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.

Iceland Gull.

Iceland 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

December 27th 2008.

Merlin hunting in front of the House.

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.