Wester Quarff, Hoswick and Dash to West Burra!

Minn Beach and Kettla Ness Headland

 

SATURDAY 10th JUNE

A stunning day here in Shetland. In Norfolk, temperatures reached 'sticky hot', but it was a wonderful cool south easterley breeze here in the sunshine, thank goodness I escaped in time!

I spent the morning at Wester Quarff and tried my best to find something exciting. It was so beautiful here and as I was standing watching Swallows skimming over a flower meadow, it felt like a Bee-eater kind of day and indeed later on it was! So many beautiful wild flowers on show and also in people's gardens. Spectacular and tranquil scenery. At the voe at the furthest end, I watched Eiders and Arctic Terns and Gulls were chilling at the eastern most end.

Went to MacKenzies Farm Shop for lunch, to discover that the cafe has closed!!! The shop itself is still running. Headed to Hoswick Visitor Centre for lunch and had lentil soup with bannock, lemon cake and cup of tea. Suddenly..... MEGA news broke on the WhatsApp Rare Birds in Shetland at 13.14 of a BLUE-CHEEKED BEE-EATER on Foula and supplemented with a jaw dropping picture!!!!! I had no idea what to do next, except that I needed to do something fast. Phoned a couple of people for advice and long and short of it was that there were no more flights from Tingwall Airport today and they don't run on Sunday's, so the next flights would not be until Monday (I'm at work, so stuffed). Day trips by boat from West Burra are run daily, dependent on weather conditions from Shetland Sea Adventures. I headed to West Burra and joined Jill and Rob doing the same thing. We chatted to the skipper of the boat, who was working in the shop about getting over there. He told us that the sea was going to be very rough tomorrow and he could take us out, but quote "we would be begging to return as soon as the journey started" it would be that rough! So, next opportunity out would be Monday, again no good for me! Heartbreaking was an understatement.

But, there was no news of the Blue-cheeked Bee-eater after 2.23pm. Was it simply somewhere else on the island and not re-found? There are only eight people living on Foula I was told. Or, is it heading to mainland Shetland?!!! Tomorrow could be, just could be my luckiest day EVER?!

Write up in the Shetland Times HERE

Whilst I was here, I decided to go and have a tour round East Burra, which I have never explored on previous visits. Wheatears, Twite x 1, Blackbird, Starlings, House Sparrows, Hooded Crows and a Red-throated Diver seen in various spots and fascinating to see a different area. Headed to West Burra and on route I stopped by the Easthouse Croft and sat at the picnic table here for a while, with a cheese tattie scone and a coffee. It was chilly now, but still glorious sunshine. Watched a Bonxie fly close past me, when I had left the camera in the car! Arctic Terns, Fulmars over the voe, Ringed Plovers on the beach and a Blackbird singing its heart out close by. So beautiful here, as everywhere is in Shetland.

I ended the day at Minn Beach – a sand tombolo that leads to Kettla Ness headland and presumed I would bump into the famous cat called Buttons (see Facebook page here), who lives outside in the Summer months and greets visitors ambling along the beach and then returns to his owners and home for the Winter! But, very sadly no sign of Buttons?! It was stunning here, truly spectacular light and only two people on the beach and two elderly ladies enjoying an evening walk along the tombola, who remarked as I passed them "its a fresh evening". Lots of sheep and lambs everywhere, Starlings, Oystercatchers and Ringed Plovers on the beach. I walked to the end of the tombola and then walked right along the headland until I reached a geo that was particularly windy, so decided not to get too close to the edge! I flushed a small LBJ here, which I frustratingly couldn't relocate. Meandered back to my car and left here at 10pm – arrived home, still daylight at 10.30pm!

PICTURES TO BE ADDED