As usual I started at Geosetter and tried to use the sycamores and other bushes as shelter as I tried to find yesterdays reported Firecrest. There was no sign but there were at least 10 Goldcrests present. Otherwise just 1 Blackcap & I flushed a Sparrowhawk half way up the gorge.
2 Arctic Skuas gave good views off Sumburgh Hotel and I finally saw Slavonian Grebe for the year. A Short Eared Owl was also seen. Despite only being out the car for less than 20 minutes I got soaked. I sat in the car at Grutness harbour for an hour or so watching 15 Long Tailed Ducks.
In the afternoon I moved round to Quendale and had Great Grey Shrike albeit a bit distant. This was my first for many years. A Lesser White Fronted Goose, certainly a new bird for me, was reported in fields below the watermill. I could see maybe 15 birders looking at it & hurried round expecting it to be a dot in some far field. Not a bit of it, it was within 50 yards:
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| Lesser White Fronted Goose (with bling) |
From the rings it was presumably of captive origins. Right leg green over grey & left leg blue number 33.It turns out it originated from the Swedish re introduction programme and had been released into the wild this year. This was its first sighting since release.
I spent the rest of the afternoon in the layby just past the lights at the end of Sumburgh airport overlooking the sea. I had good views of an Otter fishing amongst the rocks as well as Harbour Porpoise offshore. I also saw what I presumed to be a small whale probably a Minke.
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