Shetland Misfit: 2008

Wednesday, 31 December 2008

December 31st 2008. Final Sunset.

The final sunset of the year over Fair Isle (photo taken from the garden)

Tuesday, 30 December 2008

December 30th 2008. More Gulls.

Another day at the Shetland Catch - 4 Iceland Gulls (3 1st year, 1 2nd year), another Iceland Gull on Clickimin in Lerwick and a stupidly tame Seal pup next to the Co-op. 5 Fieldfare at Scatness.

Eider.

Herring Gull.

Iceland Gull.

Kittiwake.

Seal pup.

Sunday, 28 December 2008

December 28th 2008.

Common Gull at Scatness.

Purple Sandpiper on Moast Beach.

'Shetland' Wren in the Garden.

Saturday, 27 December 2008

Wednesday, 24 December 2008

December 24th 2008.

A quick walk around Scatness - 22 Wigeon, 30 Teal, 7 Tufted Ducks, 1 Grey Heron, 5 Lapwing and 2 Moorhen On Loch of Gards, a few Purple Sands on Moast Beach, and a fly-over Great Northern Diver.

Curlew.

Grey Heron & Great Northern Diver.

Teal & Tufted Ducks.

Saturday, 20 December 2008

December 20th 2008. White-wingers.

Most of the afternoon spent in Lerwick, at the Shetland Catch - 5 Iceland Gulls and 2 Glaucs (+ a few Long-tailed Ducks).
1st year Glauc in front of the House this morning.

Eider & Glaucous Gull.

Glaucous Gull.

Iceland Gulls.

Kittiwake.

Long-tailed Duck.

Friday, 19 December 2008

December 19th 2008. Storms and Stuff.

Spent about half an hour photographing Gulls and Waves in front of the House - then gave up - too cold, too windy and too dark.

Herring Gulls and Waves.

The sea in front of the House.

Advice from the Council - the joys of a Shetland winter !

Monday, 15 December 2008

December 15th 2008. Ivory Gull.

Up to Fetlar for the day, for the Ivory Gull, found by 'Brydon the Beach Baiter' yesterday. Despite a dead Sheep, a Skate and some Mackerel on a nearby beach, the bird prefered to spend most of the time in a boggy field and eventually showed down to about 10 feet ! Looks like this could be the biggest twitch of the winter, with 10 people present at one point !

Ivory Gull.

Sunday, 14 December 2008

December 14th 2008. More Little Auks.

Loads of Gulls feeding around Moast Beach at Scatness (tho' no white-wingers), 11 Fieldfare in front of the House.
Sea-watching from Sumburgh Head produced 49 Little Auks (45 flying south, 4 flying north), a female Common Scoter flying south and a Great Northern Diver.

Shag at Grutness & dark Herring Gull at Scatness.

Herring Gulls at Scatness.

Eider at Scatness.

Wednesday, 10 December 2008

December 10th 2008.

200+ Greylags and a Grey Heron in front of the house, and a Great Northern Diver in Grutness Bay.

Great Northern Diver.

About Me

Sometimes I try to do things but it just doesn't work out the way I want it to, and I get real frustrated and then like I try hard to do it, and I like, take my time but it just doesn't work out the way I want it to. It's like, I concentrate on it real hard, but it just doesn't work out. And everything I do and everything I try, it never turns out. It's like, I need time to figure these things out, but there's always someone there going “hey Steve, you know we've been noticing you've been having a lot of problems lately, you know? You need to maybe get away. And like, maybe you should talk about it, you'll feel a lot better.” And I'm all like “oh, nah, it's ok, you know. I'll figure it out. Just leave me alone, I'll figure it out, you know? I'm just working on it by myself.” And they go “well, you know, if you wanna talk about it, I'll be here, you know? And you'll probably feel a lot better if you talk about it. So why don't you talk about it?” I go “no, I don't want to! I'm ok. I'll figure it out myself!” But they just keep bugging me, they just keep bugging me, and it builds up inside.I was in my house and I was just like staring at the walls thinking about everything, but then again I was thinking about nothing. And then my wife came in, and I didn't even know she was there. She called my name and I didn't hear her and then she started screaming “Steve, Steve !” And I go “what ? What's the matter ?” She goes “what's the matter with you?” I go “there's nothing wrong” She’s all “don't tell me that ! You're on drugs !” I go “FFS, I'm not on drugs. I'm ok, I'm just thinking, you know? Why don't you get me a Pepsi?” She goes “No! You're on drugs!” I go “I'm ok. I'm just thinking.” She goes “No! You're not thinking, you're on drugs! Normal people don't be acting that way!” I go “just get me a Pepsi ! Please, all I want is a Pepsi !” And she wouldn't give it to me! All I wanted was a Pepsi, just one Pepsi, and she wouldn't give it to me! Just a Pepsi !I'm sitting in my house, when a couple of my mates came in. they pulled up a chair and they sat down. They go “Steve, we need to talk to you.” And I go “ok, what's the matter?” They go “we've noticed that lately you've been having a lot of problems, and you've been going off on one for no reason, and we're afraid you're going to hurt somebody, and we're afraid you're going to hurt yourself. So we decided that it would be in your best interest if we put you somewhere where you could get the help that you need.” And I go “wait, what are you talking about, WE decided ? MY best interests ? How do you know what MY best interest is ? How can you say what MY best interest is ? What are you trying to say? I'm crazy ? They say they're gonna fix my brain. Alleviate my suffering and my pain. But by the time they fix my head, Mentally I'll be dead. They stuck me in an institution, said it was the only solution, to give me the needed professional help, to protect me from the enemy, myself !
Doesn't matter, I'll probably get hit by a car anyways !!!!