Shetland Misfit: August 2016

Monday, 29 August 2016

Clear out

It looks like everything has cleared out from the patch, all I could manage today was 2 Willow Warbler, a Merlin, a Kestrel and 28 Black-tailed Godwits.

Merlin

Sunday, 28 August 2016

The Arctic Warbler in the garden was even more elusive than yesterday, it showed only twice during the day, once at about 1pm then again at 6pm. At 6pm it showed stupidly well in the willow outside the kitchen window, elsewhere on the patch I could only manage 6 Willow Warblers.

Arctic Warbler

Last night's sunset

Saturday, 27 August 2016

Arctic Warbler

Got home from work this morning to find an Arctic Warbler calling in the garden, I've never known an Arctic to be as elusive as this fella - 4 to 5 half decent views in 5 hours!!!

Thursday, 25 August 2016

Still Happening

Still quite a few migrants about the patch - 1 Pied Flycatcher, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 7 Swallows, 1 Sand Martin, 2 Whinchat, 3 Willow Warbler, 2 Ruff, 1 Whimbrel and 2 Knot.

Pied Flycatcher

Whinchats

A fine afternoon at Scatness

Wednesday, 24 August 2016

New Birds

A few new birds on the patch today - 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Whinchat and a Reed Warbler. 2 Pied Flycatchers and a Restart remained in the garden and 6 Willow Warblers were also around the patch. A bit of a surprise was a Polecat at the bottom end of Spring Field.

Lesser Whitethroat

Whinchat

Willow Warbler

Polecat

Tuesday, 23 August 2016

Garden Birds

Now 2 Pied Flycatchers in the garden plus a Common Redstart.

Redstart

Monday, 22 August 2016

Still Arriving

More migrants on the patch today - 1 Pied Flycatcher (still in the garden), 3 Common Redpoll, 1 Kestrel, 6 Ruff, 1 Grey Heron, 23 Knot, 1 Little Stint, 30 Sanderling, 20 Dunlin, 1 Garden Warbler and 2 Willow Warblers.

Kestrel

Knot

Little Stint

Ruff

Sunday, 21 August 2016

More Migrants

Around the patch today were - 1 Pied Flycatcher, 7 Willow Warblers, 1 Garden Warbler, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Common Whitethroat, 1 Swift and a Knot. There was probably more, but it was really foggy for most of the day. A new moth for the garden trapped last night - Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing.

Swift

Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing

Saturday, 20 August 2016

Migrants at last

Easterlies and rain! On the patch today - 12 Willow Warblers, 1 Pied Flycatcher, 1 Swallow, 3 Knot, 1 Grey Heron and a Little Stint.

Pied Flycatcher

Willow Warbler

Tuesday, 9 August 2016

After the storm

After a few days of gale force westerlies, checked the patch for any waders - Little Stint and 2 Ruff on the Loch and a Black-tailed Godwit in one of the fields.

Black-tailed Godwit

Friday, 5 August 2016

Moast Beach

A load of Waders on Moast Beach, nothing unusual, the best being a Common Sandpiper.

Dunlin

Ringed Plover

Common Sandpiper

Shetland Bumblebee

Thursday, 4 August 2016

Autumn begins

Definitely the start of the autumn today with a Curlew Sandpiper on Moast Beach and 2 Ruff, a Green Sandpiper and a Little Stint on Loch of Gards.

Curlew Sandpiper

Green Sandpiper

Ruff

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 !!!!