Shetland in spring

I went down to see the RB shrike last weekend, it was giving distant views but you could make it out. I just turned round when someone decided to climb the fence and walk round to where it had been feeding and disturbed the bird.

It flew off some distance but I relocated it only to find the same thing happened again. Looking at his car registration it would appear he was from down near London, some people are so ignorant.

Anyway, I did pick out a House Martin, Redstart and a Spotted Flycatcher and unusually 6 Collard Dove at the Quendale

I was kept amused with the House Sparrows and several Starling which had been collecting grubs, it makes you wonder how they could see.

At Virkie is was good to hear and see a Marsh Warbler, one of several in the isles, together with a Red Breasted Flycatcher and a Linnet. A Garden warbler was showy at Sumburgh Hotel, I have seen more in Shetland than I ever did in the Sheffield area.

Two Barnacle geese was a nice surprise down at Grutness and allowed a close approach, these are very late returning to Spitzbergen.

Oystercatcher have young while Ringed Plovers mated, Curlew, Golden Plover, Redshank, Sanderling and Lapwing joined the ranks. Very little in the voe except Red Breasted Merganser(5), Black Guillemot and a couple of Red Throated Diver.

                                                                                   Spotted Flycatcher

Its always great to hear Skylarks and they seem to be everywhere as usual in Shetland while the parachute display of the Meadow Pipit added to the aerial display.

Most of the scarce and rare birds have been turning up mid week when I am at work, these have included a Snowy Owl on Mossy Hill. A very distant bird apparently only seen through a telescope, the last one I saw was back in 1987 on Fetlar, one of the young that bred on the island.

Supporting cast continues with Ortolan Bunting, Icterine Warbler, Rose Coloured Starling, Red Backed Shrikes, Golden Orioles, Crane, while the biggest surprise was a Walrus which turned up on the Skerries one late afternoon, not the easiest place to get to.

                                Sanderling

A small number of people hired boats to catch a late evening glimpse before it finally disappeared. The Bearded seal however is still showing very well in Lerwick and you never know the Harp seal down in the Hebrides may drop in on its way north to make it a hattrick of Arctic mammal visitors

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Rare Bearded Seal in Shetland

A Bearded seal turned up out the blue a week last Friday and rested most of the day on the Bressay Jetty in Lerwick.

It seemed unconcerned with the steady flow of people visiting to see this rare Arctic visitor. This is the second Bearded seals in UK waters in the past two months with another in the Hebrides which arrived on the 18 April 2018, only the 23rd sighting.

So the Shetland seal, being the 24 Sighting was another surprise especially as it was in the busy harbour in Lerwick Shetland. In fact 14 of the 24 Bearded seals have been seen in Shetland.

Normally Bearded seals are found floating on ice packs around the Arctic circle, but it is easily recognised from the usual Grey and Common seals by its large bushy whiskers, not really a beard.

                                                                               This photo appeared in the Shetland Times

They can grow up to 3 metres long and large females can weigh up to 450kg, this one is a young female and only just over one metre long.

After the first day it went missing and some people thought it may have had a close encounter with a Killer Whale as when it turned up on Sunday it was carrying an injury

Jan and Pete Bevington, specialists in Seal and Otter rehabilitation looked closely and said the injuries were minor and may have caught its self when coming out of the water.

It spent several minutes on the seabed and may have been hunting for food, using its long whiskers to sense food which include, shellfish, fish and squid.

When a Herring gull flew round it dived for long periods and seem to be very wary.

Bearded seals tend to be solitary animals, often spending time in shallower water, hence its time in Lerwick. Its a pity it didn't sing, apparently it can be heard up to 20km away

On Monday morning it was still present for a short time disappearing around 8.40am much to the disappointment of several visitors. It reappeared later in the day and even early on Wednesday morning

But on Wednesday morning a women decided to climb over a barrier and scared the seal off, just before the council decided to erect a longer barrier at the edge of the sea to deter the seal from coming onto the slipway.

What a shame, I am sure it would have stayed a lot longer but expensive boats seem to be a better option for the council at least. 

It reappeared on Thursday on the jetty opposite and drew a lot of attention from the cruise liner visitors. Unfortunately two separate incidents happened according to reports.

The first when someone went down to stroke the seal - good job it didn't bite her, but the second was a Japanese tourist who jumped over the barrier and went and kicked the seal.

We will have to mount an armed guard in future. Anyway its still present even as we blog.

                                                                                                   Smile Please