Shetland small birds

 

Its good to see House Sparrows doing well in Shetland, flocks are present at a few sites in the south mainland and are very noisy

Meanwhile the adults are already on their second brood , here is one collecting nesting material

It struggled to get the feather into the nest hole and after a few mins let it drift away, it reminded me of Puffins trying to do the same

Herring Gulls are on the Red list, with the species declining by 55% between 1969-2002. They are wide spread in Shetland and are often seen in Lerwick near to chip shops, even attacking the odd customer that fails to throw a few there way.

Gt Black Back Gulls are even larger than Herring Gulls, in fact the biggest gull in the world and they are also on the Red list

Good to see 6 House Martin at Sumburgh Head with 2 Swallow, seem to be catching lots of insects

The House Martin doesn't breed in Shetland but the Swallow does with about 40 pairs, most in south mainland

Wheatear seem to be doing well again this year with lots of birds bringing food back to the nest