Scarborough Birders do the Skerries! DAY 8

No trip to Shetland is complete without a taste of true Shetland weather! Today we experienced just that, for the most part.
A short interval during late morning allowed for a couple of rather fine hours in the field before the wind picked up suddenly at around 11.15, from a weak F3 to a rather blowy F7 – F8! Add to that regular, horizontal rain, birding became a little challenging.

Those few hours out during the morning were rather quiet, the short blow from the southeast overnight clearly not bring much in the way of new birds in, to the Skerries at least.
A Jack Snipe along the Mioness peninsular was the only presumed ‘new in’ bird I saw.
A couple of Yellow-browed Warbler were noted, all in the regular spots, a few Blackcap and Wheatear and a Purple Sandpiper down Mioness where there were at minimum of 12 Lapland Bunting.
There were at least 21 Golden Plover feeding on the hill, as were 2 Ringed Plover and a Dunlin.

The kettle certainly got some usage during the day, I did make a couple of short jaunts out in between the worst of the rain to check of few of the semi sheltered gardens but ended up laid in the seaweed with the numerous Rock Pipits!

Lapland Bunting record shot

Wheatear

Rock Pipit

Rock Pipit

Ringed Plover and Redshank

Redshank

Looking north, towards Fetla from Bruray