signs of a Shetland spring

 The weather on Saturday was very spring like with lots of Sun, blue seas but cool. There was more bird activity as well, with several Skylark singing and some mating Common gulls. 

Daises are out in good numbers and daffodils are just coming into flower. 

At Grutness a couple of Ringed Plovers and 3 Mallards stayed over at the far side of the pool while several Lapwings displayed overhead 

Out in the voe a Gt Northern Diver gave good views but an Iceland Gull stayed distant in a mix flock of gulls. A few Black Guillemot and Shag came into the bay at high tide.

Over at West Voe, i counted 98 Long Tailed Duck and 2 Gt Northern Diver while on the beach 28 Turnstone joined Ringed Plover and Redshank.

A large flock of Starling was found feeding in the dunes.

Elsewhere an American Wigeon at Spiggie and a Green Winged Teal at Swinning while the long stay Firecrest was still in Yell

Birds

GN Diver (3) Long Tailed Duck (104), Shag (12) Black Guillemot (2) Raven (2) Hoddie (2) Rock Dove (6) Sparrow (20) Starling (150) Oystercatcher (120) Curlew (2) Lapwing (6) Ringed Plover (4) Redshank (4),  Turnstone (36) Common Gull, Iceland gull,  Gt BB, Fulmar, Herring Gull, Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Wren, Twite (12) blackbird (2) , Mallard (3)

Grutness returning birds

Good to see Red Throated Divers returning to Shetland waters

Grutness is always a good spot to see these before they go back to their breeding grounds

We still have a couple of White Billed Divers further up north but these tend to stay mid water making it more difficult to see them

Lots of Long Tailed Ducks around the south mainland with 82 in West Voe and 8 at Grutness

Winter males always look smart far better than in the more browner breeding colours

Female LT Duck coming in close in an incoming tide

Turnstone numbers also building up with 76 at West Voe, 28 at Boddam, 36 Grutness and 22 at Sandwick. Also a single Sanderling, 12 Ringed Plover, 28 Oystercatcher and 6 Redshank around Grutness / Symburgh farm