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.
Friday, 13 March 2026
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.
Monday, 2 March 2026
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.
Sunday, 1 March 2026
SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!
Rare Bird Alert News
MAINLAND
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! 🌷
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.
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.
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!
Friday, 27 February 2026
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.
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.
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.
Wednesday, 25 February 2026
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.
Tuesday, 24 February 2026
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.
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