A day to remember.

After ringing the Thrush Nightingale went on to show well in the Obs garden all day.

What a day Sunday was. Sunshine, an easterly breeze and birds. Not a huge fall, but a good variety and a real feeling that the next good bird could be anywhere nearby.

There’s too much to do to be on the computer, but here’s the highlights from yesterday’s Log: Hoopoe, Thrush Nightingale, 5 Wryneck, 2 Bluethroat, Icterine Warbler, Red-backed Shrike, Shorelark, 2 Grey-headed Wagtails and numbers of commoner species included: 2 Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, Whimbrel, 2 Common Sandpiper, 2 Common Tern (first of the year), 4 Woodpigeon, 2 Collared Dove, Short-eared Owl, Swift (first of the year), Jackdaw, 9 Carrion Crow, 71 Swallow, 5 House Martin, 6 Chiffchaff, 13 Willow Warbler, 10 Blackcap, 4 Garden Warbler, 3 Lesser Whitethroat, 4 Whitethroat, Sedge Warbler, 2 Ring Ouzel, 6 Blackbird, 2 Song Thrush, 3 Redwing, 16 Robin, 3 Spotted Flycatcher, 12 Redstart, 195 Wheatear (a clear out compared to recent counts of around 300), 5 Pied Flycatcher, 3 Tree Sparrow (first of the year), 2 other Flava wagtails, 36 Tree Pipit, 2 Chaffinch, Brambling, Goldfinch, 18 Siskin, 3 Mealy Redpoll, 6 Snow Bunting, 2 Yellowhammer and 17 Reed Bunting.
I didn't know it at the time, but the bell ringing at 9.40pm didn't just signal the start of Log, it also marked the exact time of an even more important event in Lerwick, but more on that later...

After years of near misses, Sunday finally saw me find my most obvious British 'bogey bird' on my favourite part of the island.

What a stunner this Hoopoe was, and it even turned out to be twitchable for a couple of lucky folk.

 

STOP PRESS: Monday has begun well, with this Common Nightingale trapped in the Vaadal and a Short-toed Lark found at Guidicum. The Thrush Nightingale also remains at the Obs, so I managed to see the two Nightingale species within about two minutes of each other, a very 'Fair Isle' experience!