Another amazing bird and only 2.9 miles from my house! Watched this stunning American Black Tern skimming over the loch in lovely sunshine along with several local birders. Another FIRST for Shetland in a matter of days!!! The tern then flew off the north end of the loch and over the sheep on the hill. Hugh decided and so did I that it might have headed to Strand Loch, but it wasn't there. I took a phone call, Hugh left and then I returned to Tingwall Loch to find no birders and no tern, so it had obviously departed. So glad I was able to see this after work before it disappeared. Too distant for my lens – you needed a much longer lens to get some good shots. It was always over the far side of the loch and never came closer. The photographs on-line with it perched beautifully on a wall were before I was able to get there. What an evening!
After an extremely busy day at work I returned my leaking walking boots to a shop in Lerwick and they refunded me with no issues. It was another gorgeous sunny day here, so I headed south to The Grutness Garden and had fabulous views of the Greenish Warbler, along with a couple of Willow Warblers, one Whitethroat, one Pied Wagtail and Gordon the cat! Whilst here, Garry Bagnell turned up, nice to have a quick catch up.
I then headed to Brow Marsh where I had fabulous views of the Pallid Harrier along with Hugh H., Jim N., Roger R. and another birder. On the way home I had a look for the other Pallid Harrier that has been seen around Levenwick, but no luck with that. So glad I made the effort to go out this evening, when I could have very easily gone home and fell asleep on the sofa. Arrived back at about 9pm and obviously had a late tea!
My Egyptian Nightjar photo from the first day, headlines BIRDGUIDES Review of the week, chuffed! Thank you very much indeed!
https://www.birdguides.com/articles/review-of-the-week/review-of-the-week-1-6-september-2026/
No sign of the Egyptian Nightjar first thing this morning or the rest of the day, which was heartbreaking for birders arriving by plane, ferry and local boats. I fear the worst very sadly – I would love to think that the Egyptian Nightjar has simply moved on, but the atrocious weather yesterday might have been too much for it and has possibly not survived. Today was the opposite to yesterday with wall to wall blue skies, sunshine and a glittering sea from the hospital windows at work. A total contrast, typical Shetland weather really I suppose! Northern Lights showing here this evening, but can't see them from my house.
What a MASSIVE start to Autumn birding! I didn't think anything would get bigger than the Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, how wrong was I and its only the beginning of September, bring it on! So glad I moved here! Huge congratulations again to finder Roger Riddington and for so conveniently finding this at the weekend and not when I was at work, perfect, thank you!
My birding gear was drying overnight and wasn't dry enough to put back in the car before going to work, so I was praying I wouldn't need it when I finished work. There was a Wryneck and a Greenish Warbler to see, which meant I would have had to divert home to get my gear, but I was far too tired to drive that far anyway. Did a quick food shop after work and returned home. Too exhausted to be looking through any more photos to select of the Egyptian Nightjar, but will do over the next few days. Phoned Ray and Vivien up this evening – its Ray's birthday today!
⚓ 😊 66 Today! 🎉 🎊 🎶🎵
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 blades of grass, so think I got away with it! 😉
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.
EGYPTIAN NIGHTJAR
Found by Roger Riddington in his garden at Virkie!
HUGE "CONGRATULATIONS" ROGER! 🎉
What a insane garden tick!!! Congratulations to Roger Riddington who found this sitting on his driveway. By the time I got there I had missed the short time it had been flying around and it had also gone missing for an hour. I initially watched it on a high wall of boulders behind a fence and field next to Roger's garden, it then moved a little closer and sat as you see it in the picture and behind one of those irritating wire fences and that's where I left it. It was completely unphased by sheep walking past it. You had to position yourself just right to get a photograph through the wires! What a bird, just WOW!!! There were a dozen birders left as I was leaving.
Had a terrible night's sleep. Took some TOIL this morning and only worked in the afternoon. Went to Tesco after work and put my complaint into the Deputy Manager who logged it for me but said I would be best to speak to the head office, so I will do this when I am able to, either after work tomorrow or on my day off on Friday. Still can't take in it what happened yesterday. Feeling very delicate today. Started doing the beginning of salt washes this evening and already fed up with eating soft food only.
Weather feels very Autumn like today, fairly strong winds and lots of rain and a mixture of sunshine.
Everything was normal at work today until lunchtime. I had some Cauldron Moroccan Falafels which I purchased from Tesco. I started to eat them and what felt like a piece of grit crunched into my tooth – a tooth that has had the same large filling in since I was a teenager (top left tooth, not in my smile thank goodness). The pain was immediate and raw. It was so painful I could hardly swallow. I couldn't drink or eat the pain was so intense. Managed to get an emergency appointment with my private dentist for 3.40pm. Note: I couldn't get an NHS dentist when I first moved here, so had no choice but to go private.
The result after an X-ray was that the tooth had a vertical crack right through to the nerve, no wonder if was such a raw pain! The choice was a root filling and crown and the emergency appointment totalling a whopping £1,600 or £290.75 for emergency appointment and tooth extraction. I had no choice but to opt for the cheaper option. After the extraction I sat in the surgery to wait for the required biting down on the dressing to form the clot for 15 minutes and then very slowly ambled back to my car and drove home. Feeling VERY sorry for myself. Lit the fire and sat on the sofa all evening to rest and fell asleep. The advice sheets states to rest as if you exercise etc it can raise your BP and make the wound site bleed.
I'm so angry with what's happened. I will be taking it further. I found the piece of grit, kept the packaging and receipt and will be contacting Tesco as soon as I feel a little better. Had to take paracetamol mid evening and taking some more shortly. On a positive note I'm hugely grateful to my dentist for fitting me in so quickly. The Family Dental Clinic is a first class service and my dentist who is a very kind person is called Stefan and was recommended to my by Hugh H. when I moved here. So looking forward to having to do all the salt washes and so on, huge fun, not! 😭😪
I was in Lerwick doing a big shop and afterwards tried to find my own birds but didn't find anything at all. The midges were out in force all day long from dawn until dusk. I can't cope with them, so returned home and got several essential jobs done indoors. It was torture just hanging the washing out, getting it in later and taking the rubbish out – can't wait for midge season to be over! 🙏
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