Other birds on Yell today included a surprise Great White Egret an expected Jack Snipe and a very pale Redpoll, doesn’t look like an Arctic to me. Another Moorhen today along with large numbers of thrushes kept the interest up. #shetlandbirding

Right, before you judge my photos, it was a last ditch attempt in near dark! Taken at 16000 iso, to be fair they are better than I was expecting! Found by a local resident outside his house on the road verge! Northern Long tailed Tits are still a rare bird in UK. #shetlandbirding

Yesterday there was an arrival of birds on Yell. Jackdaws, Moorhen (only 2nd I’ve seen on here) Bramblings, Blackcaps and Redwings were the main arrivals. But 2 Greenfinch (rare on here) YBW & juv Peregrine. Then a quick trip to Brig o Fitch Black faced Bunting! #shetlandbirding

Today started with 5 NW Redpolls at Windhouse and ended with a Rosefinch (found by Tracy) in our garden. With basically nothing in between despite trying, honest! #shetlandbirding

100’s of these By the wind Sailors on West Sandwick beach Yell today. #shetlandbirding

Of course there was also the Siberian Thrush that has taken up residence at Asta on mainland Shetland. #shetlandbirding

Back on Unst Blackpoll Warbler and Glossy Ibis. A very vocal Red breasted Fly on Yell and a distant Western Sub-alpine Warbler on mainland Shetland. Just a few of many highlights so far this autumn.

A couple of posts of birds photographed on Shetland this October so far. 7 Glossy Ibis , Hornemann’s Redpoll, Bluethroat and a roadside bunting that really should have been something rarer! All on Unst. #shetlandbirding

Day on Unst yesterday. Citrine Wagtail, 2 Rosefinch with Brambling & Chaffinch arriving. Also a ridiculously elusive Radde’s Warbler. Mealy & Hornemann’s Redpoll. Then the Glossy ibis, 1 flew from Haroldswick beach whilst relocating it another 6 flew in to make a flock of 7! #shetlandbirding

The Short toed Lark at Otterswick, Yell showed better today in the sun as well! #birdingshetland

Back on Unst today this time for an Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler at Houlland. It showed very well but I unfortunately didn’t hear it call. Back on Yell a Short toed Lark, found by @rogerriddington.bsky.social was very flighty at Otterswick. #birdingshetland

Bit of a strange day, started with a Ring necked Duck at Tingwall then a Med Gull at Gremista. Just heading home across Yell when a message of a PG Tips on Unst came through, would be rude not to! A skulking bird as per type but showed ok with patience. High iso shots. #birdingshetland

A few migrants arrived overnight with Lesser Whitethroat, Reed Warbler (only the 2nd I’ve seen on Yell) and Pintail were year ticks. Other arrivals were 3 flighty White Wagtails and 17 Whoopers. #birdingshetland

For the second time in 24hours I’ve had to evacuate the car rapidly with camera settings all wrong to grab some shots of a bird of prey. This juvenile Honey Buzzard at Windhouse, Yell this morning. Last seen mobbed by a Merlin! #birdingshetland

Managed to get onto this juvenile Red Kite at Graven north mainland as I was on the way home from a shopping tip! Info came out at just the right time despite directions being wrong! Originally found by Logan Johnson yesterday a few miles away. #birdingshetland

A couple of random things from Yell. A sheep x gazelle hybrid! A four butterfly day, with Red Admiral, Large White, Painted Lady and a Shetland tick for me a Peacock! #birdingshetland

It was the Yellow show yesterday with good weather and more people than I’ve seen on Yell before, including a couple from North Carolina! Tracy won a first prize 🏆 for her home grown limes! #shetland

A few pics from the last couple of days. Bottlenose Dolphin 1 of 2 in Yell yesterday, still a rare sight on Shetland, this being only the 3rd record. Rosefinch on Yell and a very showy CurlewSand on Unst today. #birdingshetland

A few good local birds turned up on Yell in the last few days. A very juvenile Stonechat, 2 Greenshank and today I found this 2cy Little Gull well into its moult to 2nd winter plumage. #birdingshetland

Quick dash across to Unst this evening to see a Stone Curlew found by @penningtonunst.bsky.social Great photos were not achieved! 😂 The Black tailed Godwit showed slightly better.

This is a genuine question, I’m not dissing anybody’s sightings. But are Yelkouan Shearwaters actually identifiable in a British context? Considering the Menorcan situation. @scillypelagics.bsky.social

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A beach walk a couple of days ago resulted in having a few pecks to the head from the Arctic Terns and a rather hungry Bonxie. The amount of effort pulling the dead Common Seal put it on its bum a few times when the meat gave way! #birdingshetland

My all terrain lawn mower at work yesterday. When it runs out of energy it returns automatically to recharge!

A surprise trip to Unst late last night, despite being very driech, the Greater Sandplover showed well at Haroldswick, it was also heard singing! Large flock of Arctic terns feeding at Belmont being harassed by 3 Arctic Skuas whilst waiting for the last ferry home. #birdingshetland

Another 2 decent scarce birds from yesterday here in Shetland but to put it in context I also saw only my 3rd Blackcap of the year! European Red necked Grebe only seen the American version up here before and my 2nd WT Sparrow since I’ve lived here. #shetlandbirding

Highlight of todays Survey square. A single Lesser Twayblade, less than an inch in height! Supporting cast of dive bombing Bonxies and Arctic Skuas with some nice cute Golden Plover chicks. #shetlandbirding

Is anybody else having trouble with the digital version of @britishbirds.bsky.social I can’t view any issues only the articles. I have emailed them but had no response! #ukbirding

A bit of a surprise find today at Basta, Yell. 4 Canada Geese. Presumably part of the flock of 6 that were at Spiggie recently? #birdingshetland

When living in Essex I always had trouble finding Heath Bumblebee most years. Since moving to Shetland they come to me! This one in the garden this afternoon. Photo taken with iPhone. #shetland

Just found this shot of the female Grey Phalarope from the other day. The wing looks familiar but the body was something I had never seen before! #birdingshetland

Nice surprise on the way home from Lerwick when Tracy and I found this 1st summer Hobby at Voe plantation. #birdingshetland

Eyebrowed thrush still.

A 2 Phalarope sp day on mainland Shetland. The stunning female Grey Phalarope was as good as a tick, in this plumage. Backed up by a showy pair of Red Necked Phalaropes. #birdingshetland

A week’s birding on Papa Stour has been quiet until I found this Great Snipe this afternoon. It was in the boggy valley between Gorda Water and West Voe.

This morning I was watching this Eyebrowed Thrush feeding on the lawn in the sunshine, all by myself. You could say it showed well! #birdingshetland