Got up at first light and quickly got to Ham after a thrash round turned up nowt two of the three of us that hadn't seen the Veery were trudging round dejected after missing the best bird of the trip whilst having endured so much shite weather. We were talking to Frenchy and Kev Shepherd when a bird just materialised on a gate next to the pumping station right in front of us, it was class you could hear the cogs turning as we took in the brightness of the upperparts and then in unison we all remarked variations on 'shit its there!'. The bird performed amazingly showing down to a few feet at times, at one point we were a bit worried as it sat in a ditch for 15 mins as it struggled to swallow a worm 3 times its length and at times appeared to be choking on it! The Pechora also showed a couple of times as usual sitting in the road when it flew out of the irises. A crew arrived from Shetland on a charter boat at half eightish and all managed to score both birds plus the Buff bellied Pipit. When we got to the plane a couple of foreign west pal listers were getting off, at first we thought they'd come from France but it turns out they were already in Shetland!
When we got back to mainland Shetland news came through of a second Veery on Whalsay, unbelievable. Also new in were Pechoras at Virkie and on Whalsay so it looked like game on for trying to find new stuff.
Frenchy, Janne and Hanna went south to the Sumburgh area whilst Gav, Paul and I went to try connect with the ferry to Fetlar for the Taiga Fly (found but slightly overlooked by my mate The F). After a swift journey durung which Mr Eele was nearly sick we realsied the connections didn't work out so we backtracked to Voe for the Blyth's Reed, got pretty good views and a few pics.
Seems strange how these birds really are id'able in the field these days after being nearly mythical not too long ago. After this we were fired for finding something so tried Vidlin in vain meanwhile Janne found a Short-toed Lark at Sumburgh farm which Frenchy tried to poach!
The night was rounded off by a cracking curry with The F and Vaila, then gav and me getting elephants trunk!
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