Bearded Seal Part 1

Some of the first shots I took of the Bearded Seal in Lerwick Harbour. Great animal- only 30 records ever in Britain of this Arctic Seal. Very cute and clearly has no fear of humanoids. 

Puffins on Shetland

Just got back from a week long trip to Shetland. By the looks of this blog, I only take photos on Shetland these days. Anyway, here are some Puffins from Sumburgh Head. The main problems with photographing them here was the wind and the lack of birds most days, however on the second evening we were lucky with some great close birds. Most were muddy from digging their burrows but these birds were fine and I am happy I have finally got shots of Puffin in Thrift.

Black Guillemot

Long-tailed Skua

According to the local golfers, this juvenile Long-tailed Skua has been hanging about the Golf course at Goswick for ages and was nice compensation for the Scop's Owl having done one a few days before. It was outrageously fearless, allowing golfers to take photos with their phones within a few feet.

American Buff-bellied Pipit, Shetland

There was quite a surge in records of Buff-bellied Pipits a few years ago, after one was found at Frampton Marsh RSPB. Indeed, this was the first one I saw in 2005. It wasn't an easy individual to catch up and many people dipped. This bird found at Grutness was very obliging for the gathered crowd but didn't hang around for long before it flew off and wasn't relocated by dusk.

More Parrots

Twitched two 'red' Parrot Crossbills in Lerwick today which were reasonably obliging, even coming to puddles by the crowd at one point. Whilst there another one flew over west and we also had another two flying over near Helendale Drive again.

Blythi Lesser Whitethroat

Looks good for a Blythi. Found at Symbister, Whalsay on the 30th September.

Parrot find

Great to find this beast in Lerwick this morning with Sam Viles and Kev DuRose. Having heard about the small flock at Sand to the north, we decided to hit some suitable sites. The first couple of places drew a blank and with time being short due to having to get Sam back to the airport, we remembered there were quite a few pines in Lerwick. After a considerable drive around Lerwick we eventually found a good stand of pines of all different flavours down Helendale Terrace, some with plenty of cones on.

After a little while a couple of Parrot Crossbill calls started to come from deep within the pines and a little while later Kev spotted a male feeding in the open. Another, this time juvenile, then appeared and Kev and Sam had another over later on. Sadly it seems they didn't hang around (much like the ones at Sand to the north).

There may be more, but with these winds at the moment, I doubt it. But whatever- great to find a rarity that is even rare for Shetland!

Perhaps not just an Oystercatcher?

Last week, when the weather was awful and there wasn't much about there was plenty of talk about this being not just an Oystercatcher and perhaps belonging to the central Asian subspecies longipes. When we first found it today (3rd October), it was alone and the plumage differences were immediately obvious. Later, some other 'normal' Oystercatchers joined it and made the features of brown mantle, longer legs, longer bill and similar appearance even more obvious.

Ottis