Pod 27's - Orca

 The weather in the morning was not really good enough to consider going out photographing with rain and strong winds, over night reaching a recorded 73mph in the south mainland.

News came in the Pod 27's had worked their way down the east coast and had appeared in Sandwick and then continued to move south

With the sun coming out i decided to chance it and went down to Levenwick just as the pod moved through the bay and round the headland.

The male was quite close in as i reached the top of the cliffs out of breath. I managed to get a couple of photos before it dived and was lost for a while before surfacing well past the few observers.

I managed to catch up with the pod briefly before they motored south it heavy swell.

Quickly i returned to the car and headed down to Dalsetter and up onto a blustery cliff top. News came in that they were in the bay at Troswick just up from us.

With several pairs of eyes watching we managed to catch a glimpse as they appeared opposite us, then disappearing underwater.

They were not hanging about and ploughed through the sea heading towards Boddam. It was here i saw them for the last time, far out near the point.

It was good to see the Orcas again after a long absence from the south mainland, they had spent at least a month feeding around the Faroe's and then a week around the north  mainland and Yell

Red Breasted Flycatcher at Boddam, Shetland

 The wind direction had changed today but still we got some very interesting migrants in Shetland.

Much has been said about the behaviour of this years birders but i haven't seen anything but good things. What with blocked roads with cars abandoned, speeding and dangerous driving, not social distancing and walking on crops they can make it difficult for local birders when they leave.

I headed down to Levenwick  hoping to see the Bluethroat but it wasn't playing ball, only showed for a few seconds in over 1.5 hours but it did pull in a lot of birders.

I only stopped for a short time and then made my way down to Boddam about 5 mins away. A Red Breasted Flycatcher had arrived and apparently was quiet showy.

With only another two birders present we search over the area turning up Blackcap(4) Wheatear, Robin (6) Chiff Chaff and eventually a Hawfinch (the latter flying into a garden and not reappearing.

We did find the RBF which was down in the lower gardens. We flushed it a couple of times so when the others left i made my way down to the Croft House museum and approaching from the south to its favoured feeding spot.

After about 5 mins it appeared on the lower fence before moving up to the bushes where plenty of flies and bees fed.

It was very lively chasing the insects but did come onto the wall close by a couple of times