SHETLAND TRIP – DAY 7: Rain!

View from the cottage this morning at Levenwick

 

Rain all day and poor visibility, so I caught up with photos on the blog since my trip began and added all my iphone pics. We have been spoilt with sunshine and blue skies over the last few days, I knew it wouldn't last long! Nothing exciting to share with you today and no dramas either, sorry!

I absolutely love watching the Starlings and House Sparrows feeding on the lawn here, they hoover things up incredibly quickly. I crumbled up some stale bread and scattered it on the lawn and Starlings appeared within seconds and the bread was gone within seconds!

You can hear the wind constantly whistling down the chimney, I love it! The peace here is just wonderful, no barking dogs, no voices, no nothing, just the odd passing car. This is my third stay here in Shetland and I fall in love with it more each time.

Still raining this afternoon at Levenwick!

 

I dragged myself out in the late afternoon, even though it was still raining and headed south for a short drive. Stopped at Boddham and watched Mallards, Redshanks and a Heron in the harbour. No sign of any Otters sadly. Drove around Exnaboe and then onto Virkie. I don't know if the Semipalmated Sandpiper is still around or not, but it looked so grey on the Virkie pool, it could well have been there somewhere! Heron, Redshanks, Bar-tailed Godwits, Oystercatchers, Common Gull, Herring Gulls, Dunlin, Cormorant seen with bins, couldn't be bothered to get the scope out in the rain! I flushed two LBJ's out of the willow clump at the end by the main road and they nipped over into someone's garden – I went to investigate, but whatever they were, stayed hunkered down – could have been a couple of Rustic Buntings maybe?😉.

The Virkie Pool

 

Some birders leaving Shetland maybe?

 

Sumburgh House Hotel, Farm and the airport from the road to Sumburgh Head

 

Went to have a look in both the quarries at Sumburgh Head, but not a single bird seen, apart from a Fulmar floating by in the wind. A Wheatear was seen on the way back. I tried in vain to find the place where people park and walk to see the Shorelarks at Scatness – I will have to seek directions from someone. Returned home and cooked tea. The wind is singing to me down the chimney!