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..

 

https://www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/latest_sightings.html 

 

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.

ROSALÍA - Berghain (Live at The BRIT Awards 2026) ft. Björk

This is one of the most exciting and most creative performances I have ever seen, so had to share it!

Performed live at the Brit Awards on Saturday night 

SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!

Rare  Bird  Alert  News

MAINLAND

Tundra Bean Geese x 2 at Sumburgh Farm.

Glaucous Gull ad., Iceland Gull at Loch of Hillwell.

King Eider 1w. fem still, Glaucous Gull juv. at Bay of Quendale. 

Tundra Bean Geese x 2 at North Town, Exnaboe.

Northern Bullfinch in garden at Kalliness.

American Wigeon ad. drk at Setter, Loch of Spiggie.

 

ISLANDS 

No news.

 

https://www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/latest_sightings.html 

SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!

Rare  Bird  Alert  News

MAINLAND

King Eider 1w. fem still at Bay of Quendale.

Iceland Gull at Shetland Catch, Gremista, Lerwick. 

 

ISLANDS 

Bonaparte's Gull just east of eastern salmon cage, Kumlien's Gull or Thayer's Gull 3w at Uyeasound, Unst.

 

https://www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/latest_sightings.html 

 

A chilly day here, rain on and off and only a glimmer of sunshine for a short while. Robin in the garden and 12+ Collared Doves feeding on the newly added seed, along with my usual Blackbirds (male and female), Starlings and House Sparrows. The snowdrops I brought with me from mother's garden are out in flower – there only a few, but they have survived in their pot. So lovely to see daffodils and bluebells beginning to shoot up and buds on the trees. Spring has begun! 🌷

SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!

Saturday 28th February

Rare  Bird  Alert  News

MAINLAND

No news. 

 

ISLANDS 

Bonaparte's Gull again at Easter Loch, Glaucous Gull 2w, Tundra Bean Geese by Wester Loch, Uyeasound, Baltasound, Unst.

 

https://www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/latest_sightings.html 

 

As always, an excellent service from Hazel and Kenneth from Mackenzies Farm Shop who delivered my logs today. They go the extra mile and kindly drag my bags (divided into smaller bags) of wood round the back of the house, up the concrete steps and into my shed. I then spent a long time stacking them up. I realised I could have fitted a third tonne bag into the shed, so now ordering another bag.

 

Lovely day here, so did some pruning and and a bit of tidying in the garden, scrubbed all the bird ponds out properly with a steel brush and filled up the bird feeders up.

 

 

Watch Claire Spiller from Aberdeen – brilliant audition on Britain's Got Talent this evening!

 

https://fb.watch/FzkvEaQPJY/ 

SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!

Rare  Bird  Alert  News

MAINLAND

Northern Bullfinches x 3 (1 male) at Burn of Sound, Northern Bullfinch at Helendale, Lerwick.

Northern Bullfinches x 2 at Mulla, north of Voe.

Tundra Bean Geese x 3 near Sand Lodge, Leebitten, north of Sandwick. 

 

ISLANDS 

No news.

 

https://www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/latest_sightings.html 

 

Lovely sunny day here. Had a physio appointment this morning, did a Tesco shop, returned home. My log supplies are getting low, so ordered two tonne bags of hardwood logs from Mackenzies Farm Shop and they are being delivered tomorrow.

RBA Weekly Round-Up 20th to 26th February!

By Jon Dunn

https://www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Content/WeeklyRoundup2026_08.aspx

SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!

Thursday 26th February

Rare  Bird  Alert  News

MAINLAND

No news.

 

ISLANDS 

Bonaparte's Gull, Kumlien's Gull or Thayer's Gull 3w at Easter Loch, Glaucous Gull, Tundra Bean Goose, Uyeasound, White-billed Diver viewed from pier by mussel lines at Baltasound, Unst.

 

https://www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/latest_sightings.html 

SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!

Rare  Bird  Alert  News

MAINLAND

No news.

 

ISLANDS 

Bonaparte's Gull, Kumlien's Gull or Thayer's Gull 3w at Easter Loch, Uyeasound, White-billed Diver viewed from pier by mussel lines at Baltasound, Unst.

 

https://www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/latest_sightings.html 

SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!

Rare  Bird  Alert  News

MAINLAND

No news.

 

ISLANDS 

Bonaparte's Gull, Glaucous Gull at Easter Loch, Kumlien's Gull or Thayer's Gull 3w by campsite toilets, Tundra Bean Geese x 2 in Galley Shed field, Uyeasound, White-billed Diver viewed from pier by mussel lines at Baltasound, Unst.

 

https://www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/latest_sightings.html 

SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!

Rare  Bird  Alert  News

MAINLAND

Northern Bullfinches x 3 (1 male) at Burn of Sound, Lerwick.

King Eider 1w. fem still at Bay of Quendale.

 

ISLANDS 

White-billed Diver, Baltasound, Unst.

Bonaparte's Gull, Kumlien's Gull or Thayer's Gull 3w at Easter Loch, Uyeasound, Unst.

White-billed Diver on sea off White Hill Lighthouse, Vatsetter, Yell. 

 

https://www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/latest_sightings.html 

In Memory of My Father

PETER CLARKE

January 1965 at The Firs House, Holme

 

 

2nd November 1926 — 23rd February 2017

 

My Dearest Father

Nine years have passed since we lost you

 Lost in body, but not in spirit

Always with us

Time is irrelevant

 

I still miss you so much. 

You are in my thoughts today and every day

Until we meet again

Forever in my heart

x x x

💔

 

The Lark Ascending

(Romance for Violin and Orchestra)

Ralph Vaughan Williams

 

The Lark Ascending was played at my father's funeral
This music is so beautiful and brings a tear to my eye
every time I listen to this

SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!

Rare  Bird  Alert  News

MAINLAND

Glaucous Gull at Dalsetter Wynd, Boddam.

Northern Bullfinches x 4 (3 male) at Burn of Sound, Lerwick. 

 

ISLANDS 

White-billed Diver in bay at Baltasound, Unst.

 

https://www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/latest_sightings.html 

SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!

Rare  Bird  Alert  News

MAINLAND

American Wigeon at Setter Marsh, Loch of Spiggie. 

 

ISLANDS 

White-billed Diver in bay at Baltasound, Glaucous Gull at Easter Loch, Uyeasound, Unst.

 

https://www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/latest_sightings.html 

 

It was the best day for what seems like months! Sunshine, blue skies, no wind, no rain and a balmy 6 degrees!!! Checked out my road for any birds and sadly found a deceased Heron at the bottom of the burn, which I hadn't expected to see here. Curlews, Rock Doves, Hooded Crows and Starlings on Gallow Hill along with the sheep and the usual House Sparrows in the gardens along the road.

 

At Asta Loch I found the Coot and male Pochard that John C. had found earlier and also saw the Carrion Crow which Phil H. had found on Friday. There were also 2 Goldeneye, lots of Tufted Duck, Mallards and in the fields on the otherside of the road opposite Tingwall Loch were around 10+ Golden Plover, Redshanks, Lapwings, Curlew, Greylags and Starlings. 

 

Headed south and for the first time went to Hymhus (the former Kirk) at Bigton to the "Bigton Weekend Bakery" open from 9.30am until 2pm on a Saturday only. Its obviously extremely popular as the only thing left was some Cheese Twists with Sun Dried Tomatoes – I purchased three as had no lunch with me and OMG there were totally scrumptious! Its probably a good job there were not any cakes left if they were as good as the twists were. I was told there is a queue at 9.30am every Saturday! Sat in the coach carpark overlooking St Ninian's for a while.

 

Took pictures of the seals on the beach at Rerwick from my car on the roadside and then drove to Spiggie Loch. Parked by the RSPB hide and walked along the sandy track to Scousburgh Sands and had a lovely walk to the end of the beach. A pony and rider were galloping along the beach and I realised it was the daughter of someone I know at the hospital, she stopped briefly to say hello. I returned to my car and stopped at Little Spiggie Beach where someone had left their little green plastic bag of dog poo in the small carparking area! I very rarely see this in Shetland and it was disappointing to see. Heron on the south end of the loch, but no sign of last week's gorgeous Pintail. Scanned for the American Wigeon on Setter Marsh but couldn't find it. There were huge amounds of seaweed on the beaches I visited today especially at Grutness.

 

I went to Grutness to see how the new pier is coming along and there were JCB's working there and its still looking like a building site, so promptly left and parked up and had a look at Grutness Beach – there were 28 Oystercatchers flying overhead and there were several Turnstones on the beach. At West Voe Beach there were 180+ Long-tailed Ducks which were fabulous to see along with 6 Goldeneye, 3 Purple Sandpipers, 2 Sanderlings, several Turnstones and 1 Great Northern Diver.

 

On route home I checked out Sandsayre at Sandwick to see if the Black Redstart was still around, but didn't see it. Drove home and spent the evening by the fire. A beautiful day out. I think tomorrow is a mixture of sun and rain, oh well at least I got out today!

 

PICTURES TO BE ADDED 

SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!

Rare  Bird  Alert  News

MAINLAND

King Eider 1w. fem still at Bay of Quendale.

 

ISLANDS 

No news.

 

https://www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/latest_sightings.html 

 

From the Shetland Webcams:

RBA Weekly Round-Up 13th to 19th February!

https://www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Content/WeeklyRoundup2026_07.aspx?s_id=41114676 

SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!

Rare  Bird  Alert  News

MAINLAND

King Eider 1w. fem still at Bay of Quendale.

Glaucous Gull 1w. at Loch of Hillwell.

Iceland Gull at Loch of Spiggie.

 

ISLANDS 

No news.

 

https://www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/latest_sightings.html 

SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!

Rare  Bird  Alert  News

MAINLAND

Waxwing still in garden at Mulla, north of Voe.

 

ISLANDS 

Tundra Bean Geese x 2, Iceland Gull on Isle of Whalsay.

 

https://www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/latest_sightings.html 

SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!

Rare  Bird  Alert  News

MAINLAND

King Eider 1w. fem still at Bay of Quendale.

Taiga Bean Geese x 3, Tundra Bean Goose at Exnaboe.

 

ISLANDS 

No news.

 

https://www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/latest_sightings.html 

 

It was a icy drive to work this morning. Sprinkling of snow everywhere and a mixed day of sunshine and sleet and very cold. Phoned Eddie this evening to wish him Happy Birthday. 

 

"HAPPY 70TH BIRTHDAY EDDIE"

Can't believe Eddie is 70 - no way he looks that age!

Love and Best Wishes Penny x

🎉  🎊  🎶  🔭  🐦  😊  🎂  🤗

 Eddie at Gun Hill, Burnham Over Dunes, Norfolk

29th October 2012 

SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!

Monday 16th February

Rare  Bird  Alert  News

MAINLAND

King Eider 1w. fem still at Bay of Quendale.

Tundra Bean Geese x 3, Russian White-fronted Geese x 7 at Quendale.

Russian White-fronted Geese x 3 at Brake, north of Hillwell. 

Tundra Bean Geese x 3, Russian White-fronted Goose north of central crossroads at Sandwick.

Waxwing still in garden at Mulla, north of Voe.

Tundra Bean Goose at Exnaboe.

 

ISLANDS 

Tundra Bean Geese x 2 in galley shed field, Uyeasound, Unst.

 

https://www.fairislebirdobs.co.uk/latest_sightings.html 

Snow here AGAIN!