Fetlar

Fetlar

It was nice to see my first photos on the Nature in Shetland website, one was this Red Throated diver below. These birds are easily seen at the Loch of Funzie from the roadside so no need to disturb the birds. This particular one looks like it is just about to start dancing, but in fact was about to get up out of the water to start its take off run.

A good range of birds can be seen on the island which is especially good for waders. On our first visit in 1987 we managed to see one of the Snowy Owls behind the school. Didn't do much after flying in, but it did show that it could look like a boulder and therefore blend into the landscape. Its a pity that Myxomatosis hit the island just after forcing the two birds to turn to Unst for food. What a great discovery by Bobby Tullock, showing that you too can still find things of interest.

Apart from the first year we visited the island, we have never seen Red Necked Phalaropes from the hide in the Mires, although this year it looked cleared of vegetation in some areas, so they might have borrowed an excavator that was doing some work towards the centre of the island. We have however seen and heard Water Rail and Reed Bunting, both uncommon during the breeding season. Red backed Shrikes have been found perching on fence posts near to the hide on two occasions.

Red Necked Phalarope used to be easy to see around the Lock of Funzie but over the past couple of years we have been lucky to see just one, a far cry from a few years ago when we saw 9 birds around the edge. They are so small people often miss them as they come very close to the shore line and are very confiding birds. Usually you can only see them from very late in May. One Phalarope was seen on Loch of Spiggie during June, well away from its normal breeding area.

In Sheffield we have had some special birds breed as well. In the city centre a pair of Peregrines have nested, the only city centre pair of Peregrines in Yorkshire and it has been great to see the parents feeding the 3 young which are normally sat on the Church tower. Peregrines are very rare breeding birds in Shetland with just one or two pair, unlike the rest of the UK where they have become more common.

The other special bird is the Black Redstart which has bred on a number of occasions but I have not heard about any in the last few year. I did however hear and see a male just before we went to Shetland, this time at the back of B&Q on Queens Road. I cannot believe that they are rare breeding birds in the UK given that they are very common in the rest of Europe.

Roof top gardens have been planted in several areas around Sheffield city centre to provide a habitat for insects and encourage Black Redstarts

Shetland Snow Buntings

June snow storm

From our  house in Sheffield it is 70 miles to the nearest coast, so we have to make a special journey to see Snow buntings in winter. Often travelling as far as Salthouse in Norfolk or into Lincolnshire to find these delightful birds. Often very confiding they can can also be encouraged to come closer by laying seed. We have only seen the odd summer plumage bird, the last one again at Salthouse which is also a favourite site with the birds and birders.

                                                                          Twite

During our time in Shetland this May and June we were lucky enough to come across a few birds. The first 3 very flighty birds down at Scatness in the South Mainland. These appeared on the wall to the south side before quickly disappearing towards the sea. They made a brief appearance before moving more inland, this was on the 26 May.

                                                          Compass Head Snow Buntings

At Grutness on the 30 May, a female was seen close to the gate leading to the tern colony. But the best views came on the 1 June at Compass Head when three Snow buntings were seen near the concrete slabs. Soon another couple of people arrived , one in a car and we set up using the car as cover. Seed was again laid and within 10 mins a couple of birds could be seen on the top of a building drinking water. They then flew down  to the seeded area where a Twite was already feeding, one bunting flew straight off leaving a superb male and a female close by. They edged closer giving great views before being chased by a low flying Gt Black Backed gull.

                                                      Compass Head Snow Buntings

We went to Fetlar on the 3 June, hoping to see Phalaropes down at Funzie. No immediate sign of the Phalaropes on arrival but my attention was drawn to a Whimbrel that landed close by. I then noticed several Dunlin feeding in a grazed area and was draw to a white bird that briefly emerged from behind a rock. This was another cracking male Snow Bunting. Then others appeared, another 2 males and 2 females that fed close together. I then crawled on my stomach for 20 yards through sheep poo to get closer. They were totally unconcerned as I lay close by and was able to get some close photos especially of the males.

                                                               Fetlar Snow Buntings

We stopped off at Brough Lodge watching Ringed Plover, Dunlin, Turnstone and several terns in the fog when a raptor came in off the sea. As it moved towards the Lodge we identified it as a male Marsh Harrier, an uncommon migrant up in Shetland, it soon moved off as it was mobbed by several gulls and Hoddie crows.

                                                                 Fetlar Marsh Harrier

While waiting for the return ferry I met up again with Martin Garner (Birding Frontiers), who also lives in Sheffield(didn't know at the time- its a small world),  who was eager to see the photos and suggested that on first glance they may possibly be the Siberian race Snow Buntings. I have since sent some photos to him to look at more closely, so I will let you know the outcome.

                                                                 Fetlar Snow Buntings

It would be very interesting if they are,  three races of snow bunting visit Britain. Greenland,  Icelandic and Scandinavian, with the Icelandic birds the most common. The Siberian race birds (ssp.vlasowae) have only been reported six times in Western Europe. 

Although no Snow buntings have been reported breeding in Shetland, two males and a female were present  on Ronas Hill from the 24 May - 12 July, with the males in song and alarm call heard suggesting a breeding attempt- Shetland Bird Club

Skaw

When I think of visiting Shetland, a trip to Unst is a must and certainly onto Skaw the most northerly inhabited place in the UK.

Although we have seen some great birds at Skaw we haven't seen many people which is always a bonus. The stream down to the beach always seem to hold migrants. On a previous trip we watched Moltoni's    Subalpine Warbler(First for Britain) collecting nest material and building a nest in the spearmint patch beside the stream, with no other birders around.

This month we were treated to sightings of Little Bunting just beyond the little bridge, sea side. It flew up from the bank and headed down towards the coast where we saw it again before it was lost from sight.

Meanwhile back at the spearmint patch a noisy starling had made a nest in the rocks and the pair constantly returned with food for the young. At the bridge a wren called which drew our attention to another warbler, this time a Chiffchaff. Then a Lesser Whitethroat jumped up on the fence post and allowed close views before it made its way along the bank.

A few feet further on, a female Red backed Shrike appeared carrying food, then flew onto a fence post before disappearing behind the house. A Marsh warbler sang from another fence post further up stream and a Common Redpoll also put in an appearance close by.

Heading down to the beach Ringed Plovers ran along the beach calling, a pair of Artic Terns rested on the beach, then started to preen, others passed hunting over the sea. A large flock of 78 Oystercatchers , could also be seen at the northern end of the beach, presumably non breeding birds.

Just off the beach a party of male and female eider ducks splashed about in a courtship ritual, calling all the time and occasionally a Gannet made an appearance.

Shetland return

It was great to be back in Shetland over the last couple of weeks. The weather couldn't  have been better for us and the birds and other wildlife we came across was superb as ever. I always keep an eye on the Shetland Nature website to see whats about and what might be lingering a few days. Spring birds don't normally hang around but just occasionally you are lucky.

It was good again to meet up with Jim Nicholson and to meet Gary Bell (local) and Martin Garner of Birding Frontiers. I always find that people are so friendly and want to share information of whats about and the finer details of identification. Up in Shetland you can have so many different races of warblers and Redpoll it makes it challenging to any birder, but with local knowledge and experince it can become a little easier. That only comes with spending lots of time in the area, hopefully I will be in a position to do that soon. Birds that are familiar around Sheffield take on a whole new meaning in Shetland.

Once you have got to grips with what is common and not, and having spent a fair few hours looking through many Shetland Bird reports, i can now say which is more likely to be seen in Shetland. A Little Ringed Plover, regular and fairly common around Sheffield turned up at the Lock of Hillwell  just as we visited. This has only been recorded 12 times so this was a very scarce bird in Shetland and it didn't stay around long.

The Short Toed Lark which stayed at Sumburgh for a good few days eluded us on several visits, while other seemed to see it on a first attempt. Responding quickly to current information is a bonus to those on the web, or with text contacts. A number of locals managed to see the Woodchat Shrike that had a brief stay at Baltasound on Unst, but as I only had access to the web on occasion I missed out.

 I have been told that you should have been here 1/2 hour ago or that the bird had just flown behind me -this did happen in the Cairngorms when a Capercallie flew passed- i did catch up with the Capercallie bird later. Its good to hear what is about but impossible to see everything on a short trip. Shetland reveals many secrets slowly and throughout the year, making birdwatching compelling at all times.

With very few birders about you might know that a bird has turned up, say at Grutness but with no one to guide you , you still have to re-find it. This has happened with several birds over the years, its hard to believe that no one else was watching the Icterine or Sub-alpine warbler, when back in England it would have drawn a crowd. This is what makes Shetland so special, it is just too remote for people to turn up in a few hours and with a tremendous cost involved. Some do make the trip to see one bird, but what a shame, Shetland has so much to offer.

Back in the 1970's when I had just started birdwatching, I knew a few twitchers who wouldn't look twice at a Starling or a Sparrow.  Look now, they are declining to such an extent that to see one locally in some parts of England is to see a rarity. Fortunately I love to see all birds and never get tried of seeing the same species, there is alot to find out about the more common species. In Shetland they still have a healthy population of Starlings and House Sparrows but very few people report or study them.

It was sad to read that the Puffin cam chick at Sumburgh head has failed to hatch. This is the third season that they have failed. The RSPB have also indicated that this is looking like another bad year for the seabirds.

                                                         Puffin no long on Puffincam

                                                         We need to see more of this !


Last week I saw only three Artic terns carrying very small Sandeels into the Grutness colony. Lots of Gulls stood around waiting to predate any young that might appear.

Dangerous Moorland

With the news this week of Ordnance being found on Langsett Moors, close to Sheffield it just shows that you have to take care when out watching nature. Your mind will be on other things not whether un-exploded shells are laying about. Just in one spot over 30 pieces of ordnance were found including an 18 lb shell. This was exploded by the army which caused a 2 metre hole. This area was used to prepare for the D-Day landings back in 1944.

Shetland was also heavily involved in WW2 and many remains can be found scattered around the islands, this includes this German Bomb which we found as an ornament in a garden at Sand Sound. Last time we went back it had been moved.

Now snakes are not a problem in Shetland, but around Sheffield we have a reasonable population . On the moors Adders can be found if you are quiet and move slowly. They can pick up vibrations as you move so often people don't even know they are about. Males come out of hibernation in February providing it is still and sunny and you can often find them in sheltered areas close to bracken and heather. The larger females tend to come out a month later.

Around 100 people a year are bitten by Adders but so far only 12 people have died from bites. Dog fatalities are commoner in early spring, possibly because their venom is more concentrated after overwintering.

Another danger, or experience worth encountering is that of a Gt Skua or Bonnxie. If you go to Hermaness its impossible to avoid them as you are going through territory after territory to get over to the cliffs. The most aggressive are the ones that have laid their eggs or have young ones and especially those who nest on higher ground. These birds may be the older mature birds and they certainly pack a punch. I have been hit on the head, not by its beak but by its feet. Normally the birds work as a pair, one coming at you at head height, then the other following up from the rear.

There are compensations as you tend to look at the flowers as you bend down to avoid the attacks

Shetland Sub-Alpine warbler

Its amazing how good some people's ID skills have developed. Only the other year while we were visiting Unst we went to Skaw to see a Sub-alpine warbler. With no one else about we watched the bird for about 1/2 hour where it collected nest material to build a nest in a spearmint patch next to the stream.

 On several occasions it sang. We had great views and it was only when we returned home we discovered that someone had recognise the call as that of an Italian Sub- alpine warbler, amazing!!. This then was a Moltoni's Sub-alpine warbler, the first to be recorded in Britain.

Often Shetland has a Mediterranean feel with birds you would expect to be sunning it further south. We have had good views of Golden Orioles at the woodlands of Kergord and Halligarth on a number of occasions. Bee-eaters up at Vidlin, which looked totally out of place with Shetland sheep walking past. Red backed Shrikes, which have bred in the southern mainland of Shetland, Marsh warblers on a number of occasions and Bluethroat , one of my favourite birds.

This all adds to the excitement with birds appearing from all points, within a few hours you could be watching birds from America, the Artic, eastern Europe or the Med