Cranes at Sandwick

Went out on another Otter watch a few days ago, this time no luck despite a 4 hour search. Similar for someone else who had been to three other sites before arriving at my spot.

Arriving back in Sandwick I received a message the cranes had moved from near Leebotton up to a field near the Social club

The Common Cranes have now moved to a stubble field just down the road from us and in fact we can see then from our garden without binoculars.

They are still very wary but I managed better photos in good light. Lots of Rock Doves and gulls in the field.

Down at Sumburgh, one of the Stonechats popped up on a wall, while  several Greenland Wheatear and White Wagtails fed on insects above the single tracked road leading to the farm. A flock of around 20 Swallows still feeding over the crop

Only one Dunlin on the pool at Grutness and several Turnstone and Ringed Plover on the beach. Nothing on the sea either at Grutness or West Voe.

A few American waders arrived on the west side and the Snowy Owl has been seen again on Ronas Hill

 Cranes love to eat seed, grain roots and insects and they seem to find lots of food in the stubble field

No sign of the Cranes the last couple of days so they may well be heading south on migration. These two Common Crane are more likely be from the Scandinavian population than the resident English flock