SHETLAND TRIP – DAY 20: Thousands of Redwings & Blackbirds!

 Sheep at Mossy Hill and St Ninian's Tombola

 

It rained all day, mostly. This morning I threw out and broke up a stale cheese brown roll and a couple of vege sausage rolls onto the lawn – it attracted the usual Starlings and House Sparrows, but I got a fantastic surprise of THREE Hooded Crows on the lawn too! Wow! They were camera shy though and flew off, the second I approached the window – all food cleared in approximately 10 minutes!

Starlings, House Sparrows & 3 Hooded Crows (flew off) on the lawn

 

I lit the fire in the middle of the day and it made the cottage really cosy. I spent the majority of the day editing photos and adding to all my posts, which are now almost complete. At 4.45pm the sun unexpectedly came out! I shot outside with my camera and binoculars and drove up to Mossy Hill, above Levenwick. This was probably one of the best highlights of my trip! Seriously! As I ascended the hill on the narrow, single track road/path, Redwings and Blackbirds were flitting about all over the place. Also saw a couple of Robins and some Meadow Pipits. When I reached the top, I branched right and then left, viewing St Ninian's Tombola on the horizon – what a view! It was bitterly cold up here! Not complaining, I like cold, but my goodness it cut through you!

Redwing on Mossy Hill

 

Blackbird on Mossy Hill

 

Mossy Hill and St Ninian's Tombola

 

Spiggie Beach

 

Now on the north side of the hill, it was bouncing with Redwings, thousands of them – feeding on the verges, in the burns, in the fields, everywhere! I have no idea what the exact numbers would of been, it was an incredible sight! I have never seen this many together at any time in my life! There were also loads of Blackbirds, but I would say the majority were Redwings. I was the only person here to witness this! Took some sunset and sheep pictures and then decided to continue driving, to see where I ended up. I could see Spiggie Beach when I got to the bottom of the hill, where I turned right, followed a fabulously scenic road alongside the sea and then found myself at Geosetter! Sat here for a while in the semi-dusk watching lots of Blackbirds and a few Redwings in the field alongside the road. Drove back home and continued editing pictures! The wind and rain is increasing this evening.

The Hume's Warbler remains in the garden at Boddam and news of a Greenish Warbler found late afternoon, came up on the RBA website at 5.23pm in the same garden! Forecast for tomorrow is 55mph winds, hail and showers! Friday is also windy, but more sun than rain, so going on a big drive north that day hopefully.