With Covid-19 still largely preventing internal birding again this year I settled for birding trips up north to Fair Isle during the year.
In spring I was there from late May to the end of the first week of June with Pete Davis and Clive Johnson and was mostly excellent with a number of good birds but overall numbers of migrants were low, which was a theme throughout the year.
For the spring the highlights were Calandra Lark, Eastern Subalpine Warbler, 3 Rose-coloured Starlings, a Tawny Pipit, a stunning male Bluethroat, more Rustic Buntings you shake a list at, several Icterine and Marsh Warblers, Quail, Wryneck, Red-backed Shrikes, a Red-necked Phalarope, a find in the form of a Byth's Reed Warbler, as well as Puffins, Skua's and other seabirds whilst closed out with a Ring-necked Duck and Lesser Yellowlegs on Shetland.
I then followed this up with an early autumn, late August, trip. It was a little slower than hoped for but again a few additions to the Fair Isle list were made with the highlights being a Booted Warbler, a lingering Rose-coloured Starling, Barred Warbler, Wood Warblers, a Melodious Warbler and finding an Arctic Warbler however the absolute highlight was the Orca Pod that circled the isle twice one fine day and were seen at extremely close range hunting seals just below the cliffs, stunning.
And then finally I had 5 weeks from 23rd September through to 26th October. This was a mixed bag really. Migration was mostly prevented from happening by constant westerly winds but that didn't stop quality birds getting through. By the end of the trip it really felt the season was over. Hightlights from this trip were the White'sThrush caught at the Gully, the Baikal Teal, the truly special views of drakeSurf Scoter, the trapped Daurian Shrike, the lingering Woodchat Shrike, a Red-backed Shrike, Buff-bellied Pipit, a Red-flanked Bluetail, 4 Shorelarks, a Blyths Reed Warbler, 2 Red-breasted Flycatchers, a brief Olive-backed Pipit, Kumliens Gull, Glaucous Gull 4 Little Auks, 2 Snow Geese, a couple of Little Buntings,
Yellow-browed Warblers and Goldcrests were virtually non existant and I was lucky to see two, maybe three, Yellow-broweds. Winter thrushes appeared after a very brief spell of easterlies and it was impressive to see tens of the thousands of Redwing along with hundreds of Blackbirds and Song Thrush whilst Ring Ouzels and Bramling flocks put in a good show along with a few Long-earted Owls and Woodcock but oddly Fieldfare were low in numbers.
The trip was finally closed out with a Humes Warbler at Boddam on Shetland which was slightly over shadowed by the stunning ghstly Siberian Chiffchaff in the same garden.
Whilst there should have been a little more quality there was still plenty to keep me going through the year and keep me sane.
Spring: highlights
August: highights
September and October: highlights
