Rare Bird Alert News
MAINLAND
Iceland Gull at Loch of Hillwell.
Iceland Gull at Shetland Catch, Lerwick.
Red-necked Grebe at Pool of Virkie.
ISLANDS
No news.
Thursday, 19 March 2026
Wednesday, 18 March 2026
SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!
Rare Bird Alert News
MAINLAND
Beautiful sunny day. Robin in the garden along with the usual House Sparrows, Starlings and Collared Doves.
No news.
ISLANDS
Iceland Gull at Ulsta, Yell.
Tuesday, 17 March 2026
SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!
Rare Bird Alert News
MAINLAND
None.
ISLANDS
Iceland Gull at Mid Yell, Yell.
Long-eared Owl at Norwick, Unst.
Strong winds and rain here all day. Feels a little warmer, it was certainly hot in the hospital today.
Monday, 16 March 2026
SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!
Rare Bird Alert News
MAINLAND
American Wigeon ad. drk at Setter, Loch of Spiggie.
ISLANDS
Russian White-fronted Goose on Isle of Whalsay.
Sunday, 15 March 2026
SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!
Rare Bird Alert News
Rain this morning and sunshine later on. Lots of House Sparrows, one Robin, Starlings and Collared Doves in the garden. Busy at home doing lots of essential jobs.
🌸 🌷 🌹 🌼 🌺 🌻
Sending love to my dear mother
on Mother's Day
Thinking of you today 💞 x x x
Saturday, 14 March 2026
SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!
Rare Bird Alert News
MAINLAND
TENGMALM'S OWL NO SIGN TODAY, in garden at Ollaberry.
ISLANDS
Bonaparte's Gull ad. at Easter Loch, Tundra Bean Geese x 2 by Galley Shed, Uyeasound, Unst.
Gorgeous day here, sunshine, little wind and no rain. The forecast is the opposite for tomorrow! Such a pity the Tengmalm's Owl didn't stay a little bit longer – where has it moved to now I wonder?! Thank goodness I don't work on Friday's! 😊
Friday, 13 March 2026
MEGA! TENGMALM'S OWL At Ollaberry!
TENGMALM'S OWL
Ollaberry, Shetland
Male Chaffinch and Robin in the garden this morning. I was doing some jobs around the house and heard a text, which I guessed was from Lucy and then another message bleeped. It was another half an hour before I got round to checking the phone and wished I had looked at the time, when I saw that there was a TENGMALM'S OWL to go and see at Ollaberry – on the WhatsApp Rare Bird News at 14.51!! OMG!
It was discovered yesterday in a garden by Ewen & Kit Mowat. Hugh Harrop and Logan Johnson decided to try and relocate it and after a bit of searching they found it today! The owners kindly agreed for the news to be released on condition that birders only park at the pier and walk back to the road to view and not to approach the garden, so that the owl is not disturbed. See Hugh's fabulous picture HERE.
Ollaberry is a good 50 minutes drive from mine, but at least it was on the mainland. Hugh kindly waited for me to arrive so he could show me the Tengmalm's Owl through his scope, as it would have been very difficult to find if no one else had been here.
I was quite emotional when I first set eyes on this fabulous bird as I remembered reading about the Tresta bird when I lived in Norfolk and how fabulous it would be to see one of these. The Tengmalm's Owl was perched on a branch, just above a stone wall and was mostly obscured by branches and was sitting with its back to us. Only on the odd occassion did it turn sideways and certainly wasn't facing forwards whilst I was there. Ann Elison got some cracking shots of it facing forwards and she obviously had arrived on site before I got there. My efforts are below, no prizes for these shots, but best I could get. It was wickedly cold and I hadn't dressed properly when I left the house. I was the last to leave at 5pm. I sat in my car by the pier for a while to warm up and then left. The weather was dire now with rain and hail. On route home I stopped at Frankies fish n chip shop at Brae, but the queue was too long for me to bother to wait, so grabbed at pizza from the Scalloway shop for my tea. I took 350 shots and most were pure rubbish and these are not much better! 😂
Having a preen
As you can see it was difficult to photograph!
A VERY LUCKY FRIDAY 13TH!
Huge thanks to the owners and all involved with allowing
birders to see this insanely awesome Tengmalm's Owl.
birders to see this insanely awesome Tengmalm's Owl.
So lovely to watch this with only four other birders:
Hugh Harrop, Anne Ellison, Adrian Kettle and Logan Johnson!
Magical Shetland!
Eight years ago to the day I saw my first Snowy Owl at Snettisham RSPB. Here is a video I took and link to my blog post HERE.
SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!
Rare Bird Alert News
MAINLAND
Iceland Gull at Sullom Voe.
TENGMALM'S OWL in garden for second day (no access to garden, view from bottom of road, park at the pier) at Ollaberry.
ISLANDS
No news.
SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!
Thursday 12th March
Rare Bird Alert News
MAINLAND
Iceland Gull at Toft.
Slavonian Grebes x 2 at Loch of Spiggie.
Russian White-fronted Goose at Bakkasetter.
Russian White-fronted Geese x 9 at Tingwall.
ISLANDS
No news.
Wednesday, 11 March 2026
SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!
Rare Bird Alert News
MAINLAND
No news.
ISLANDS
No news.
Strong winds and lashing rain. Daffodils will be out in bloom soon. Made the mistake of getting hooked on the new series of Married at First Sight Australia – its hugely entertaining! Good to see the Black-winged Kite has re-surfaced at Ludham in Norfolk again.
Very sad news recently to hear that Norwich birder and artist Clive Byers passed away on 4th March. I recall him joining Eddie and I for lunch in the marquee at The Rutland Bird Fair once, where he entertained us with fascinating stories and talked about watching "thousands upon thousands of Pallid Swifts" on one of his trips. Clive lived in Shetland for a few years. A brilliant artist – I have two copies (one is signed and was my mother's) of "A Guide to The Warblers of the Western Palaearctic" by Tim Parmenter and illustrated exquisitely by Clive. Rest in peace 🕊
SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!
Tuesday 10th March
Rare Bird Alert News
MAINLAND
Northern Bullfinches x 3 (1 male) at South Road, Lerwick.
ISLANDS
No news.
50mph winds back again and disruption to passenger and freight ferries.
Monday, 9 March 2026
SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!
Rare Bird Alert News
MAINLAND
Black-throated Diver at Boatsroom Voe, Lunna.
ISLANDS
No news.
Sunday, 8 March 2026
SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!
Rare Bird Alert News
MAINLAND
A lovely sunny day, but still chilly. Put in some willow cuttings and trimmed more things in the garden. For the first time since I have been here I had two Robins together by the feeders! They must be a pair otherwise they would have been scrapping!
American Wigeon ad. drk at Setter Marsh, Loch of Spiggie.
ISLANDS
Blue Fulmar at Burrafirth, Unst.
Last night I was reading through one of my mother's nature diaries for 1956 – she was aged 16 – she was a naturalist and birder long before she met my father. On the front of the diary it reads "Notes taken when only had Observer Book of Birds for reference! My first ever rare bird was a male Cirl Bunting in south Norfolk on 8th May 1956 + notes from half a year spent in County Mayo when had to work 6.5 days a week in Westport Hotel. Garganey regular at Hardley Flood. March 12th every year – 8 usually (1950's)."
When I open to the first page it reads "Cirl Bunting 13th Norfolk record, but not substantiated at the time. Cock bird seen sitting on barbed wire fence near overgrown sand pit in Reedham Ferry Road". My mother lived and was brought up in Heckingham and her main birding patch was Hardley Flood. Her diaries are utterly fascinating and I'm intending to scan them all in, as don't want these to be lost after I depart this earth. There are several postcards from Michael Seago to my mother requesting her bird records for the year and very interesting discussions on birds she had seen. My mother talks about watching Red Squirrels, Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers and Hawfinches in Stockton Woods.
SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!
Saturday 7th March
Rare Bird Alert News
MAINLAND
Another beautiful sunny day here. Spent the day down south and started off at the Bigton Bakery at Hymus, which was jam packed with folk enjoying coffee and very little left. I got lucky and managed to get a loaf of sour dough bread, the last 2 cheese twists and last cinnamon bun.
Northern Bullfinches x 5 (3 males) at Burn of Sound, Lerwick.
American Wigeon ad. drk on east side of Loch of Spiggie.
ISLANDS
Kumlien's Gull or Thayer's Gull 3w still at Easter Loch, Tundra Bean Geese x 2 at Uyeasound, Unst.
Geosetter Burn – flushed a Sparrowhawk and a Woodcock at the very far end of the burn up the hill, which was a lovely surprise and there was also one Blackbird. Retraced my steps and went to Hoswick for an amble to the beach and found a lovely piece of driftwood. Returned to my car and then walked to the Clifftop garden which held a couple of Collared Doves and a Blackbird. Found a single celandine and a fabulous bunch of orange crocuses growing on the clifftop! There was a Goldeneye and a Guillemot on the sea – found another piece of driftwood here on the stones by the water's edge. At The Orca Inn there was one Blackbird foraging under the trees. Lots of crocuses and snowdrops along verges and gardens.
Had lunch at The Hoswick Visitor Centre. I have not been here for ages and there is an improved menu since I last came. I had a scrumptious brie and cranberry panini (with salad garnish and the best salad dressing I've every tasted along with a mug of tea. Bought presents for Lucy and Vivien and a 'seascape' (turquoise shades) lambswool headband for me, made in Shetland by a local artist.
It was the perfect day for driving up to Mossy Hill – fabulous views of St Ninian's up here, only found two Hooded Crows though – the road descends to Scousburgh and I then headed to Loch of Spiggie. From the small car parking area by Little Spiggie beach I counted 27 Ringed Plovers on the loch, which were beautiful to watch in the afternoon sun along with 4 Snipe, 1 Goldeneye and all the usual Redshanks, Oystercatchers, Lapwings, Goldeneye, Tufted Ducks, Teal, Mallard, Whooper Swans and Greylag Geese. Not far from the pull in area for viewing Setter Marsh I notice a flock of birds land on the marsh on the other side of the loch – they were far too distance to identify with bins and my first thoughts were Golden Plover, so got the scope set up and to my delight discovered they were a large flock of Fieldfares! I counted 64 in the end! All happily feeding amongst the Starlings. Another birder earlier had had 18 Barnacle Geese, but I couldn't find these anywhere.
Sumburgh Head was exhilarating! Too early for Puffins yet, but fabulous to see Fulmars swirling round the cliffs and many paired up in their chosen nesting spots and tons of Guillemots on the cliffs and stacks. There was a Blackbird in the roses. Took some scenic pictures and then cruised home as the sun was setting. Last stop at West Voe beach were there lots of Long-tailed Ducks, but I didn't count them. Northern Lights showing well this evening.
PICTURES TO BE ADDED.
Friday, 6 March 2026
SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!
Rare Bird Alert News
MAINLAND
Russian White-fronted Geese x 19 at Tingwall.
Waxwing at Lerwick Lanes, Lerwick.
ISLANDS
No news.
Gorgeous weather here today, but still chilly. Brambling and Robin in the garden.
Thursday, 5 March 2026
SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!
Rare Bird Alert News
MAINLAND
Iceland Gulls (both ads) x 2, Glaucous Gull ad. at Loch of Clumlie, north of Boddam.
ISLANDS
No news.
Wednesday, 4 March 2026
Tuesday, 3 March 2026
SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!
Rare Bird Alert News
MAINLAND
Northern Bullfinches x 3 (2 males) at Burn of Sound, Lerwick.
ISLANDS
Bonaparte's Gull just east of eastern salmon cage at Uyeasound, Unst..
The last two evenings after work have been spent sorting stuff to do with the car. Took my Summer tyres (were on the car when I bought it) to the garage to get checked over – two are not brilliant so have ordered two Michelin CrossClimate 2 all weather tyres. Will be swopping the Winter tyres over in a short while. Booked the MOT and Service in April, tax due at end of March – expensive month. I will eventually change over to all weather tyres, as cheaper than swopping back and forth in Spring and Summer.
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