SHETLAND BIRD NEWS, PHOTOS, BIRDING, LIFE AND MORE! MY 15th YEAR ANNIVERSARY 2025!


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Sunday, 31 August 2025

SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!

Rare  Bird  Alert  News
Curlew Sandpiper juv still at Pool of Virkie.
Sooty Shearwaters x 16 flew past Sumburgh Head.
 
Wrynecks x 2, Red-backed Shrikes x 2, Common Rosefinches x 3, Pied Flycatchers x 2 on Out Skerries.
  

The bookcase situation started off very stressful indeed. The corner of the wall where the fourth one was supposed to fit in, was not at a 45 degree angle. Alex had to cut a section of the skirting out and sliver off the bottom trims on both sides of the bookcase – eventually it squeezed in! Alex did an excellent job and to be honest you wouldn't even know what had been done! Its fantastic to see them all in place. I have no mental energy left to fight with trying to put cupboard doors and hinges on, so Alex is coming back again tomorrow night to put these on for me.

I spent the rest of the day working extremely hard unpacking everything and I can't quite believe it, but I have unpacked ALL my boxes !!! 🎉 🥳 😲 It was exciting finding things I have not seen for years and also mother and father's trinkets and heirlooms. I have left two shelves clear, one for a record player and the other for a small TV – if I can sort out getting a signal to this room.

Tip run before work in the morning and then a second run on Tuesday morning. Good night! 😴

Saturday, 30 August 2025

SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!

Rare  Bird  Alert  News
Curlew Sandpiper juv still at Pool of Virkie.
Wryneck in ditch at Williamsetter, Bigton.
Pied Flycatcher in valley at Maywick.
Wilson's Petrel, Great Shearwater, Sooty Shearwaters x 20, Storm Petrel x 100, Blue Fulmar at sea NW of Fethaland. 
 
Greenish Warbler, Barred Warbler, Common Rosefinch, Wood Warbler in plantation, Skaw, Whalsay. 
  

The carpet was laid in the dining room yesterday. My new lights for corridor, kitchen and hall were put in today by my electrician – big clear up afterwards, all looking fabulous. My builder was coming out this morning to link the bookcases together in the dining room and install insulation boards, but has rescheduled for tomorrow. Had a lovely catch up on the phone with Malcolm W. (Heacham, Norfolk). Popped into Lerwick to go to the dump and messed up, forgot how early it closes on a Saturday. Went into Heima to look at sofas. Got fish n chips and then went to Burn of Njugalswater which is SW of Bridge of Fitch to see if I could find any migrants on the way home, nothing found.

Its been very difficult over the last few weeks as have not been birding for ages, but if I hadn't have focussed on getting my house done so its all unpacked, then it would have never have got done. I have pushed myself beyond to achieve what I have and obviously I'm at work too. I now have two lots of nests of tables to put together and my new dining room table – all flat pack AGAIN! My first birding holiday commences on Friday 19th September for a week and then I have the first two weeks of October and an odd two days at the end of October. By 19th September, everything in my house will be unpacked! I will then just be waiting on delivey of sofa, armchairs and a sofa bed, which I have not chosen and ordered yet! With the usual 8 week wait, I should get it all by Christmas! 😂 Any Norfolk birders visiting my house in Autumn, will have to sit in the dining room for their tea and cake!

Thursday, 28 August 2025

SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!

Rare  Bird  Alert  News
Great Shearwaters x 5, Pomarine Skua, Sooty Shearwaters x 7 flew past Sumburgh Head.
Curlew Sandpiper juv. at Pool of Virkie, then at Scatness.
Common Rosefinch at Scatness.
 
Marsh Warbler at Skaw, Unst. 
  

Wednesday, 27 August 2025

SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!

Rare  Bird  Alert  News
Barred Warbler at Levenwick.
Curlew Sandpiper juv. at Pool of Virkie.
  

SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!

Tuesday 26th August
Rare  Bird  Alert  News
Great Shearwater, Sooty Shearwaters x 8 flew past Sumburgh Head.
Pied Flycatcher at Sumburgh. 
Wood Warbler still at Burn of Sound, Lerwick.
Curlew Sandpiper juv. at Pool of Virkie.
  
 
Popped into Jewsons before work and ordered a pine door for the dining room. Pine wouldn't be my first choice, but all the other doors are pine and I can't really be spending money on exchanging them all for oak. My new Northern Lights curtains arrived from Amazon and will be put up when the carpet is laid. Had a lovely catch up with Hilary this evening! Had a break from doing bookcases, will crack on again tomorrow night.

Monday, 25 August 2025

SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!

Rare  Bird  Alert  News
Curlew Sandpiper juv. at Pool of Virkie.
Great Shearwaters x 2, Pomarine Skua flew past The Lookout at Sumburgh Head.
Black-throated Divers x 2 at Quendale Bay. 
 
Sooty Shearwater flew past Isle of Mousa.
  
 
Since yesterday I have put together two more of the tall bookcases. On average it takes around 5.5 hours per bookcase to complete. Another two to do and then all finished and ready to be put into place when the carpet goes down, whenever that might be. I won't miss putting them together at all!

Sunday, 24 August 2025

SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!

Rare  Bird  Alert  News
Wood Warbler still at Burn of Sound, Lerwick.
Curlew Sandpiper juv. at end of runway, Scatness.
 
Sooty Shearwaters x 2 at sea from boat off Funzie, Isle of Fetlar.
  

Saturday, 23 August 2025

SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!

Rare  Bird  Alert  News
Curlew Sandpiper at Pool of Virkie.
Barred Warbler at Toab.
 
Blue Fulmar at Vatsetter, Yell. 
  
 
Today was the first day I have left my house for seven days. Popped into Lerwick to get DIY stuff and more paint for the next project! Went to Teamore cafe/restaurent by the bus station and had one of their scrumptious veggie burgers with chips, salad, ginger beer and then lemon cake with ice-cream, lovely! I love this little cafe, its very relaxed and I have always had good food in there. I don't know where the day has disppeared to, but it just has!
 
Trying to organise a door for my dining room (its never had a door), but needs one to regulate and heat all the rooms efficiently, I should have got this done last Winter. Naturally it will be an odd size I need, nothing is standard width/size when you live in a old house! Jewsons getting me a price next week for a door which is the closest size to what I need.
 
Still fine tuning my northern lights themed porch. The ceiling looks amazing, even though I say so myself, but not to everyone's taste! Potential new carpet fitting date next Friday, but when I checked today, the new replacement (last one was faulty) hadn't arrived yet.
 
Had a surprise email from Octopus who have been monitoring my usage and cost compared to last year with the old metre and they are seeing a marked difference and are going to work out a refund for me! Fabuous, I guess this is their way of saying the old metre was not working correctly?!
 
Lots of other stuff going on, but you can't write everything on here! 

SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!

Rare  Bird  Alert  News
Wood Warbler still in garden at Sumburgh Hotel.
 
Pied Flycatcher still on Out Skerries.
 
 
Sunny again and a little warmer. Not had a good week as not been well and slept alot, but feeling alot better now thank goodness. Because of this I'm now way behind with lots of jobs, oh well, they will all get done eventually!
 
Had a WhatsApp video call with Vivien and Lucy. Vivien was visting Lucy for the day (saw her yesterday afternoon too), lovely to see them both together. 💕 Lucy has a new teal coloured chair from NEXT, very smart! South east winds forecast on Sunday and right through until 3rd September including a few NE winds, could be a good week for birds!

Thursday, 21 August 2025

SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!

Rare  Bird  Alert  News
Wood Warbler still at Sumburgh Hotel.
Wood Warbler at Burn of Sound, Lerwick.
 
Pied Flycatcher in garden on Out Skerries.
Little Gull on ferry pylons at Ulsta, Yell. 
 
 
Lovely to receive my copy of Dutch Birding Volume 47, No. 4 with my photos of Eyebrowed Thrush (half page) and White-throated Sparrow in! A pristine, classy and quality journal.
 
Much colder this week, heating on! 

SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!

Wednesday 20th August
Rare  Bird  Alert  News
Sooty Shearwaters x 2 from The Lookout at Sumburgh Head.
Wood Warbler at Sumburgh Hotel.
Black-throated Diver at Quendale.
 

Monday, 18 August 2025

SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!

Rare  Bird  Alert  News
Wood Warblers x 2 at Sumburgh Hotel.
Barred Warbler at Grutness.
 
Red-necked Phalarope, Little Stint at Out Skerries. 
 

Sunday, 17 August 2025

SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!

Rare  Bird  Alert  News
Black-throated Diver at Quendale.
Rosefinch juv. in garden at Hillwell.
 
Sooty Shearwater at sea west of Isle of Foula.
 
 
Creating my Northern Lights themed porch! All good fun, busy bee!

Saturday, 16 August 2025

SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!

Rare  Bird  Alert  News
Long-finned Pilot Whales x 25 at Mousa Sound. 
 
 
Claudia & Ashley Banwell with their daughter Alice have been on holiday up here and on on Fair Isle and tonight they very kindly invited me to join them for dinner at The Sumburgh Hotel. It was also Ashley's birthday. Ashley was telling me he had found the Barred Warbler on Fair Isle yesterday. It was so lovely to have a catch up with them again. Ashley spotted Nick Riddiford outside the hotel and brought him to say hello. Nick was telling me how how he knew my father and asked after him, obviously unaware that he had passed. It was great to meet Nick and I couldn't understand how I hadn't met him before, since I have been to Fair Isle a few times. Nick explained he was off island for a time, so maybe that was when I was visting.
 
We sat in the new restaurent extension, which was very nice indeed. It was packed full of diners! The food and service was excellent, especially the Passionfruit Cheesecake! Thank you so much to Claudia and Ashley for inviting me out 😘

RBA Weekly Round-Up 8th to 14th August!

By Jon Dunn

Friday, 15 August 2025

SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!

Rare  Bird  Alert  News
 
Sanded the front porch walls and ceiling and then cleaned with sugar soap. Completed patching all the torn wallpaper. Frustratingly for the carpet fitters and myself, the wool carpet had a fault, so couldn't be laid and will have to be replaced. So had to re plan the schedule! My builder Alex now can't fit the insulation board tomorrow, but dropped it off for me anyway. Tripped up (yes, up) my steep stone/slate step from the corridor into kitchen after having a short nap, I will have a bruised shin in the morning and possibly hand/wrist. Lovely weather here and a Red Admiral was feeding on my white buddleia.

Thursday, 14 August 2025

SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!

Rare  Bird  Alert  News
Wood Sandpiper at Quendale.
Pied Flycatcher at Sumburgh Head.
Common Rosefinch juv. at West Voe, Sumburgh. 
Red-backed Shrikes x 2 (male + juv.)+ still at Aith Meadows, Cunningsburgh.
 
 
Finally sold my sofa this evening! I had to move so much stuff to get this out of the house, but cleared it enough for the couple turning up to take it out and put in their large van. Estimated delivery date of new sofas and chairs is 28th August to 'my local store', which is Glasgow and then maybe another two weeks to get here, so excited to have my second ever and final sofas and chairs. Carpet being laid in dining room tomorrow.
 
Autumn migration has kicked off!

Wednesday, 13 August 2025

SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!

Rare  Bird  Alert  News
Red-backed Shrikes x 2+ still at Aith Meadows, Cunningsburgh.
Black Redstart on Northlink Ferry in Lerwick.
 
Icterine Warbler at plantation, Skaw, Whalsay.
 

Tuesday, 12 August 2025

SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!

Rare  Bird  Alert  News
Leach's Petrel, Storm Petrels x 117 trapped and ringed at Sumburgh Head at 1.40am.
Sooty Shearwater at sea south of Sumburgh Head.
Wilson's Petrels x 2, Storm Petrels x 250, Sooty Shearwaters x 8, Blue Fulmar at sea NW of Fethaland.
 
 
DIY again after work – exhausted. Second and final coat of paint on the electric cupboards in the dining room tomorrow night. Then have to spend time, very carefully cutting out and replacing ripped wallpaper which came off when I very, very slowly removed the masking tape from wood filling the gaps in top of old skirting board – I could have cried last night. Maybe it was because its very old wallpaper, who knows, but DIY and me don't really make a good match! All the pine floorboard gaps are now filled for insulation before the carpet is fitted on Friday afternoon, this took forever to do over a few days.
 
I also need to prep and lightly sand the blue painted walls in the front porch (joins onto dining room) before the carpet is laid, ready for painting at a later date. I don't really want sanded blue paint flying about with a new pale wool carpet! I had hoped to get the porch painted before the carpet is laid, but run out of time. Ordered and paid for the two large sheets of insulation board, which my builder is collecting for me this week and he is going to fit this into the alcove next to the back of the four bookcases (that are in living room) in readiness for me to put together the other four bookcases for the dining room.
 
The garden is now looking untidy as not had time to strim and cut the grass or do any weeding. Its difficult to fit everything when you are working – will aim to tackle this at the weekend. The rest of the weekend will be starting to put the four bookcases together. Goodnight!

Monday, 11 August 2025

SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!

Rare  Bird  Alert  News
Red-backed Shrikes x 7 (ad. male, fem + 5 juvs) at Aith Meadows, Cunningsburgh.
Quail at Setter Marsh, Loch of Spiggie. 
 
 
DIY again after work this evening, all go! Lovely weather again here.

Sunday, 10 August 2025

SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!

Rare  Bird  Alert  News
Red-backed Shrikes x 4 (ad. male + 3 juvs) at Aith Meadows, Cunningsburgh.
 
 
DIY for three days, so no news from me!

SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!

Saturday 9th August
Rare  Bird  Alert  News
Sooty Shearwaters x 12, Storm Petrel flew past Sumburgh Head.
Stone Curlew in cut field above beach at Westing, Unst. 
 

Thursday, 7 August 2025

SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!

Rare  Bird  Alert  News
Sooty Shearwater from The Look Out at Sumburgh Head.
 
 
Had a lovely Zoom call with Lucy this evening. Now glossing the dining room windows and hatch in the ceiling, busy DIY weekend ahead.

Tommy in Lerwick!


TOMMY
Commercial Street, Lerwick

 

I have been waiting for the opportunity to get a lovely picture of Tommy and finally I got one last night! He is so famous I decided to give him his own post on Da Blog! 

Tommy has his own Instagram Page and Facebook Page!

https://www.instagram.com/the_adventures_of_tommy_/?hl=en-gb

https://www.facebook.com/p/The-Adventures-of-Tommy-100064330616340/?locale=en_GB 

https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/highlands-islands/6343972/the-adventures-of-tommy-lerwick/ 

https://www.shetnews.co.uk/2024/01/11/tommy-cat-calendar-raises-cool/ 

In Memory of My Dear Mother


Mother with baby Vivien, Lucy and Penny – circa 1970

Mother and I at Holme Bird Observatory
 
 

MARGARET ROSE CLARKE

9th February 1940 — 7th August 2018
 
 
Seven years have passed since we lost you.
 
Weeks, months and years tick by.

 You are in my thoughts today and every day.
   
Forever in our hearts and always with you.
 
I still talk to you, hear you and see you.
 
I miss and love you so much.
 
Always with me in spirit and soul

💔   💔   💔

Tuesday, 5 August 2025

SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!

Rare  Bird  Alert  News
Sooty Shearwaters x 6 flew past The Look Out at Sumburgh Head.
 
Balearic Shearwaters x 2 west of Isle of Foula.
 
 
Another windy, rainy and sunny day. The House Sparrows must have put the news out, there are so many at my feeders over the last few days, too many to count! My garden is looking a bit battered.

Monday, 4 August 2025

SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!

Rare  Bird  Alert  News
Long-finned Pilot Whales x 10 at Esha Ness.
 
 
Quite windy here today and lots of rain, but sun and midges out later this evening. I have more leaves than grass showing, but luckily most Summer bedding plants survived the winds. I did lose one bedding plant, which snapped over completely and a few now have horizontal stems, but overall I got away lightly! The burn was cascading down Gallow Hill as I arrived home this evening. Had a physio appointment at 3.30pm, more excercises for dodgy limbs.
 
Had to change the settings on my blog again as still getting nasty, sarcastic Anon comments dropping into my email box, which is definately from a female. To the Anon person who sent me a comment recently, you have no idea about other stuff that has been going on my life recently, no idea at all. Don't presume I write everything on the blog, I don't. If you don't like what I have written, its quite simple, don't read it and go and pester someone else or better still, try to be kind to other people. My apologies to anyone who now can't send me a comment, but nothing I can do about that sadly, but feel free to email me.

SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!

Sunday 3rd August
Rare  Bird  Alert  News
Red-backed Shrikes x 3 (2 ads, 1 juv.) at Aith Meadows, east of Cunningsburgh.
 
Little Stint on Out Skerries. 
 

Sunday, 3 August 2025

SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!

Saturday 2nd August
Rare  Bird  Alert  News

Hairdressers in the morning. Lerwick was busy with lots of cruise ship tourists enjoying the sunshine on another gorgeous day here. My hairdresser Aimee was telling me about Zetland Bakery, a new bakers in 'toon' that I have not been to yet, so went to check it out – I bought a mint aero cheesecake and four brown rolls. The cheesecake was a "10 from Pen" and the brown rolls were particularly nice and had weight to them, yet they were light, best bread I've had here. Pop into to see Logan who is the baker and owner of this first class bakery and I'm sure you will be tempted by some home bakes. I also noticed cheese scones and sausage rolls for sale. I did highlight that if there had been a veggie sausage roll I would have bought one – Logan said he had had several people asking for veggie rolls, so he may do these at a later date.

Went to Planticrub and bought a sitting hen and chicks for my garden – they look good on the front step! My garden is looking at its best right now, but the Livingstone Daisies seemed to have burnt out already, which I hadn't expected. All my buddleias are looking good, no butterflies seen, but plenty of bee action. The usual House Sparrows, Starlings and Collared Doves feeding in the garden and Curlews calling on Gallow Hill in the evenings. Someone photographed and reported (on the Lepidoptera WhatsApp group) an Emperor Dragonfly at St Ninian's Ayre yesterday, which is a second for Shetland!

I'm burnt out from DIY, so not done much this weekend, but will crack on tomorrow in the heavy rain which is forecast all day, along with Storm Floris – a temporary end to Summer. Its reported as the hottest July on record here in the local news! Also made my final choice and re-ordered my DFS delivery on the 1st August, so should hopefully everything will arrive by mid to late September. Had to put the head midge net on again this evening, just to get the washing in!