Sunday 28 February 2016

Last of the good weather

Being as today is forecast to be the last fine day for a while with more typical Shetland weather returning tomorrow, I thought I'd get out and just take a few pics of various bits around the patch. I did manage a year tick though in the form of a Woodcock - well there may have been 2, I had flushed a bird by the end of the road and 90 minutes or so later flushed it or another from by Sanblister beach. Cracking views of 2 Merlins at Stinky Geo as they tried to get at the Starlings that had sought sanctuary in there to avoid the attack.
Merlin
Oystercatchers
Purple Sandpipers
Rock Pipit
Early evening from the house

Saturday 27 February 2016

Ducks and Stuff

Shockingly the wind speed was only 3mph on Shetland today! Even though this made for easy birding, I still couldn't find a year tick on the patch. Apart from 23 Great Northern Divers, a Skylark and a Merlin, the patch seemed to be full of Ducks - 150 Long-tailed Duck, 5 Common Scoter, 1 Velvet Scoter, 10 Red-breasted Merganser and 29 Goldeneye were in West Voe, and 2 Shelduck, 2 Red-breasted Merganser, 45 Teal, 7 Tufted Ducks and 4 Goldeneye were on Loch of Gards.
Velvet Scoter
Goldeneye
Long-tailed Duck
Red-breasted Mergansers
Shelduck
Loch of Gards and Fitful Head
Sumburgh Head from Scatness

Wednesday 24 February 2016

No change

Back out on the patch after a fortnight, and virtually no change apart from some snow! The Velvet Scoter and 5 Common Scoters are still in West Voe with the Long-tailed Ducks and the Robin is still around Colonial Place.
Long-tailed Duck
Robin
Quendale Bay and Fitful Head
Looking towards Toab
West Voe and Compass Head

Wednesday 17 February 2016

1066 - Back to the old patch

Have been back south for the last week, and while I was there I visited the old patch a couple of times. Moore NR seems to have become even more popular with visitors than it was when I left in 2002 and even more birdless - coincidence? Anyway the highlights were a couple of Yellow-legged Gulls on Birchwood Pool, a leucistic Black-headed Gull on Pumphouse Pool, Kingfishers around the Eastern Reedbed and Lesser Spotted Woodpecker singing in Lapwing Lane Alder Woods. And the post title? This is my 1066th post - and nothing to do with any battles on the south coast.
Kingfisher
Leucistic Black-headed Gull
Canadian Water Pig
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Jay
Pheasant
Pochard
Lapwing Lane alder woods
Birchwood Pool
Eastern Reedbed
Feeding Station
Lapwing Lane
Lapwing Lane Pool
Pumphouse Pool

Tuesday 9 February 2016

Glauc

2w Glaucous Gull on the patch today, the only other thing of note was the first Skylark of the year.
Glaucous Gull
Great Black-backed Gull - presumably a victim of storm Henry
The view from the garden

Saturday 6 February 2016

Typical 2nd winter Common Gulls

A few shots of more typical 2w Common Gulls as a comparison to the bird seen on 30/1/16.