SHETLAND BIRD NEWS, PHOTOS, BIRDING, LIFE AND MORE! MY 14th YEAR ANNIVERSARY 2024!


Ring RARE BIRD ALERT with your sightings to: 01603 456789 or Hotline: 0207 0382820 or Text: 07520 634324
All Bird News & Megas via The Rare Bird Alert Website – Subscribe To RBA For Detailed News & Much More!

OVER TEN MILLION VIEWS! If you would like to advertise here, please contact me at [pennyclarke@talktalk.net]

Sunday 13 October 2019

Packing For Shetland & Fair Isle & A Visit To Snettisham Coastal Park!

 Snettisham Coastal Park
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max – wide angle lens


I have had to stay focused this weekend and concentrate on sorting and packing my gear up for my forthcoming trip. Obviously I wanted to go birding, but didn't have much choice – luckily I didn't need to leave the house for a mega! Yesterday I arranged to meet up with Lucy and Vivien in the morning, before I go away – plus I needed to show Vivien what bird feeders to fill up, what plants to water etc, as she is kindly keeping an eye on my house whilst I'm away. I gave Vivien her 50th birthday card and a present in advance – her birthday is 11th November. I don't know where the time has gone, there is no way Vivien looks 50, plus she has always kept her slim figure far better than me! We then went for a scrumptious lunch at the Castle Rising Tearooms. Vivien went back to Ely and I took Lucy home. I then did a big food shop to stock up for when I return home. Finished doing some housework and started to sort some things for holiday.

I had to pack all my gear up by the end of today, as no other time to do so. I'm at work on Monday and Tuesday. This only leaves two evenings of final checks of documents, flight stuff etc etc. I have to get up at 3am on Wednesday morning, which is the first day of my trip. I arrive on Sumburgh, Shetland mid morning on Wednesday 16th October. I'm hiring a car for two days, so I find/see some good birds/cetaceans on Wednesday and Thursday. This also means I have to bring my Sat Nav as have no idea where I'm going on Shetland! I've made a list of all the birding spots that I went to with Ashley Saunders on the Shetland trip in 2017, so even if there isn't anything mega to see, I will search hard to find one myself! Staying at a b&b in Lerwick for two nights, then I leave for Fair Isle on Friday 18th, staying at the South Lighthouse and depart on Thursday 31st October, arriving back in Norwich airport late evening. This will then give me Friday 1st November and the weekend to see any Norfolk megas, before returning to work on Monday 4th November! I will be taking my laptop with me, so the Norfolk birding news will continue daily on my blog, as long as I have Wi-Fi.

It took me most of the day to check and pack my stuff and then I had a 45 minute snooze! I escaped late afternoon, to go birding locally at Snettisham Coastal Park. The only bird I heard was a Cetti's Warbler and a Robin. Saw a Wood Pigeon and Black-headed Gulls flying over and that was it! Sadly there were more dogs to see than birds! Beautiful sunset though.

No comments:

Post a Comment