Shetland 2012- Day IV: Contingency Plans

Well, as we approached West Sandwick from the north the sun was behind us creating beautiful golden light and it poured over the moorlands of Yell. We still hadn't seen a Golden Plover at that point, so armed to the teeth with tins of Sardines, some bread and a second battery we set off up onto the moors to find one. Sure enough, one was calling straight away. Now Golden Plover nest in loose colonies, with a couple of pairs fairly close together. This makes singling out a bird for a photo difficult. To augment this, there's nearly always a sentry bird, and this colony was no exception. I took a long distance snap and left it be...

...but this was quite late at night, I was tired and tomorrow was another birding day so I packed up, loaded my photos and slept the sleep of those that've crawled too far on their bellies!

Next day we heard the early morning forecast over breakfast. High winds, turbulent seas, no Mousa crossing for us! This was confirmed with a quick look at the Mousa website, and was a real pity for us as we were really looking forward to the chance of Black Guillemot and Divers. So I had all of a sudden a need for a plan B. This came from Jason Atkinson and Dougie Preston, who had both reccomended Burravoe on the south coast of Yell for Black Guillemots. So we had a look early doors, but nothing about. However, patience is often rewarded (even if it is from unusual quarters!) and we soon had 7 Dunlin...!

...Lift off...!

...a wee preen...

...I think Kelp and sullen sea water were my favourite background I had all day...

The walk back to the car was further sweetened by the appearance of Twite by a tumbled down chapel, one of my favourite birds and something I had on my Shetland 'wishlist' of things i'd love to see...

...how close....?

... but although we had these sensational views we did need to get on, so we left th Twite to their seeds, the Dunlin to their weeds and the Black Guillemots nowhere to be seen. But that's life, and wildlife in particular; win some, lose some, carry on anyway. I picked up this fella in the rock armour at Toft...

...and as we rounded the bend off the ferry we had this Redshank, which with some careful car manouvering was within shooting distance...

...but our real target was Red Throated Diver. I'd seen em before, the day before, but as Divers generally are they're right buggers to shoot! They're also a protected species so I can't photograph them with young, even if they were by the roadside (as they were on a number of occassions!). So I won't disclose where I saw them, but they were our target on the road up towards Eshaness, an area reccomended as the best area for them by Richard. Here's one by the road...

...but that's the best I got, although I can't complain as I watched an adult feeding chicks from the road! Another Shetland special was on the cards too, a pair of Whooper Swans...!

Now I see you looking at the water in the last two shots and I hear you think 'that's not exactly stormy, why wasn't this fella on a boat bound for Mousa?'. Well this was in the north, and as we drove south the extent of the wild weather was revealed. We pitched up at the Spiggie Hotel for the night, and continued south to Sumburgh for some afternoon Puffins. But the 6 foot breakers, howling winds and rain did not make for ideal conditions. However, non-ideal conditions often mean 'interesting' images, particularly as the Puffins struggled to land on the thin ledges...!

...or battled the wind simply staying there...!

...but at this point there was spray in the air and I didn't want any of it on my lens so I left them be and headed back for a right nice tea at the Spiggie Hotel and an early night! Who knew what the morning held? Who knew what would've been brought in overnight...!

Shetland 2012- Day III: If the world were flat i'd have fallen off!

After sailing across the sea from our Fetlar victories, we felt invincible. We'd go the Phalaropes on a dull day when they hadn't been seen the previous day, we had Dunlin in the bag, we had seen a Black Kite, we'd seen Black Guillemots on the crossing and I hadn't screwed up the exposure which is an achievement in itself for me! We arrived on Unst and were struck by the change of character from the peaty wastes of Yell and the green grass of Fetlar. Unst is rocky, the hills more pronounced and the scenery less bleak and more impressive. We didn't stop for a roadside Red Throated Diver as it drifted by, something I would perhaps regret later. However, we did dump our stuff at the Baltasound Hotel (Britain's Northernmost Hotel!) and walk up to the Keen of Hamar NNR. As I said we felt pretty invincible, and neither of us being botanists we thought it an excellent to look for Edmundson's Chickweed, a Shetland endemic species. We only had a vague idea what it looked like and surprise surprise we didn't see it, but we did see this rather nice Heath Orchid...

...and this Ringed Plover, looking rather odd in the barren landscapes of Hamar...

We called it a day there and had some brilliant fish and chips back at the hotel and went straight to sleep having backed up my memory cards on the computer and charged up tomorrow's batteries.

We rose early to get out to the next site, Hermaness NNR. This really is the UK's most northerly place and a legendary seabird colony, home once to an albatross and now a Bonxie stronghold, Gannetry and Puffin colony all rolled into one site. Straight onto the 2 mile walk in we had 2 Bonxies displaying...

...and once on the cliffs I thought i'd died and gone to a better place. Turns out i'd just gone to a better place, with Puffins by the bucketload, Bonxies piratical as ever and the Gannets which seemed to line every cliff, outcrop and stack. I snapped a Fulmar as it whizzed by...

...and this Bonxie as it closed in on its victim...

...but on the reccomendation of Richard, we went onto the southern reaches of the headland, not the north. This was the scene that greeted us...

I have very little sense of smell, brought about by sharing a room with 2 budgies. Still, even I could smell the Gannets on the ledges below. The reason Richard had mentioned turning south along the cliff was that here the Gannetry extended upwards towards the footpath, so I was able to get stunningly close views of these birds as they tried to land...

Like a bullet...

...can you really get too close...?



...but its an exposure nightmare, its a balancing act between over-exposure and trying to bring out the colours of the head. Its a fine line, I don't know how well I did it, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and all!

We next headed out towards the best named rock ever, Muckle Flugga. This is the main Puffin area, and boy did we connect with these birds! Amazingly no chicks were present, so no fish-in-mouth shots, but with such tame subjects I could afford to 'get creative'. The area is so green and verdant that I could, with the help of the midday sun, get some quite vibrant hues out the grass. For the following shot I had to lie on a gradient of about 20%, and I nearly went over the edge! But luckily I survived...

...and the headshot...

...and the flapping shot...

...But these Puffins left for the sea and I thought i'd move along, change background and let rip at some new targets...!

...but as we neared the top of Hermaness Hill (and were consequently the northernmost individuals in the UK) we encountered a rather nice Dunlin...

...but it wouldn't be Hermaness without some Bonxies, would it? So here's your lot...!

But alas we couldn't stay on Hermaness forever, for one my camera battery would run out, so we headed south to the Isle of Yell for our second night there, and our time on Unst drew to an end. With high winds forecast the next day we wondered whether our plan of going onto the island of Mousa was possible, with our good fortune up until this point it seemed we were due some bad luck!























Shetland 2012- Day II: Redneck Country

As we arrived back appropriately tired and all birded out I attempted to make a decision as to what should be done about the next day. It was set to be duller than the previous, but dry and the wind not really be a factor. I therefore took a gamble; the stakes being a day in the cold with no reward. No pressure then, as I headed over to Fetlar!

Fetlar is known as the 'Garden of Shetland', a reference to its verdant landscapes brought about by the Serpentine rock on which it is placed. I don't know who the gardener is, but a good bet would be the RSPB as they own most of the area and for the sake of the birds keep it fenced off. This was a pity, as it meant we were limited to the main road mostly. Not that it mattered mind, our quarry for the day was a small and unassuming wader that lived here and pretty much here alone. No prizes for those who've already got it, the Red Necked Phalarope.

Now because of Schedule 1 law I cannot disclose their location, so I won't because i'm an upstanding example of law-abiding society and have nothing but the bird's best interests at heart. Obviously. But if you want more information then look at the RSPB's webpage, they seem to be quite keen on splashing the location about. They've even got a hide!

Now if I said 'Fetlar holds 90% of the UK Phalarope population' you'd be impressed and i'd be right. If I said there had a handful of pairs then i'd still be right. The fact is that the Phalaropes of Fetlar are on the southernmost tip of their range so they're not exactly plentiful, hence why they're a gamble. Still, with a healthy degree of optimism I kicked off the vigil with a wonderfully mis-identifed Dunlin (I was on Phalarope mode)...!

...and then her mate joined in, and they even came closer...!

...but alas the Dunlins wandered where I couldn't go, right off into a no access area! Typical! Still, I had some shots of a species i'd always wanted to see in summer and one of my 'target birds'. Some other birders arrived now, sensibly on the later ferry and soon we were chatting away. However, a cry of 'what's that?' went up and the mysterious bird was soon ID'd as a Black Kite, a bit of a mega when you think they live in S. Europe!

Sadly the local Bonxies moved it on, so I concentrated instead upon them...!

...and then mum wandered back saying she'd seen something that was 'definitely not a Phalarope', but did have a white neck, foraged along the shoreline and was sort of grey. The assembled birding ears pricked up, and soon I was running along to the spot where it was seen. Sure enough, a male Red Necked Phalarope was visible a way off but coming towards my position. Another photographer, in fact the winner of BWPA 2011 Richard Shucksmith, joined me and we waited together whilst mum made a cuppa back at the car. The fieldcraft with phalaropes is rather mis-represented on Birdguides and other photo websites. The Phalarope is not 'tame', nowhere close, but it is tolerant of humans if they keep still. It is a super subject if you're patient, but certainly on Fetlar you can't just walk up to them and expect them to keep still. You have been warned! I thought finding them'd be the hard bit, but I was wrong! The male got close, but infuriatingly stopped short behind some reeds...!

...he then flew off to the far side, and we had the wisdom not to follow him. In the next hour he was visible on the far side feeding up round the edges, but the highlight for the time being was a stunning Whimbrel, just as I thought yesterday's shots couldn't be topped...!

But alas he too was gone, so I contented myself with this little Arctic Tern fishing in the shallows at the edge of the loch...!

These wee Terns are literally everywhere, and a hell of a lot more attractive than any gull! But as time wore on the male looked the only bird on the loch and I wasn't going to get up out of my position in the long grass for anything, not even food, drink or a wee! This was one bird I was determined not to miss and it was this determination to see the male than nearly scuppered everything. I chanced a glance backwards to see the assembled birders not looking at the male, but at the faqr shore. Surely it wasn't, not...a SECOND PHALAROPE? Sure enough it was, a female too so more pretty. A short walk along the lochside with Richard we reached a position where we could see the bird clearly, she was asleep in a boulderfield off a prominentary. I've perfected the art of crawling on the beaches of North Wales and the Dee, this was no dress rehersal but the real thing and any false move, any involuntary movement or wiggle of the lens could screw things up quite badly and with so many people watching I didn't want to ruin it. Luckily she stayed asleep and as I watched from the headland and Richard from the beach, the assembled birders (some from a tour group) decended on belly to the waterfront. She was completely unfazed by the shutter-noise, my rather ignominious entry to the loch (it was a steep drop!) and even my innane chattering. So i've included a choice few images of what was in all honesty one of my best opportunities ever, I apologise for the sheer number of images...!

...a little bird but big character...!

...'what'choo lookin' at...?'

...'sorry, I didn't quite hear you...!'

...'peakaboo...!'

What a bird, an absolute stunner and something I will always remember. I'd like to thank Richard though for helping me with the fieldcraft otherwise i'd have probably crawled right over to the male, put it up and no one would've got anything! I'd also have spent the night in the car as I had no idea the ferry back was booked, so thanks for the heads up! But again there was a tough act to follow, how could I possibly improve on Phalaropes, Whimbrels, Bonxies, Dunlin and Black Kite? Well tomorrow was Unst, the northernmost point of the British Isles, so there was always room for something special...!