Rare Blue Winged Teal- Shetland

 It was good to hear that a male Blue Winged Teal had turned up at Scatness in the south mainland

after about 1/2 hour it disappeared but turned up again about an hour later. When i arrived there was 10 birders (all locals) and found the bird had moved onto the sea but with the sun direct ahead it was difficult getting a good view

With a few minutes in flew onto the loch and joined six Tufted then it swam to the bank where two Wigeon were feeding.

It quickly moved inland and started feeding, joined by a female teal (common). Although distant it was very distinctive.

This North American bird joins another teal, a Green Winged Teal which has been at Spiggie for several days

One of the other birds said it might be 30 years since the last one

Female Long Tailed Duck in flight -Shetland

 Photographing birds in flight is always challenging but well worth it. Long Tailed Ducks came close in at Grutness at high tide and because they were in mating mode there was a lot of activity

Seeing them close up is great, round at West Voe there are still well over 100 birds but very distant.

They will soon be heading north to gather at Bluemull sound near Unst and it is a spectacular sight to see several hundred birds before they head to breeding grounds further north

Shetland Long Tailed Ducks

 

Shetland Birds

 

Sanderling heading north