FFS.... Eiders

Came across a small group of Eiders yesterday in West Voe of Sumburgh, although the flock contained just 5 birds (2 females, 3 males), two birds proved to be very interesting indeed.
Bird One - I'm pretty happy was a Borealis, based on current criteria - strongly yellowish bill and rounded lobes, plus the remnants of sails (mostly worn away over the winter). It must be stressed that anyone looking around the internet for definite identification criteria on this subspecies - it's an absolute minefield, the conclusion that I've come to is that borealis probably doesn't exist, and that borealis/mollissima are all just one North Atlantic cline !
Bird Two - This bird had massive rounded lobes that suggest Dresseri, however, the bill colour was again strongly yellowish and the black area bordering the bill was a long, thin triangle (as with  borealis/mollissima), this bird did not appear to have any sails. Conclusion - this bird could possibly be a Dresseri x borealis/mollissima hybrid.

Any thoughts on this subject are most welcome.

Bird One Photos - 

Bird Two Photos

And finally, the two birds together

Another 'Boris'

A nice, calm, windless day and a time for some photo opps in West Voe, though my attention soon wandered of into the realms of Northern Eider, with at least one, probably two, possibly three 'Borealis' present - the lobe shape is spot on for one of them and a bit in between for the other two, all three had sails of some sort though.



and then I got bored and started taking shots of Fulmars !



Big Birds - Deja Vu

On June 7th last year 4 Common Cranes flew over the patch and then later in the day I found a couple of 'borealis' Eider in West Voe (link here). Today I found a drake 'borealis' Eider in West Voe and later 2 Common Cranes flew over ther house - DEJA VU !!! Elsewhere on the patch there was 3 Willow Warblers, a Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Sand Martins, a Swallow and 2 Chiffchaffs.

 

 'borealis' Eider

.

Common Cranes.

Aura Borealis

After bemoaning the crapness of Scatness this spring (well sort of), with 4 Common Cranes flying over at 9am, not sure from which direction they came in on - picked them up flying north-west out to sea over Lady's Holm, they eventually turned back and started heading north past the cliffs of Fitful Head, finally lost them behind a hill near Quendale. The rest of Scatness was, as usual, quite devoid of anything, with just a few Sanderling and a Whimbrel. Another highlight (if you can call it that !) was at least one, probably two, possibly three 'borealis' Eiders in West Voe - one bird showed the rounded lobes, orangey bill and noticeable sails, another bird showed the rounded lobes, a not quite so orange bill (but definitely not green) and smaller sails, and the third bird showed slightly rounded lobes (though more rounded than the 'mollisimas' next to it), a faded orangey bill and no sails.

'borealis' Eiders

Common Cranes