Friday, 25 September 2026
Thursday, 24 September 2026
SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!
Late yesterday I went to try and see the Western Bonelli's Warbler at Glover Lodges and failed, which was nobody's fault but my own, which I regret very much indeed. Sadly not seen there this morning either. Started today checking for birds in Scalloway. Walked to the end of my road and chatted with Marcus L. who has just moved back here permanently (long story) along with his wife – they live a couple of houses away from me and moved here from Norfolk originally. One of my lovely neighbours Gwen was doing some gardening. In the burn along the road I could only find House Sparrows and a couple of Blackbirds. Checked out the Sunken Garden next to Lover's Lane and found nothing.
Tingwall Loch
Went to Tingwall Loch for another look at the American Black Tern by the boathouse. So lovely to bump in to Dave and Jacquie Bridges and their friend Graham from Norfolk who arrived here last night for their yearly visit for a few weeks. Also Dave Fairhurst here, Anne and a few other birders. It was glorious sunshine this morning and the ABT was showing fabulously and put on a very close display in front of us for a while! Managed to get slightly better shots than my last visit, but for some reason I'm not mastering flight photography since I had this camera. I was fine with my Canon 7D Mark II and 300mm prime lens. I really need to get the bottom of this – I can't seem to get on with the animal tracker mode either. Anyway, after this I had to return home as I received a call from Robertsons (electrical goods shop) in Lerwick to come and look at my 'frost free' freezer I purchased from them last September which doesn't seem to be frost free! This took an hour out of my plans. My receipt says frost free but the electrician didn't think it was and said he would discuss with the manager etc and they would get back to me. I reported this issue to them yesterday when I was in the shop to look at a new oven and cooker hood. I have only used my airfryer and the hob since I have lived here as the oven didn't look in a good state and when I fully investigated the cooker hood I was horrified with the poor state it was in behind the metal cover – I won't go into the gory details but it needs to go the dump.
Left the house again and went to Gulberwick. Parked up by the kirk and walked along the track to Wick House and the Burn of Wick – found nothing at all. Left here and headed south when news of a Citrine Wagtail came up on the pager that Roger R. had found at Quendale which "came up from the burn just below the road". When I arrived there were no other birders there at all. Spent a while searching and then walked along the burn towards the dam and back again. Chatted to a couple of birders who turned up and we couldn't find it. More birders turned up and a young man called James refound it along the road past the barns and viewed very distantly by farm machinery. I only saw it once and the 50mph winds were now in full force and I didn't even get a rubbish shot, but glad I saw it. A huge Heatherlea tour group turned up and I think several of them got to see it through a scope, but it wasn't good viewing conditions at all.
Returned to my car and went to Grutness so I could use the loo – two notices on the door saying the toilet was out of action – great! The vast area of concrete here looks so depressing. Its not fully clear where you are supposed to leave your car if you were heading across to Fair Isle, but I suppose the ferry crew would let you know. Checked out the Grutness garden in the now gloom, fading light and light rain – only found House Sparrows. Returned home. Robertsons are coming out at 9am to look at my old cooker hood to give me a quote for a new one, but I have my sandwiches etc done for the day, so I can go straight out after that. The weather looks much nicer tomorrow and no strong winds forecast.
Wednesday, 23 September 2026
SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!
Tuesday, 22 September 2026
SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!
Monday, 21 September 2026
SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!
Sunday, 20 September 2026
SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!
Saturday, 19 September 2026
SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!
Friday, 18 September 2026
SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!
RBA Weekly Round-Up 11th to 17th September!
Thursday, 17 September 2026
SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!
Wednesday, 16 September 2026
SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!
Tuesday, 15 September 2026
SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!
Raining all day again. After work I tried to find my own YBW locally and checked out Burn of Njugalswater at Bridge of Fitch, but not a single bird seen there or in the large sunken garden in Scalloway. Parked up in my driveway to discover some selfish git allowed their dog to crap right in front of my large wooden rubbish box on the small concrete area, right where you have to stand to lift the lid up to put the rubbish in. I had no choice but to clear it up and bleach the concrete, absolutely disgusting. If you can't be bothered to clear up after your dog, then you shouldn't have one.
Monday, 14 September 2026
SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!
I was up so early this morning, I managed to go and have a quick look at the American Black Tern at Tingwall Loch before work – it was fairly distant and flying across the loch in the 10 minutes I had to watch it. Also watching the ABT were Robert C. and his wife, who had just arrived on Shetland this morning for their annual Autumn trip – lovely to see you both!
Yesterday I spent the entire day getting the garden sorted, pruned, weeded, swept up and cut and strimmed the grass so I don't have to do any gardening in my forthcoming week off. I'm now hoping for a sunny evening (0% chance of that looking at the weatherforcast) so I can do the last outside job of pressure washing all the concrete. Its been raining ALL day and night here. The first YBW's have arrived here today! After work I did a Tesco shop and then in the pouring rain walked along Helendale Terrace to see if I could find a YBW, not worth getting soaked for as didn't find a single bird.
Sunday, 13 September 2026
SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!
Saturday, 12 September 2026
SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!
Friday, 11 September 2026
SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!
RBA Weekly Round-Up 4th to 10th September!
SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!
Wednesday, 9 September 2026
AMERICAN BLACK TERN AT TINGWALL LOCH!
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!








