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Over the last few days I have continued to do some vis-migging from the mammoth viewpoint at Watermead CP. The highlights have included a Soar valley tick in the form of a Rock Pipit noted flying over the viewpoint on the 27th, with good numbers of Starlings (1411 birds) and two late Swallows seen  on the same day. Today highlights from the mammoth with John Hague in tow included an impressive movement of Wood Pigeons (727 birds) down the valley in the first hour and more Starlings (795 birds) over the two hour watch. Full details of the watches are here: http://www.trektellen.nl/trektelling.asp?telpost=810&site=0&land=5&taal=2&datum=20101027 and  http://www.trektellen.nl/trektelling.asp?telpost=810&site=0&land=5&taal=2&datum=20101030

Taken from Euro spotters and Surfbirdspotters tonight: "just two new species have occurred in Britain and   Ireland" EASTERN YELLOW WAGTAIL (at Pelistry, St Mary's, Scilly - KEV et al) SCANDINAVIAN ARCTIC REDPOLL (a first-winter on Shetland) Can you tell what the FooK are the above birds? As I thought there were just a YELLOW WAGTAIL!? and an ARCTIC REDPOLL!?! Fooking bird spotters!!

Taken from Birdspotters forum: A great quote about an unidentified seabird!!! An intriguing report, which might be summed up as "Bird sp, almost certainly rare".

On Wednesday and Thursday this week I was once again on the Mammoth viewpoint for a bit of vis-migging. The outstanding highlight of these two days was the passage of Fieldfares down the Soar Valley. On the Wednesday 2291 Fieldfares passed down the valley between 9.00am and 11.45am, and then the next day another 1760 birds passed through between 8.30am and 11.30am. Other highlights on the two days included a skein of 120 Pink-footed Geese flying over Leicester on the Wednesday and a notable movement of Finch species through the valley on the Thursday which included at least three Bramblings! The full account of what was seen over the two days is logged at the trektellen website here: http://www.trektellen.nl/trektelling.asp?telpost=810&site=0&land=5&taal=2&datum=20101020 and here:  http://www.trektellen.nl/trektelling.asp?telpost=810&site=0&land=5&taal=2&datum=20101021

Ring Ouzel at Bardon Hill Brambling at Wanlip North Well with a week off from work I have been down the local patch on most days, Vis-migging from the mammoth, a trip to seaside to find migrants (Gib Point NNR) and finding a few local "Scarces". 10th October: Highlights of the day included a good passage of Redwings (835 birds) and Skylarks (108 birds) over the mammoth in the morning and seeing a Little Egret in the afternoon on the wildfowl count at Watermead CP North/Birstall. Full Details are here: http://www.trektellen.nl/trektelling.asp?telpost=810&site=0&land=5&taal=2&datum=20101010 11th October: A trip to Gibraltar Point NNR today, was actually a little bit poor really. On the migrants front I saw quite a few common migrants but the only birds of note I found were a couple of Ring Ouzels in the east dunes! 12th October: A little bit quieter over the mammoth today, but I did have a Soar Valley year tick in the form of a migrating Brambling ! ...

Here is a few photos I took last week on Shetland: Sumburgh Head from the Pool of Virkie, Marsh Warbler at Levenwick and a Siskin at Sumburgh Quarry.

Here is a couple of more shots of the Lancy and the Twitch!

Taken from the world famous Bus Shelter on Unst, here is the new caption competition! Comments are welcome:

Well on our final full day in Shetland we started by doing a bit of vis-migging in the garden of Melstadr and then the phone rang to let us know that the Lanceolated Warbler was still at Skaw on Unst. So the wacky races began as it was a lifer for all of the drunkbirders! After catching two ferries to Unst via Yell we were on site by early afternoon. Initial the bird didn't show but after a couple of minutes and me changing my shoes the bird showed fantastical well as it crept along the field edge like a mouse!! As the bird disappeared back into the long grass, it was high fives all round with the other birders and then a steady drive back to Lerwick for the ferry in the evening.

Taken from Euro twitch and Surfbirds tonight: I THINK SOMETHING IS MISSING MR LGREGOS!!?! It has been SHETLAND which has been making all of the headlines in the past   week and with up to 160 observers scouring every nook and cranny of   suitable habitat in search of rarities, an impressive haul has been unearthed.   The star of the show still remains that snowball of a first-winter   HORNEMANN'S ARCTIC REDPOLL on Unst at Norwick, whilst an AMERICAN BUFF-BELLIED PIPIT   remains at Esha Ness and a presumed SYKES'S BOOTED WARBLER is still being   fleetingly glimpsed at Channerwick. The Out Skerries continue to host both a   BLACK-HEADED BUNTING and a CITRINE WAGTAIL, with the two juvenile   BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS still by the lighthouse at Esha Ness machair and at least   two LITTLE BUNTINGS remaining on Unst. Elsewhere, a scattering of   Yellow-browed Warblers, Barred Warblers, Lapland Buntings and Common Rosefinches. So what's th...

The Swainson's Thrush Twitch Well sorry for any updates recently but the house in Shetland does not have any WiFi!! So basically what we have seen has included some Yellow-browed Warblers,a Marsh Warbler,good number of Autumn migrants like Bramblings, Siskins and Redstarts. However the highlight of the trip so far was us finding a Swainson’s Thrush at Levenwick Quarry!!!