Good news

I was so glad to receive a phone call from the camera centre in Lerwick on Thursday informing me that my 800 mm lens was back and fully operational. I wasn't able to get up to collect it until the following day as I gave an illustrated talk on `Close encounters with Nature ' to the social group at the Carnegie Hall in Sandwick.

Starlings gather

Heading down to the `Da Ness' is always a pleasure with so many good places to look for birds. Grutness beach was busy with birds with a reasonable size flock of Knot, three Turnstone and a couple of Redshank. Flocks of Starlings are all over the place and come the evening gather around Sumburgh Farm before finally heading over the cliffs and then down to a large cave to roost under Compass Hill.

After gales and rain Thursday night / Friday it was good to get out and on Saturday I completed my Beach survey and found no dead birds which is good, in three visits only one Fulmar found dead. On the beach Turnstones (54) gathered along with a few Redshanks, Starlings and a dozen Rock Pipits. A few wrens fluttered around the seaweed avoiding the oncoming waves.

A skein of Pinkfeet flew over but only four landed and joined a large flock of Greylag in a field. Around Sandwick on the short grassy fields a flock of Golden plover (98) joined Turnstone, Lapwing, Redshank and Ringed Plover. Golden Plover are always nice to see. It was still quite windy so sorry no photos from the day.

                                                                    Summer plumage Golden Plover