EGYPTIAN NIGHTJAR – Day Two! Beach At Eastshore, Virkie!

 

EGYPTIAN NIGHTJAR
Early morning amongst the boulders along Eastshore Road, Virkie

 

Sheltering from the rain under a large boulder

 

After hardly any sleep I was the third person to arrive early morning, I was seconds behind Rebecca! It was nice to share lovely views of this incredible bird with Rebecca and Roger. Raining all day and at times extremely heavy. A few glimpses of brightness in the evening. After taking far too many photographs again this morning, I then left to drive to the Grutness Pool, where there were a couple of Dunlins and two Shelducks. Had late breakfast and a snooze – I felt exhausted.

Went to the airport as did a few other Shetland birders to pick up birders arriving from south. I collected Steve G. and dropped him off on site. I sat in the car for a while and not long after I dropped Steve off, Ashley Banwell turned up (who I had offered a lift to, but he had a hire car). It was raining fairly heavily and I was still drying the camera out from earlier on, so I left and went to Brow Marsh and Spiggie and tried to find the Pallid Harriers, but no luck. Drove along the Noss Road and in a stubble field with round hay bales there were tons of Starlings, Rock Doves, House Sparrows and good numbers of Meadow Pipits along the fence lines, it was a busy scene, but didn't find anything more exciting.

Went to the Geosetter Burn and had lunch, then walked up to the top of the burn and found nothing but a single Starling. Headed back south and drove around Boddam – even more scary driving round there in rainy gloomy conditions, you never know who or what might appear! I didn't run over any grass blades, so think I got away with it! 😉

Birders in the rain at Virkie

 

 

Returned to the pull-in area at Virkie. It was good to see more birders arriving to see the magnificent Egyptian Nightjar. Norfolk birder Mike Edgecombe had also arrived on scene and the crowd was a little larger than earlier on. Still atrocious conditions. Much later on I finally got out of the car when the rain had stopped and joined others to watch the Egyptian Nightjar in the last throws of light. I became so cold I had to leave before it flew to roost and the main reason for that is because the new walking boots (fabric type) I bought from Lerwick a few weeks ago leaked from the offset when I wore them for the first time today, so my socks were soaked all day, which wasn't fun at all – they won't be worn again. Its that time of year when you need your wellies on I think! What a weekend! Back to work tomorrow and the weather looks a whole lot better than today. I hope birders arriving in the morning have some cracking views in the forecast sunny weather!

I don't have the energy to look through another 400+ photos again, so quickly decided the one above would do, I may have sharper, I may not, but will look tomorrow night.