Never seen a Wryneck before, the markings on it and the texture of the feathers are amazing 
Photographs don’t do them justice, that cryptic plumage is remarkable.
I keep getting asked what this is supposed to be…
Any ideas? It has stood in an unused fireplace for about 15 years. Unidentifiably bad?
A carving
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Even better, high pressure over Western Europe and the North Sea (coupled with that wind direction) are, more or less, perfect conditions for migration.
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It transpires that it is the same bird (BTO ring number: EW49102) that I’ve recorded here for 4 yrs now. It seems to have “lost” one of the original colour rings which is why I didn’t recognise it. First ringed on Fetlar in 2010 as an adult female on the nest, it has been recorded wintering in Guinea Bissau - that’s a bare minimum of 112,000 miles of migratory flights alone. Incredible!
Fewer migrants evident today with a scattering of Blackcaps and a single Lesser Whitethroat (in my garden) However, a male Red-breasted Merganser was fun to watch, displaying in front of a female.
A male Eider was also displaying to a member of the opposite sex, close by.
I did see my first Arctic Skua of the year, a dark phase bird. There will no doubt be more in the coming days.
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That’s a great pic 
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Flushed a male Nightjar from Leagarth gardens today.
Unable to relocate it in the next couple of hours. Went back at 9pm in case it was still in the area and possibly feeding on the wing. Gave it an hour but in the very misty conditions, didn’t manage to reconnect. Patch gold!
Earliest record for Shetland (by one day!) if you discount an extremely questionable record from Fair Isle on 12th April 1949
No pics, obviously.
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First Tirrick (Arctic Tern) of the year today.
Our breeding Twite numbers seem to be holding up very well.
Snipe are simply everywhere. I don’t think they’ve tried to estimate their numbers for some decades but there must be high hundreds of pairs on Fetlar alone.
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Love the Tirrick pic
Getting obsessed with trying to photograph the Swallows at the local stables on my phone. Would watch them swooping about all day
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Red-throated Divers are back on territory and (mostly) paired up.
Always good to see them.
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Lots of Herons along the Kennet & Avon this weekend, usually moving in stages ahead of or behind the boat but sometimes just waiting as we passed. They look like Pterodactyls once they take wing.
Couldn’t believe how tiny these Moorhen chicks were.nor how diligent the mother was in keeping them all fed with what looked like white blossom petals.
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The wife is in Newfoundland and caught this on a stroll close to the hotel
Seemingly a bald eagle nest
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Quite the day here!
First I re-found the Nightjar (assuming it’s the same one) at The Manse. Flushed it again but eventually found it in deep cover and managed what, I think, is one of my better pics. Not so much technically but you almost never see these birds in daylight so it’s special, to me anyway.
Made up with seeing that I then found a male Red-backed Shrike. Not many better looking than this!
After going for a second helping of Nightjar, this evening (couldn’t resist!) I found my first Red-necked Phalarope (female) of the spring, albeit distant so I only managed a record shot.
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Clear conditions last night resulted in most of the migrants moving on although a Garden Warbler remained and was enjoying the late evening sunlight.
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