Thursday 2 May 2024
SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!
Wednesday 1 May 2024
Toucan In the Garden!!!
Toucan in my garden this evening
SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!
Tuesday 30 April 2024
SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!
Went birding straight after work around Lerwick. At West Hall, off Sea Road (Tescos) I checked out the horse paddocks, but only found one Woodpigeon, a few Blackbirds and two cute rabbits sitting in the garden amongst the Daffodils. Walked along the sycamore track that leads to Seafield Park – only birds found were Starlings, House Sparrows and Oystercatchers. Lots of Turnstones feeding amongst the rocks along the sea wall. At Pullar's Loch there was one Tufted Duck and more Turnstones feeding.
Nipped to Tescos to get some cash out and ended up buying a Bougainvillea plant in the outside stands by the cash machine. I think its highly unlikely this will survive here, but I decided to take the risk as I have always wanted one of these.
Checked
out Helendale Drive and area, hoping to see this morning's male Pied
Flycatcher – no chance. Saw very little, but huge number of Hooded Crows
in a large mature garden with very tall pine trees. Along Clickimin
Loch I had my first Spring Willow Warbler singing and seen, a female
Blackcap, a female Chaffinch and a female Brambling. Its a long time
since I have walked here and there were far more dogs off leads than I
usually see. I was horrified to find for the first time a green bag of
dog crap hanging in the one of the bushes – never seen this in Shetland,
I thought I had left all that behind in Norfolk! It will be very depressing, if that trend catches on here, it surely must be somebody moved up from the south, no way can this be a 'local' person.
Monday 29 April 2024
SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!
Sunday 28 April 2024
SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!
Saturday 27 April 2024
SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!
Friday 26 April 2024
SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!
Thursday 25 April 2024
SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!
Wednesday 24 April 2024
SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!
Tuesday 23 April 2024
SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!
Monday 22 April 2024
SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!
Sunday 21 April 2024
SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!
Rare Bird Alert News
SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!
Saturday 20 April 2024
SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!
SKODA Fabia 1.0 TSI Monte Carlo (95PS) Estate!
Friday 19th April
Today my new (2020 model) car was delivered to the freight terminal at Lerwick – very easy to spot as its Rallye Green, the same as my last car. I picked the car up mid morning in very cold north west winds and returned home. So nice to have a car again, but my accident in January has made me feel nervous.
Several issues with the car, which I have had to email Trust Ford about – should get some answers tomorrow. Ford only just found out yesterday that the car was exempt from tax, as it was registered to a disabled person and they realised they had to sort this out, rather than me. You have to pay £25.00 to change it back to a taxable car, which they are paying for. The valet wasn't a valet and the bodyshop work on the scratches looked like it had been penned in with a green felt pen and didn't look much different from when I saw it. I was told it had Sat Nav, it hasn't. I paid for £50 of fuel to put in, it hasn't, probably half that at a guess. Both key fobs said the battery needed changing. On the new MOT it was flagged up as an advisory that the back window wiper blade needed changing, which Ford said they would pay for when I ordered it – they sent me the link to the Skoda shop website, which I ordered and paid for last night and then 5 minutes afterwards, I had an email from Skoda saying they would have to reimburse me, as they don't deliver to Shetland!
I spent two hours cleaning inside the car as it was hailing around me! My rubber mats from old hatchback car all fitted nicely, but I had to buy a new rubber boot mat (ordered from Skoda whilst in Aberdeen and delivered to Ford for me). Replaced the key fob batteries. Loaded the car up with the usual stuff and all looking good for a trip out at last! The seats are far more comfortable than my last SE L version and there is handy pull down draw to put your sunglasses in above the central console. No armrest though with storage area underneath as I had in my last car. Fabulous to have a bigger boot!
Thursday 18 April 2024
SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!
I couldn't believe my eyes when I checked my front garden and feeders this morning before work. In the first few seconds I peered out of the front door, there was nothing, seconds later several birds flew down from the trees opposite, including a chunky Hawfinch! A female this time, landing on the ground to feed for seconds only and then flew back to the tall trees opposite my house. Again, no time for a photo, plus I needed to get to work. My feeding station is paying off big time. I have a good quality bird seed I purchased from Copdock Mill via Amazon, sunflower hearts, niger seed, meal worms, dried sultanas, fat balls from 'Peckish', berry flavour and mealworm suet blocks and RSPB peanuts.
This evening I put together my Flymo H400 Push Powered Cylinder Lawn Mower – it wasn't easy at all, but I got there in the end – itching to use this and the grass needs its first cut, but its too wet at the moment!
Wednesday 17 April 2024
SHETLAND BIRD NEWS & MORE!
Spent this evening sorting and filling my bird feeders up, including putting up my second (arrived today) Roamwild bird feeder, but this time without the cage, so I can see if the Starlings can use this or not, I expect they are not heavier enough to close the entry point for the seed. Cleaned the bird baths out and all looking fabulous again. I couldn't resist buying a smiling gnome swinging on a rope swing, which I purchased off Amazon, he looks so good in the tree! 😆 This will add some fun to the front garden for any children walking past... maybe! He will get plenty of swinging in the winds here! No, I haven't lost the plot, if you're asking, not quite anyway.
Had a lovely chat with Gwen this evening (who lives two doors away) as she passed my front garden and she told me that one of my trees in the front garden is a Rowan tree, which I'm hugely excited about – Gwen said that it had had a big chop at some point, but its all looking good again now, it won't get chopped again whilst I'm here – she also said that its mean't to be lucky to have a Rowan tree in your garden. There is an elder next to it and rhubarb growing below. Both these trees will be brilliant for their berries later on for any migrant birds. I'm not sure what the biggest tree is in my front garden and I have another large tree next to the shed and drive. Can't wait to get my new car in the driveway on Friday, so exciting!