Yesterday, two remarkable birds were found in Shetland, prompting me to make plans with Dan Pointon to go birding. The birds were a Siberian thrush on Unst and a Yellow-breasted bunting on the Outer Skerries. Originally, I wasn't scheduled to visit Shetland until September 30th with Dan. Still, given the favourable long-range weather forecast and the opportunity to see these rare birds, we changed our plans.
I altered my outbound flight from Aberdeen and flew from Manchester the following morning. However, upon arrival at 7:20 AM, I discovered that my plane had been sitting on the runway all night and required refuelling. The rest of the story is too lengthy to explain in detail, but ultimately, I missed my flight from Aberdeen and faced a three-hour wait for the next connection. This delay meant I also missed the charter boat with Dan for the Yellow-breasted bunting from Vidlin. I was absolutely gutted!
I finally reached Shetland just after 2:00 PM, rented a car, and headed straight for Unst to try to see the Siberian thrush. Unfortunately, I learned that the bird had already left, but since I was staying with my good friend Allan Conlin, I decided to visit the location where this Siberian rarity had been found.
My ferry from Toft to Yell
After taking two ferries, I arrived on Unst and quickly made my way to the location where the Siberian thrush had been spotted. Unfortunately, there was no sign of it. I wasn't surprised, as these birds typically only stay for a day, but I knew I had to give it a try. While I was at the site, I did spot my first Yellow-browed warbler of the year, and as I walked down the road, I encountered another four.
Yellow-browed Warbler
The evening was spent with Allan and Eddie Williams having a few beers before I took to my bed for an early night, as the Yellow-breasted bunting was still on the Outer Skerries. Fingers crossed for tomorrow!