4th February 2025 Unst SSW Overcast

A tour of the south of the island produced 2 Iceland Gulls at Westing.

Iceland Gulls at Westing

3rd February 2025 mainland Shetland SSW6 rain

Our dental appointments in Lerwick gave us an opportunity to attempt to see some of the current attractive Nearctic offerings of mainland Shetland. Unfortunately it coincided with another day of wet and windy weather! We commenced with a trip down memory lane to Hillwell, now being very nearly 35 years since making my first visit, but where this time it proved a slower start to proceedings in that we failed to see either the drake Bufflehead or American Wigeon. Fortunately, a drive along to the Quendale flood secured distant views of the latter. Another look at Hillwell again failed to produce the Bufflehead, so we headed for Spiggie. We'd not long started to scan for the American Coot and the Bufflehead, when a message arrived from Will to say the Bufflehead was again on Hillwell. We quickly retraced our steps and were soon enjoying watching it before enjoying a quick catch-up with Will. Phil then arrived, like us in having already failed to see the Bufflehead earlier in the morning, and gave us precise directions to where he'd just seen the American Coot. Back to Spiggie, but now running short of time, unfortunately we again failed to see it. We then saw Rebecca in town before heading back north via Scatsa to take another look at the Ross's Goose before catching-up with it's finder Rob. So, a trio of Nearctic wildfowl and an unexpectedly sociable day!

2cy drake American Wigeon at Quendale

Drake Bufflehead at Loch of Hillwell

Adult Ross's Goose with Greylag Geese at Scatsa

31st January 2025 Unst N2 Clear

Highlights of a look around Uyeasound were the adult Glaucous Gull at Easter Loch and an Iceland Gull around the distant offshore Iceland Gull.

Glaucous Gull at Easter Loch

Iceland Gull off Uyeasound

28th January 2025 Unst & mainland NE6 Showers

What is presumably a returning drake Goosander was present on Wester Loch and an adult Glaucous Gull was present on Glaucous Gull. After taking another look at the Ross's Goose at Scatsa we thoroughly enjoyed the Lerwick Up Helly Aa from the 'best seat in the house' courtesy of Shetland Nature.

Drake Goosander and a pair of Goldeneye at Wester Loch

Ross's Goose at Scatsa

Lerwick Up Helly Aa

25th January 2025 Unst WSW8 Heavy showers

A wet and windy morning but it saw the second-cycle Kumlien's Gull make a welcome re-appearance at Dam Loch whereupon it was nice to obtain some prolonged views, albeit the weather conditions, poor light and distance again made photography challenging!

Second-cycle Kumlien's Gull at Dam Loch

19th January 2025 Scatsa

After finishing work, I just had time to squeeze in a visit to see the adult Ross's Goose at Scatsa found by Rob Fray a few days ago. 

Ross's Goose at Scatsa