End of season

 It's been a bit quieter as we wind down after a really successful year. Over 500 guests and we are still on 9.3 on booking.com!

We have done a bit of local birding, as the winter visitors are coming in and some migrants are passing through. There are also over 100 twite on the local patch

A bit of an aurora and a pretty sunset for our last of season guests.

Today, after guest breakfast, we headed to Unst as a Chestnut Bunting was seen Sunday evening, at Baltasound. It was still there. We had a problem with a ferry that didn't go, knocking out our onward to Unst , but we got there at lunchtime.it had been showing well on the path until we arrived!

It then took a while to be found again, but it was Jill that found it in a ruined barn.

It then bounced around and was then refound under trees in the old garden.

It was with a bonus bird, a red flanked blue tail

Just as we were thinking of heading out, the bunting showed again

What a smart bird.

About time!!

 Yesterday was set to be lovely and Rob wanted to head back so he could try and get some photos of the Grey cheeked thrush. 

We went via Sound first to see the Arctic Redpoll. It wasn't playing ball, but there were lots of the usual redpolls. It wasn't until Jill got home that she discovered she had taken one shot at a distance right as we were leaving!

We spotted one of Mr Stinky's friends too.

We went over to Quarff again, it was much quieter as most folk were leaving just as we got there. We were left with less than 10 of us. Mark and John were good company and we stood quietly and waited. The Thrush put on a really fab show.

Today we did some cleaning and made the most of the weather again. This time the Arctic Redpoll showed a little better.

Jill enjoyed watching the Starlings picking off fushia flowers.

On the way home we stopped at Tresta to look for the Golden Oriole that had been spotted, this was one of Jill's wants to photograph and finally she gog it.

It was a lovely session in the old garden.

Then we quickly checked Melby, and had a brief otter, and then came home, tired but happy.