Chris

Is there a Shetland WhatsApp group for cetacean sightings that I can be added to. TIA

Top left - 09/10/25 Blackpoll Warbler, Haroldswick. Top right - 06/10/25 Siberian Thrush, Loch of Asta. Middle left - 04/10/24 Lanceolated Warbler, Norwick. Middle right - 30/09/24 Pechora Pipit, Quendale. Bottom left - 29/09/23 Veery, Sunna Kirk. Bottom right - 26/09/23 Blackburnian Warbler, Geosetter.

In the last 3 consecutive years #Shetland #Unst has been extremely rewarded and has produced 2 amazing lifers each year. As this trip comes to an end I look forward to what next autumn brings #RareBirdsUk #BirdingScotland #UKBirding

Blackpoll warbler, Haroldswick, Unst

Blackpoll warbler, Haroldswick, Unst

Blackpoll warbler, Haroldswick, Unst

It took a while to connect with the blackpoll warbler at Haroldswick #Unst today. What a great bird 🤩🤩

It's on its way back to roost!

Just been watching the bluethroat at Holsens Bridge #Unst quite nicely from the road. A car load of birders turned up and because it wasn't on view for them, decided to walk the entire area and flush everything 😡😡

I wish people would stop chasing and pushing the bird. It's been going on all day, give it a rest!!!

Blackpoll warbler, Haroldswick

Top shout by the finder yesterday, took a while to relocate it today. Has been showing well at times #Unst

Glossy ibis at Norwick, Unst

Glossy ibis at Norwick, Unst

Glossy ibis at Norwick, Unst

Glossy ibis at Norwick, Unst

Glossy ibis at Norwick #Unst

but needed better views to clinch and id. Unfortunately @birdguides.bsky.social put the news out as definate, not sure where they got that news from. Anyway no sign of the bird till dusk so fingers crossed for tomorrow.

Quiet day on #Unst and was sitting at Haroldswick mid afternoon when a WhatsApp message appeared from a birder a few metres requesting assistance. He'd briefly seen what he thought was a blackpoll warbler but his views were too brief to say for certain. He was sure it was an American warbler..

It's not very often you discover something new so this double headed glossy ibis at Norwick #Unst was a real surprise.

Whereabouts at Baliasta?

Yeah, I was just checking that it wasn't still there 🫢

Here's a few scenic shots of a sunny Baliasta #Unst

Short-toed Lark, Burrafirth, Unst

Short-toed Lark, Burrafirth, Unst

Very quiet day on #Unst and not sure if there have been any new arrivals in the past few days. The short-toed lark was still present at Burrafirth and gave much better this time.

Male siberian thrush, Loch of Asta, Shetland.

Male siberian thrush, Loch of Asta, Shetland.

Male siberian thrush, Loch of Asta, Shetland.

Male siberian thrush, Loch of Asta, Shetland.

What a truly memorable experience, I don't really have any words so I'll let these images do the speaking #Rarebirds #BirdingScotland #Shetland

It's a crazy hobby sometimes, I was standing there since 8.30 and after a couple of hours I thought the best I was going to get was distant calling red grouse. Then there were a few sightings and I managed to see it in flight, I thought that was it..then boom out in full view. What a rollercoaster.

Crippling views 🤩🤩🤩

After a 4 hour wait and boom, sibe thrush on the list!!!

This great skua barreled through Easter Loch, Uyeasound, sending everything into a frenzy.

Tufted ducks resettling on Easter Loch, Uyeasound.

Yellow-browed warbler, Shore Station, Burrafirth.

Short-toed Lark, Burrafirth.

With the winds easing the birding got better. Highlight of the day was a short-toed lark at Burrafirth, not approachable so watched from a respectable distance #Unst Also saw yellow-browed warbler plus chiffchaff & blackcap at Shore Station. Great skua and glossy ibis around Uyeasound.

Gannet feeding off Westing beach.

Gannet feeding off Westing beach.

Gannet feeding off Westing beach.

Now this is skill, fishing in 60mph wind #Unst

A few atmospheric photos of Westing beach #Unst #StormAmy

Not the easiest task in 60mph winds taking these photos of an arctic tern being thrown about by the wind. More luck than skill by me.

Not the easiest task in 60mph winds taking these photos of an arctic tern being thrown about by the wind. More luck than skill by me.

With strong gusts of wind up to 60mph and squally showers for most of the day we decided to stay indoors. Fortunately, our accommodation is 100m away from the beach so we spent the day watching from the porch. Highlights were a couple of kittiwakes, a lone common scoter and this arctic tern #Unst

Popped to the local bakery on Unst the other day to buy some cake. I've just noticed that the one I bought comes from County Cork. That's nearly 900 miles away!! Bloody ridiculous that a bakery buys in cake from such a distance.

Apparently accordingto BBC news, Storm Amy set a new record for the deepest area of low pressure in the UK for October. Storm Amy showed central pressure of 947.9hPa at Baltasound, Shetland. This exceeds the previous record of 950.9hPa in 1988 #Unst

Had this Coue's arctic redpoll at Hunters Wood #Unst. That's Hornemann's and Coue's in 2 days.

Storm Amy has arrived on #Unst. Fingers crossed for a few North American rares in the morning.

Crossbill perched on seaweed!! Not where you expect to see one of these.

Quite breezy on #Unst today with Storm Amy bearing down on us. Tough going to find any birds, only one of note today was this crossbill on Westing Beach.

What's that bright stuff around it!😎

What is it about Unst that can make you stand a scrutinise a willow warbler just in case it's something rarer.

Glossy ibis, Norwick, Unst

Glossy ibis, Norwick, Unst

Honestly it's a hornemann's arctic redpoll, Norwick, Unst

Slightly better birding on #Unst today. More blackbirds, chaffinch and brambling around. Other birds of note; blackcap, garden warbler, whitethroat, chiffchaff, willow warbler, yellow-browed warbler, swallow, house martin, bluethroat, glossy ibis and hornemann's artic redpoll.