Wednesday, 24 February 2016

No change

Back out on the patch after a fortnight, and virtually no change apart from some snow! The Velvet Scoter and 5 Common Scoters are still in West Voe with the Long-tailed Ducks and the Robin is still around Colonial Place.
Long-tailed Duck
Robin
Quendale Bay and Fitful Head
Looking towards Toab
West Voe and Compass Head

Wednesday, 17 February 2016

1066 - Back to the old patch

Have been back south for the last week, and while I was there I visited the old patch a couple of times. Moore NR seems to have become even more popular with visitors than it was when I left in 2002 and even more birdless - coincidence? Anyway the highlights were a couple of Yellow-legged Gulls on Birchwood Pool, a leucistic Black-headed Gull on Pumphouse Pool, Kingfishers around the Eastern Reedbed and Lesser Spotted Woodpecker singing in Lapwing Lane Alder Woods. And the post title? This is my 1066th post - and nothing to do with any battles on the south coast.
Kingfisher
Leucistic Black-headed Gull
Canadian Water Pig
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Jay
Pheasant
Pochard
Lapwing Lane alder woods
Birchwood Pool
Eastern Reedbed
Feeding Station
Lapwing Lane
Lapwing Lane Pool
Pumphouse Pool

Tuesday, 9 February 2016

Glauc

2w Glaucous Gull on the patch today, the only other thing of note was the first Skylark of the year.
Glaucous Gull
Great Black-backed Gull - presumably a victim of storm Henry
The view from the garden

Saturday, 6 February 2016

Typical 2nd winter Common Gulls

A few shots of more typical 2w Common Gulls as a comparison to the bird seen on 30/1/16.

Friday, 5 February 2016

A day out

As I had to go into Lerwick today anyway, it would have been rude not to give The Shetland Catch a bit of a look over, but all I could find was a rather huge 1w Glaucous Gull.

Thursday, 4 February 2016

Another boring day

Spent all day wandering around the patch and the only thing different was there are now 5 Common Scoters with the Velvet in West Voe along with 2 Great Northern Divers and 29 Goldeneye. The rest of the patch was equally as slow - 9 Great Northerns in Quendale Bay and 6 Tufted Duck, 120 Teal and 65 Wigeon on the Loch. A few small signs of spring being on the way, there are a few more Oystercatchers and Curlew about.
Curlew
Fulmar
Oystercatcher
Teal

Tuesday, 2 February 2016

Wave Riders

Did the patch today and saw sod all ! apart from a few Fulmars riding the breakers.

Monday, 1 February 2016

January Sum-up

Highlights around the patch in January were -

2 Little Gulls in West Voe on 1/1
2 Barnacle Geese in front of the house on and off 4/1 to 11/1
Jack Snipe on 11/1
Black-throated Diver in Quendale Bay 11/1 - 13/1
2 Scaup in West Voe on 14/1
Velvet Scoter in West Voe all month
Kumlien's Gull at Moast Beach on 28/1

PWC - Species: 62, Points: 90
Barnacle Geese
Velvet Scoter with Common Scoters
Kumlien's Gull
Little Gulls

January's PWC Islands League