Booted Warbler at Torness Power Station

Twitched a Booted Warbler at Torness Power Station today. My 1st for Scotland.

Booted Warbler & Rosehips

Booted Warbler

The usual Peregrine was on the power station.

At St Abbs Head it was quiet with only Chiffchaff, Goldcrest and a Barnacle Goose of any note.

Shetland 26 September to 2 October 2014

Train to Aberdeen and then 14 hour boat to Shetland via Kirkwall. Did the same 2 years ago but this time invested £18 in a sleeping pod. Definitely not worth the expense because it's little better than a fancy reclining chair.

Arrived at Lerwick at 7:30 on the Friday, picked up my Kia Picanto hire car and headed for Unst. After my experience of 2 years ago I figured that Unst being only 12 miles long was manageable and I could limit the time spent in the car & that I would only leave if something really good turned up on Shetland mainland. Having seen the forecast for south westerlies I thought that was a pretty safe bet but that's not in reality how it panned out.

Weather over the 6 days was really good. If I'd got that in May I'd have been happy. Mostly dry, relatively warm but of course windy, indeed first afternoon at Baltasound it was hard to stand up at times.

Shetland this Autumn has had another purple patch and if I wanted to be picky perhaps the week before or the week after was probably better and the number of species greater. Nonetheless a cast including the following is not to be sniffed at:

1. White's Thrush
2. Eastern Subalpine Warbler
3. Swainson's Thrush
4. Temminck's Stint
5. Barred Warbler
6. Yellow Browed Warbler
7. Common Rosefinch
8. Wryneck
9. Marsh Warbler

Bonxie - Norwick

Common Rosefinch - Northdale

Marsh Warbler - Lund (Only my 2nd ever)

Sanderling - Norwick

Swainson's Thrush - Norwick (my 1st Scottish record)

White's Thrush - South Mainland (worth leaving Unst for - a lifer)

Wrynck - Norwick

By Thursday evening it was time to go home again. A 12 hour boat trip on a rough sea in a boat full of beer swilling Total gas workers....... you can imagine ! Plane next year methinks.