Mid Yell & Whalsay Birding 26th, 27th and the 28th of October 2013

Saturday the 26th of October 2013

Since it was the holidays I thought I would have a look round Mid Yell to see if I could find any interesting birds.
While I was walking down from my house I spotted this Blackbird which was missing his tail feathers.

It seemed to be doing fine without a tail

I continued to the School and I had seen a total of seven Blackbirds, four Meadow Pipit, two Redwings, twenty-one Starlings, four House Sparrows, four Herring Gulls, two Hooded Crows and two Rock Doves.

I was wandering down to the shop when I spotted the Redwings, so I wandered up the road and I heard a rustling sound in the grass next to me, I looked at the thing and it was a Hedgehog! I know that they aren't usually meant to be out during the day so I picked it up in my jumper and I got some dog food for it and I placed it in the trees at the School, the Hedgehog fed happily for a while and then it wandered into the trees.

This time I went towards the shop, I had nearly got there when I spotted a Swallow flying about, I had heard that one had been seen a few days ago in Mid Yell so this was most likely the same one.

I stayed around the pier for a while and by the time it was starting to get dark I had spotted six Curlew, a Tystie, over 40 Starlings and a few Blackbirds.

Just before I left to head home I saw the Swallow sitting on a wire

Sunday the 27th of October 2013

I headed out early this morning to find some birds and as I stepped out my front door some Redwings flew over the hill (not a bad start to the day).

I reached the bottom of Hillend and I spotted a small bird flitting around in a tree so I moved in to take a closer look.

My little bird turned out to be a Chiffchaff and I also found a male Blackcap (this day was getting better by the minute)

I kept following the road towards the school and I spotted two Greylag Geese fly over head.

I also found this dead mouse

At the Mid Yell hall I spotted a Robin and ten Twite flew over, I also found two Redwings.

I continued to the School and I found a Robin (which was possibly the one that was around the School last year), seven Fieldfares, four Blackbird and a male Blackcap.

He sat for a minute on the roof of the old school

I headed down to Linkshouse and the Swallow was still flying about, I also found this dead bird lying in a lump of grass I took a closer look and I thought it was a funny looking Blackbird but it had red on its head and a blue eye then I got it the bird was a Great-spotted Woodpecker!

A very sad sight but it happens to all birds in the end, this was the first time I had seen one in Mid Yell but I hoped it would be in better circumstances.

I continued towards the Pier and I found two Blackcaps (both male), a Common Gull, a Blackbird, a Black Guillemot (which I think stays round the pier for most of the year).

This was one of the Turnstones scurrying along the pier

I got to the edge of the Pier and I spotted a seal in the water, I had a look through my "bins" and it was the Bearded Seal! who was still in Yell after at least four or five months.

The long-staying Bearded Seal just off the Pier was quite a nice sight before it swam away

I started heading back along the pier and then a Snow Bunting flew by! my first one in Mid Yell! also I spotted a Redshank and that was the end of my day.

Monday the 28th of October 2013

I headed down to Brae this morning so Tommy and I could go to Whalsay.

I got the quarter past nine ferry from Ulsta and on the crossing to the Mainland I saw twenty Black Guillemots, four Kittiwakes, two Shag, a Great Black-backed Gull and four very nice looking Long-tailed Ducks.

Tommy then picked me up and we headed to Brae, on the way we had a look at Laxobigging and we found some Redwings and a Blackcap.

We then checked a pool at Sullom Voe and there we saw fifty-seven Wigeon, six Greylag Geese, sixty-six Lapwings, a Curlew, a Wren, fifteen Teal, fourteen Redshank and two Dunlin.

From here we headed to the Loch of Trondavoe, a place good for wildfowl (Swans, Geese, Ducks).

At the Loch we saw the usual Whooper Swans with a few others taking the total up to eight, ten Mallards, twenty-five Greylag Geese and a few Wigeon.

We had a quick run into Brae and then we headed for the half ten ferry at Laxo.

We got on the ferry and on the crossing to Whalsay we saw two Red-breasted Mergansers, sixteen Shags, six Black Guillemots, thirty Fulmars and a Red-throated Diver.

We had nearly got into Symbister and we saw a big flock of 400 Eiders (Dunters), I got out my camera but the zoom wouldn't work! I tried again and again but with no luck so I put it away.

We got off the ferry and we popped into the shop at Symbister, afterwards we headed to Brough to look for the Isabelline Shrike which had been around there for the past few weeks.

After a while at Brough there was no Isabelline Shrike so we went to a beach to look for some birds.

There we found twenty-two Ringed Plovers, ten Turnstones, a Curlew and two Redshanks, we then tucked into the food we got at the shop (which was very good).

After we had eaten our food we went to Skaw and all we found was a Blackcap so we headed back to the ferry and that was the end of our day.