SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!

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Blue-headed Wagtail at Exnaboe.

 

Serin in garden at feeders at Millfield, Unst.

White-billed Diver off Ham Voe, Isle of Foula.

 

https://www.nature-shetland.co.uk/latest-sightings.

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

 

From the summit of Mossy Hill, near Levenwick

 

 

Another beautiful day here. After a busy day at work I headed into town and bought a 'fish supper'. Drove up to Mossy Hill (near Levenwick) and had my tea at the highest point of the hill overlooking St Ninian's Isle, Foula and beyond! Stunning light and very peaceful up here, a place I particularly love. Tried to find a mega, but nothing seen apart from a handful of Meadow Pipits, a couple of Wheatears and the beautiful song of Skylarks singing and of course lots of sheep.

 

Ended up at Loch of Spiggie - bumped into Hugh H. and had a brief catch up. Ruff on the loch along with the usual Tufted Ducks, Mute Swans, Mallard, Gadwall, Greylag Geese, Oystercatchers, Lapwings etc. A Pied Wagtail and a single Twite were feeding in a field close the hide. Tried to find the Purple Heron, but no luck with that. Drove to Noss, an area I've not but not been to for a quite a while – large flock of Greylag Geese in a field, Rock Doves and Starlings feeding, a few House Sparrows and a couple of Blackbirds. Also a pair of Mallard in a flooded pool on a field. Lots of newly born, cute lambs skipping around in fields on route to Boddam! I'm almost embarrassed to admit that I have still not seen a single hirundine yet!

 

At Boddam I found a pair of Linnets in the wild walled garden of the house (not lived in) next to the headquarters of the new Boddam Wildlife Sanctuary, I've recently heard about, sounds very exciting indeed! It was lovely to hear a Snipe drumming in the same spot, I saw the Linnets from my car and had my finger on the shutter button, when a car drove past flushing them, so no pictures, which was a pity as they were posed very prettily in a willow type tree. Pair of Shelduck on the voe – will be nice to see cute fluffy ducklings soon (fingers crossed), also several Eiders chilling amongst the seaweed, Turnstones, Redshank and Starlings. Headed home and watched the end of MAFS (only addicts of this will know what I'm talking about!).