Shetland Trip...... 21st - 28th September

                                                         SHETLAND TRIP

                                               21st to 28th September 2024 

                                                 

Hooded Crow

       I joined up with RR & PG for a weeks birding on Shetland this year and had a great time, many birding  highlights were seen including 2 Lifers plus plenty of quality birds.

My 2 LIFERS were : Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler  which i saw very well out in the open plus several flight views, i also saw it land in an Iris bed and fan it's tail showing off it's white tips.

I had previously had a very, very brief view of a PGW disappearing into some  reeds in Norfolk a few years ago which has never sat comfortably with me, however now i can be very happy to finally add this superb bird to my Life list.

                                                                         

Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler . Photo by Dennis Morrison.

I never managed a photo myself however Dennis Morrison very kindly let me use one of his superb photos , Thank you Dennis!

For me the star bird of the trip was another lifer and one of my most wanted birds since i have been going to Shetland and we managed to see it on the final morning of our stay!!!!

PECHORA PIPIT 

Here are a selection of the many photos i took :

Pechora Pipit

You can just about make out the pointed tail feathers.

White tramlines on mantle.

Pechora Pipit.

As always on Shetland there are times when you do alot of searching for your own birds and although we never found any rare birds ourselves we did find 2 Yellow-Browed Warblers & 1 Barred Warbler  of note for our efforts.

A group of lads who i don't know personally found both Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler & Lanceolated Warbler on the same day !!! thankfully we managed to connect with both birds. A massive congrats & thank you to those lads.

Here are a small selection of photos of some of the birds we saw on our trip:

Lapland Bunting

Peregrine

Red Breasted Flycatcher

Red Breasted Flycatcher

Whooper Swan

Yellow-Browed Warbler

Yellow-Browed Warbler

Corncrake.

A really successful week in great company and great birds seen.