Shetland Misfit

Wednesday, 29 October 2008

October 29th 2008. Easterlies !

Most of the day spent around Scatness, in a light NNE breeze (no gales, snow or hail !!).

3 Grey Phalaropes still on Moast Beach, 64 Greylag Geese, 4 Whooper Swans, 1 Grey Heron, 17 Tufted Ducks, 1 Coot, 1 Moorhen and 2 Goldcrest at Scatness.

2 Blackcaps and a Chiffchaff in the Garden.

A few videos of the Grey Phalaropes off Moast Beach can be seen here - http://shetlandmisfit.blogspot.com/2008/10/grey-phal-videos.html

Grey Phalaropes.

Blackcap & Chiffchaff.

Seal off Moast Beach & Starling in the garden.

Whooper Swan.

Grey Phal Videos.

A few short videos of the Grey Phalaropes off Moast Beach, Scatness. Taken on 29/10/08.

Monday, 27 October 2008

October 27th 2008. More Grey Phals.

Around South Mainland.

4 Grey Phalaropes (flying around all over the place), 3 Brent Geese, 10 Bar-tailed Godwits and a Merlin at Pool of Virkie.

1 Snow Bunting, 2 Fieldfare and 7 Barnacle Geese at Quendale.

40+ Snow Bunting on Garth's Ness.

3 Gadwall at Boddam.

3 Grey Phalarope still off Moast Beach, Scatness (up to 6 present earlier in the day).

Snow Buntings & Brent Geese.

Sunday, 26 October 2008

October 26th 2008. Grey Phal Fest.

Following the storm - 3 Grey Phalaropes on Moast Beach, Scatness, showing very well in the surf. Also at Scatness - 1 Snow Bunting, 240 Greylag Geese, 40 Wigeon, 4 Redwing and 8 Lapwing.

Grey Phalaropes - 'Tame as yer like'.

Breakers swamping Sumburgh Runway & Snow Bunting.

Saturday, 25 October 2008

October 24th - 25th 2008.

Two days of gales - reaching 90+ mph at times !! No electricity on the 25th, and several houses lost their satellite dishes.

Grey Phalarope seen from the house on the 24th (house tick 163, patch 182). Other than that, birding pretty impossible.

Wednesday, 22 October 2008

October 22nd 2008. Snow Buntings.

As the wind had dropped a fair bit, spent a few hours around Scatness.

2 Great Northern Divers in Quendale Bay. 50 Wigeon, 15 Tufted Duck, 4 Goldeneye and a female Pintail on Loch of Gards. 22 Snow Buntings around the cliff tops.

Great Northern Divers.

Herring Gull.

Goldeneye & Snow Buntings.

Snow Buntings.

Monday, 20 October 2008

October 20th 2008. Grey Phalarope.

After yesterday out West, tried up North today - not much better !!!!

1 Scaup, 77 Wigeon and a Bar-headed Goose at Lochend.

Grey Phalarope and lots of Gannets off Eshaness in force 9 south-westerlies (+ a Dunlin cowering on a small pool next to the road).

20 Chaffinch and 2 Brambling at Busta House.

Dunlin.

Gannets.

Eshaness.

Sunday, 19 October 2008

October 19th 2008. Mega Garden Tick.

Spent most of the day out west, hoping for the big yank mega.

Long-tailed Tit in the Garden at about 10am (house tick 162, patch tick 181).

12 Snow Bunting, a Black-tailed Godwit, 3 Pintail, a Blackcap and a Sparrowhawk at Sandness.

Sparrowhawk, Goldcrest and Siskin at West Burrafirth.

Gales and Rain all day !!!! (and no Yank).

Friday, 17 October 2008

October 17th 2008. Ring-necked Yuck !

Lerwick to South Mainland.

Male Ring-necked Duck and Long-tailed Duck on Clickimin, Lerwick.

1 Waxwing, 2 Blackcap, 40 Redwing, 3 Fieldfare, 20 Chaffinch, 9 Brambling and a Sparrowhawk at Wester Quarff.

40 Redwing, 2 Robin, 2 Stonechat and a Bluethroat at Channerwick.

Greylag Geese & Ring-necked Duck.

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 !!!!