Shetland Misfit

Friday, 12 September 2008

September 12th 2008. Great Snipe and Lancy !

The day it all went nuts !!!
Started off the day around Ward Hill - 5 Redstarts, a Tree Pipit and a Pied Flycatcher, then walked down into Quendale Dunes to do the Eel Burn, kicked up a large Pipit from the stubble field next to the Burn and watched as it flew for miles over towards Fleck - the bird never called. 450 Golden Plover and 6 Knot in fields next to the burn.
Got up around Quendale Mill and Valley - 1 Turtle Dove, 1 Spotted Flycatcher, 8 Redstart, 5 Garden Warbler, 2 Pied Flycatcher, 7 Whinchat and 1 Tree Pipit.
Then walked back through the Dunes with the intention of checking Toab on the way home, however, at the eastern end of Quendale Dunes, whilst checking the thistle patches, flushed a Great Snipe from right next to me !!! Watched it as it flew low for about 100 yards before landing in some rough grass, 5 minutes later i flushed it again, this time it seemed to land behind a large dune - I then waited for other birders to arrive before trying again, but despite 4 people searching, we couldn't re-locate it. 4 Redstart and 2 Whinchat in the Dunes.
Went home for some lunch, then news came of Lanceolated Warbler at Sumburgh Head - dashed out and managed to see it before rain finally stopped play.
3 Song Thrush, 1 Robin, 1 Pied Flycatcher, 1 Spotted Flycatcher, 3 Redstart and a Garden Warbler in the garden.

Redstart (taken through the living room window) & Lanceolated Warbler.

Knots.

Thursday, 11 September 2008

September 11th 2008. Rain, Rain, Rain.

South-easterly wind continues (up to force 8), with lots of rain - Birding near impossible.
Garden Warbler, 2 Willow Warblers and a Robin in the garden.

Wednesday, 10 September 2008

September 10th 2008. Migrants at last !

Strong south-easterly winds with rain overnight - at last some migrants !!

2 Pied Flycatchers, 1 Spotted Flycatcher, 6 Tree Pipits, 1 Wood Warbler, 8 Whinchat, 2 Redstart, 1 Dunnock, 1 Little Gull, 1 Brent Goose, 1 Greenshank, 1 Whimbrel, 140 Dunlin, 71 Wigeon at Scatness (Lapland Bunting still on headland).

3 Redstarts, 1 Robin, 1 Spotted Flycatcher and a Garden Warbler in the Garden.

2 Garden Warbler, 5 Redstart, 2 Robin, 4 Swallow, 4 Tree Pipit, 4 Whinchat, 1 Spotted Flycatcher, 1 Red-backed Shrike, 1 Barred Warbler and 15 Black-tailed Godwits at Toab.

2 Redstarts and a Robin in Virkie Willows.

Grey Plover on Pool of Virkie.

Brent Goose.

Whinchat.

Whimbrel.

Spotted Flycatcher.

Red-backed Shrike.

Purple Sandpiper.

Little Gull.

Tuesday, 9 September 2008

September 9th 2008. Lapland Bunting.

Male Merlin, Blackcap, Lapland Bunting (in with the Meadow Pipits and White Wagtails) and 2 Golden Plover at Scatness.

A Swallow at Toab and a Willow Warbler at Voe.

Monday, 8 September 2008

September 8th 2008

Still hardly any migrants (250+ Meadow Pipits) at Scatness, a few waders on Moast Beach + a couple of Arctic Terns.

Sanderling & Ringed Plover.

Arctic Tern.

Sunday, 7 September 2008

September 7th 2008

Merlin in front of the house in the morning, Barred Warbler in garden mid-afternoon, also Otter off Sanblister Beach.

Shags off Scord Beach.

Saturday, 6 September 2008

September 6th 2008

3 Swifts over the garden in the morning.

Friday, 5 September 2008

September 5th 2008. Barred Warbler.

Spent most of the morning around Fitful Head and Garth's Ness looking for migrants - none !!
so ended up just taking photos of Fulmars instead.
Barred Warbler in the garden at 6.30pm.

Thursday, 4 September 2008

September 4th 2008

2 Willow Warblers, 1 Kestrel and a Swallow at Scatness.
Blackcap, Whinchat, Goldcrest and 3 Willow Warblers on Bressay.
Grey Heron in Lerwick.
Easterly winds forecast for the next few days - here's hoping !

Goldcrest on Bressay.

Grey Heron in Lerwick.

Wednesday, 3 September 2008

September 3rd 2008. Odd Tystie.

A quick walk around Scatness in the morning - nothing more than a Willow Warbler !

An interesting Black Guillemot in Lerwick small boat harbour - looking vaguely similar to Pigeon Guillemot !! - however pale axillaries and underwing gave the game away. Comments welcome on this bird.

Gannets.

odd Black Guillemot (first 3 pics) & Black Guillemot.

Monday, 1 September 2008

September 1st 2008

Quite a few migrants around today, but rain and fog still.

2 Willow Warblers in the garden.
2 Whimbrel, 1 Garden Warbler, 1 Whitethroat, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 1 Swift, 3 Pied Flycatcher and a Golden Plover at Scatness.
2 Willow Warblers and a Robin at Quendale.
1 Stonechat, 1 Garden Warbler and a Pied Flycatcher at Geosetter.

Wheatear & Pied Flycatcher.

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 !!!!