Shetland Divers

Over recent weeks we have had 4 species of Diver in Shetland. Black, Red, Gt Northern and White Billed

I did see the Black Throated Diver in west voe but it was very distant so I was unable to photograph it. Black Throated are rare visitors to Shetland. It stayed about a week and may have been the same one that stayed in the same place last year
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 Red Throated Diver

 Red Throated Diver are not common in winter and tend to spend time around Eastern Scotland or Northern England.

 The look smart both in winter and summer plumage and easily distinguished between the Black Throated with its checked back and white face

 This bird at Grutness did a circuit as most birds do and it took about an hour for it to return to the beach end where I waited

 Long Tailed Duck

 A flock of 10 Long Tailed Duck flew in but all stayed distant except this male

 This Gt Northern Diver flew in from West Voe and managed to catch three fish while feeding off the jetty

 Looks like a Scorpion fish which it downed in a couple of minutes 

Gt N Diver

A White Billed Diver has again been off  Kirkabister, these divers tend to keep well off shore.

Other birds of note during this past week included a couple of Bewick Swans (First since 2011), the Pied Billed Grebe at Spiggie and a Little Egret at Lower Voe, Black Redstart at Hillwell and a Brent Goose at Sumburgh Farm