Its been a busy few weeks as we finally moved into our new house in the south mainland yesterday , you can see more at shetlanddream.blogspot.co.uk
Kittiwakes deserve a break
Food is something we all need and wildlife is no exception.
While we can all go to Tesco or the Co-Op and stock up, providing there is
anything on the shelves, the birds are reliant on fish stocks. Shetland has a
rich stock of fish and this year seems to be better than most for a wide
variety of species, even for sand eels which are crucial to the survival to any
seabirds and divers.
Some birds rely on others to catch the food
It’s been good being in Shetland since April, well before
the Arctic Terns arrived back and in the early stages of breeding for other
cliff nesting seabirds. After a number of unsuccessful breeding seasons it’s
looking like a good year for most species, but this needs to be confirmed. Is
this just in Shetland or has this happened elsewhere as well?
Young Arctic tern at Sullom Voe
Starlings have done well by the number of young we have seen
in flocks all around the isles, with several flocks of 500 on the moors, Sparrow, Wheatear, Blackbird, Wren, Meadow Pipit and
Skylark- all the common species seem to have had a good year as well.
Shetland only has around 70 regular breeding species so any
additional species that breed are welcome and it will be interesting to hear
which have been successful.
Fulmar and chick
Migration is starting to pick up with Greenish and Sykes
warblers seen recently; flocks of waders are passing through with good numbers
of Sanderling, Knot, Redshank, Dunlin and Turnstone. The latter in decent
numbers on Clickimin fields with over 70 present earlier this week and they
also could be seen on Tesco roundabout with just over 20 present feeding with
Starlings.
Knot at Grutness
