Shetland Misfit

Monday, 20 August 2012

Pied Flycatcher

Just did the gardens and thistles around the patch today, 1 Pied Flycatcher, 8 Willow Warbler and a Lesser Whitethroat.

Pied Flycatcher

Willow Warbler

Sunday, 19 August 2012

More Waders

Waders on the patch today included 1 Whimbrel, 10 Ruff, 3 Common Sandpipers, 9 Black-tailed Godwits and 60 Knot, migrant passerines present were 5 Willow Warblers, juv Crossbill and a Garden Warbler.

Black-tailed Godwits (with Knot)

Common Sandpiper

Saturday, 18 August 2012

Well huge for Scatness anyway, a total of 128 Knot on Sanblister Beach ! along with the Knot were 2 Common Sandpipers and 3 Ruff. Passerine wise it was just 4 Willow Warblers and a Garden Warbler.
Interestingly there was a white Polecat/ferret hunting rabbits around Stinky Geo.

Polecat/ferret

Knot

Ruff

Friday, 17 August 2012

Barred

The only bird of note today was a stunning Barred Warbler in the garden this morning.

Thursday, 16 August 2012

Black Wits

After the fog had cleared, went out onto the patch, and there were new birds in. 7 Willow Warblers, 1 Whinchat, 1 Garden Warbler and a Lesser Whitethroat were around various gardens, and a Ruff, 2 Common Sandpipers and 6 Black-tailed Godwits were on the beaches.

Black-tailed Godwits

Wednesday, 15 August 2012

Waders

The only migrant passerines on the patch were 6 Willow Warblers and a Garden Warbler, so it was off to check all the beaches for passage waders, not too bad really with 18 Sanderling, 36 Knot, 4 Ruff, 2 Whimbrel, a Common Sandpiper and a Green Sandpiper, not to mention over 100 Ringed Plovers.

Ruff

Willow Warbler

Tuesday, 14 August 2012

Migrants

Still south-easterly, but now with a few more birds - 2 Pied Flycatchers and 2 Garden Warblers ! not much really. Still a lot of waders about including 12 Knot, 15 Sanderling, 8 Ruff and a Common Sandpiper.

Garden Warbler

Pied Flycatcher

Monday, 13 August 2012

Reed

With south-easterlies blowing all night, checked the patch and got the first signs of proper autumn movement with a Reed Warbler in Stinky Geo. Other bits and bobs were a Common Sandpiper, 24 Knot and a Ruff.

Reed Warbler

Wednesday, 8 August 2012

Wader day

Spent a few hours on Moast Beach, photographing the tame (ish) waders

Sanderlings

Turnstones

Sunday, 5 August 2012

Wader year ticks

Being as waders seem to be pouring through all over, went around the patch looking for Ruff, managed to find 2 on the rocks near Moast Beach and also 5 Greenshank. Other waders of note were 11 Sanderling and 7 Knot.

Greenshank

Ruff, Knot, Turnstone and Dunlin

Tuesday, 31 July 2012

July Update

Pretty quiet on the bird front, apart from a stunning Marsh Sandpiper on Pool of Virkie on the7th. Added to the patch year-list were Collared Dove, Bar-tailed Godwit and Swift.
Moth wise it was pretty spectacular (for Shetland anyway), with 2 county firsts - an Oblique Carpet on the 21st and a Clouded Brindle on the 24th. Add to this a couple of scarcities like, Bordered Sallow (second for Shetland on the 2nd) Pearly Underwing and Snout, not a bad months tally.

Arctic Skua in a storm on the 23rd

Marsh Sandpiper

Bordered Sallow

Clouded Brindle

Oblique Carpet

Pearly Underwing

Snout

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 !!!!