Swans.

A few hours birding around Scatness in the sunshine ! 20 Whooper Swans, Mallard x Pintail hybrid, 73 Wigeon and 14 Tufted Ducks on the Loch, 17 Golden Plover, 350+ Greylags and the Pink-footed Goose in the fields, 1 Meadow Pipit still braving the winter around Colonial Place, Merlin and 40+ Snow Buntings around the house and the Robin still in the garden.

Whooper Swans.

Snow Buntings.

Meadow Pipit.

Mallard x Pintail hybrid.

Greylag Goose.

Pinky.

The only things of note today were the Pink-foot remains in with the Greylags in front of the house, 15 Snow Buntings over and the Robin is still in the garden.

Pink-footed Goose.

Too Good, Too Bad.

Too good - Birmingham City holding Chelsea to a 0-0 draw - every little helps !

Too bad - Someone trying to blow a plane up in the U.S. this now means that anyone travelling by air in the next 6 months will be subjected to 'over the top' security checks at all western airports, prepare for long queues and being treated as though you are Bin Laden's twin brother !

Grey Christmas.

Rain, low clouds and general gloominess for most of the day, so just a bit of birding from the living room window - 1 Pink-footed Goose still with the Greylags, 2 Merlin, 2 Whooper Swans and 40 Snow Buntings over, and that was about it, apart from almost getting Water Rail on the garden list - the bird was viewable from the house but, unfortunately, was being eaten by a Herring Gull !!!
Daytime telly provided the true meaning of Christmas, when we all celebrate the birth, the life and the accomplishments of......... Morecambe & Wise !

Too Good, Too Bad. (a new, occasional and often non-bird related spleen venting spot)
Too Good - The mad woman trying to attack the Pope on Christmas eve - nutters attacking public figures are always good entertainment at any time of year !
Too Bad - Has to go to the Queen's speech - 10 minutes of a woman talking about stuff she clearly knows nothing about ! She should do a speech about something she is expert in, like German Parasites for example, or better still, let Prince Phillip do it one year - now that would be entertaining, as he tries to insult every nation possible in just 10 minutes !!!

Snow.

Snow most of the night and all morning - about 5 inches deep all over Scatness and quite a few birds around too. 250 Greylags and a Pink-footed Goose around the Fields ( and flying all over the place), 4 Jack Snipe ( 2 in the wet bit and 2 in the garden - a most welcome garden year tick), a female Common Scoter on the sea, 400 Curlew, 150 Lapwing and 100+ Golden Plover around the Loch, 4 Skylark, 2 Meadow Pipit, 2 Redwing, 30+ Fieldfare and 16 Snow Buntings in front of the house and a Robin and 3 Blackbirds in the garden (feeding on a load of cheap fruit that I managed to acquire).


Skylark.

Greylag Geese (+ 1 Pink-footed Goose).

Snowless.

While the rest of Shetland was being covered in snow, Scatness remained relatively snow-free, the result being that the fields in front of the house were full of birds. 80+ Golden Plover, 30 Lapwing, 100+ Curlew, 21 Oystercatcher and 8 Dunlin were all feeding in the grass along with 100+ Greylags, about 20 Fieldfare and 10 Redwing came in and started to feed, 12 Snow Buntings were flying around the house for most of the day and a male Pintail settled on the sea briefly. The Robin remains in the garden.


Fieldfare.

Redwing.

Starlings (making the most of the remains of a chicken carcass).