Shetland Misfit

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

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 !!!!