I feel that Shetland is best approached by sea on one of the daily ferries from Aberdeen. When we first started to go up in the 1980's we traveled on the St Clair , in 2002 Northlink took over and started running the Hjaltland and Hrossay ferries. However in July 2012, the Serco Group took over running the service.

                                          St Clair

With the possibility of seeing, various seabirds as well as dolphins and whales, ferry travelling  is the best introduction to the Northern Isles. It may be 340 km from Aberdeen and take 12 hours overnight,  but the slow approach as it glides up the east coast of Shetland gives you time to absorb the landscape and feel the wind in your face, a feature that you will have to get used to.

It not all plane sailing, we did travel up on the St Clair in a force 9 gale one year , and I have seen YouTube videos where people were unable to stand up in very rough conditions. But if you decided to go by plane you have to contend with the fog and many a time people have been transferred to the ferry as there was no hint that the fog would lift from Sumburgh airport.

The sea has to be respected and many a ship have been broken by the force of the storm. This one going down the day before we arrived in 2011. The coastguard is very busy in Shetland and well supported by the islanders, with a yearly gala held both in Lerwick and Aith to raise funds

The sea rules the way of life to all living in Shetland, many depend on the sea for a living, seabirds dependent on the sea for food and with no area being more than three miles from the sea, daily life is governed by the sea & weather and not by materialistic items as it is further south.

As 15 islands are inhabited, the inter island ferry is an important link and a great way to get to see the different islands, some of which are no longer supported by plane.

Having just completed an illustrated talk on the History of Shetland this morning to the Crosspool Probus Group, I have just received two more requests for the same talk next year. This time by the Gleadless Valley History Group and the Fox valley Probus Group both in Sheffield

Top: Clickhimin Broch
Bottom: Mousa Broch

Just been featured in a number of newspapers recently, here is a couple

Yorkshire Post

http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/around-yorkshire/local-stories/visitors-encouraged-to-see-woods-for-trees-1-4814114

Sheffield Star

http://www.thestar.co.uk/community/sheffield-snapper-brings-wildlife-photography-into-focus-1-4815805

must say that i don't like some of the wording, such a snapper, sounds like a fish not a photographer

Shetland Butterflies are never very numerous. The Large White is the only breeding species in the isles, but this is in decline.

The number of butterfly species in the world is about 15, 000 with around 55 resident in the UK. In Shetland only 14 species have been recorded, most of these only once. With the cool wet climate, Shetland is never likely to have an abundant insect population. Butterflies do not fly in the rain making it impossible to reach food plant.

Almost three quarters of the UK butterfly species have declined in the last 10 years. This has been a very wet Summer in England, making it the worst breeding season for butterflies in the last 25 years.

Shetland does however have migrant butterflies, and it always amazes me that such a delicate thing can fly such long distances.Here are a few -

Red Admiral
This butterfly, a long distance migrant from southern Europe is recorded annually, some years they are very numerous. You may be able to find these June - August in Shetland.

Painted Lady
Found most years but normally scarcer than the above species. Again a migrant from North Africa

Small Tortoiseshell
Very small numbers recorded each year in the isles. This is one species that has been declining around Sheffield with very few seen over the past 5 years.

Peacock
Only occasionally seen in Shetland , usually in August

Amazingly two very rare butterflies have been seen this far north

Camberwell Beauty
Last recorded at Hermaness in 1992, with 10 records in total

Swallowtail
Has occurred twice in 1994 and 1995, these being the only two records from Scotland.

Whether its butterflies, birds or flowers any records are important, not just of rare species which tend to form the bulk of records submitted, but the more common species which are always under recorded. I would therefore encourage everyone to submit records, even casual ones to the county recorder. Don't leave it to someone else !!

Shetland seal populations are in decline, between 2007 - 2010 harbour seals numbered just over 3,000, a decline from the previous survey 2000- 2005 when 6883 present.

Seals are protected by law under the new Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 so it was disappointing to hear last week, that two men stand accused of unlawfully killing seals at a salmon farm in Vaila Sound Shetland.

Marine Scotland received 7 applications to shoot seals under licence. Of these, an application of 341 Grey seals, was reduced to 109 to be shot under licence, where as an application of 32 common seals was reduced to 6. This was a 10% reduction from the previous year.

Both Grey and Common seals can live for over 30 years. Approx 38% of the Grey seal population can be found in UK waters (around 111,300) with nearly 90% of these in Scottish waters, 30% of all common (harbour) seals can again be found in UK waters (36500), a decline -  40% in 2006.

                                                            Grey Seals around Noss

The distemper virus of 1988 and 2002 is thought to have had little effect on the Scottish population . Recently, mutilated carcasses of a large number of seals have been washed up on UK beaches. Unexplained 'cork screw' lacerations have been found on the dead seals. In Norfolk, 50 seals have been found, but in parts of Scotland, up to 10% of the breeding population have been found dead. No one is sure why these deaths have occurred. So far no seals with these lacerations have been found in Shetland, although seals with these injuries have been found as close as Orkney.

Orcas (Killer whales) may be to blame for a large number of seal deaths, especially common seals. Researchers have estimated that between 1997- 2006 around 1600 Common(harbour) seals may have been taken, but this is thought to be a massive underestimate. More Killer whales are being reported in Shetland waters each year !.

                                           Common seals on Mousa

                                             Noss

                                            Easter Quarff
The decline in Sandeels may also be to blame in the falling numbers of seals as these play an important part in their diet.

It is always great to see seals , which tend to be very inquisitive and to see them hunting underwater is quite a sight.

Shetland breeding birds
With only 70 species of regular breeding birds I thought I would run a quiz to find out what people know about which birds are more successful common breeders than others in Shetland, excluding Fair Isle.

The results are in , and like all good quiz's we have had a break, so here goes !
Most people guessed the the bird that has successfully bred the most number of years between 1965 - 2010.
Yes it was the coot just coming ahead of the Whooper swan. Everyone failed to identify the non-breeder which was the Blue Tit.
So here is the list in order, with the bird with the most years at the top.

1. Coot (16 years) 1972 first year, then 1974, 1976, 1977, 1988, 2000-2010

2. Whooper Swan (15 years) which started breeding in 1994, then 1995, 1996, 1999, 2000-2010

3. Snowy Owl (9 years) discovered by Bobby Tullock breeding on Fetlar in 1967, then successful breeding until 1975. We saw one of the two female young on Fetlar in 1987, just behind the school.The last sighting of  these birds occurred 18 9 1992.

4.Robin (7 years) first in 1989, then 1991, 1992, 2007- 2010

5. Chaffinch (6 years) bred for first time in 1973 then 4 years between 1986- 1993, and 2010

6. Glaucous Gull (5 years) One paired up with a Herring Gull and bred 1975- 1979

7. Tree Sparrow  (5 years) First in 1970, 1976, 1977, 1979 then 2006

8. Greenfinch (4 years) first recorded breeding in 2006, then 2008-2010

9. Chiff Chaff (3  years) first in 2005, followed by 2009 and 2010

10. Marsh Warbler ( 3 years) First in 2002, then 2005 and 2008

11. Sedge warbler (3 years) 1996, 2002 and in 2007

12. Reed Warbler (1 year) Bred at Halligarth, Unst in 1973 the only breeding record for Scotland until recent colonisation of Southern Scotland

And finally, Blue Tit which has never bred. It has only been recorded in Shetland just over 100 times between 1965-2010, between October - March, with October being the best month. A surprise to those bird watching in England where it is a common breeding bird. But don't forget in Shetland there is very little woodland.

Hope this has been helpful and that you may have surprised by a few of the answers.Let me know your thoughts !!

You have to EXPECT the UNEXPECTED when birding in Shetland.

I thought I would run a little quiz to find out how much people know about the breeding birds in Shetland. For this you need to list the birds in order of how many years they have bred between 1965 - 2010( most numerous at number 1 and down to the species with least number of years.)

In addition one species has not bred at all in Shetland can you guess which ?

In no particular order
Blue tit, Chaffinch, Chiff Chaff, Coot, Glaucous gull, Greenfinch, Marsh Warbler, Reed warbler, Robin, Sedge warbler, Snowy Owl, Treesparrow, Whooper swan

either use comments box at bottom of this post or e-mail me at shetlandblogspot@gmail.com

list as
1. brownblogger  12 years
2. greenblogger    9 years
etc

I will post the results in a few days so keep checking, its just a fun quiz so no names will be used !!

Corn Bunting a former breeder